For the week of May 29 - June 4, 2002

"Best of the Best" honored at banquet

Williams honored for 16 letters

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Wood River High School vice principal John Blackman summed it up the best.

Laurel Williams, Wood River High School senior throwing out yet another base runner for the softball team this spring, became the first WRHS athlete to letter in three sports for four consecutive years. Actually she lettered in four activities for 16 letters—volleyball, basketball, softball and band. Express photo by David N. Seelig

"They’re The Best of the Best—not just in their achievements but in heart and soul and who they are as people to the core," said Blackman.

Blackman’s comment came May 16 in the Horizon Room of Elkhorn Resort, where the top Wood River students in extracurricular activities received accolades at the 2002 Wood River Activities Banquet.

Coaches and teachers praised Wood River athletes, team leaders and "Most Inspirational" honorees.

Receiving a standing ovation was senior Laurel Williams, who became the first Wood River athlete to letter in three sports for four consecutive years. Actually she lettered in four activities for 16 letters—volleyball, basketball, softball and band.

Her coaches, Reamy Goodwin, Brent Carnduff, Bart Bailey and Chris Cey, led the applause for Wood River’s most decorated athlete.

Judged the "Most Outstanding Senior Athletes," for the 2001-02 school year were Cole Everman and Ashley Howe.

Everman was a leader in football, basketball and track. Howe was a star player for the Wolverine soccer team and one of Idaho’s fastest track sprinters. She also played hockey.

This was the fifth year that Wood River honored its three-activity lettermen at the banquet. Athletic director Ron Martinez announced a total of 21 three-activity lettermen.

Three-activity lettermen for the second straight year were Cole Everman, Matt Beck and Jeff Bolton.

Others were Jessica King, Matt Pruett, Joe Paisley, Matt Conover, Kelsea Ballantyne, Jameson McDonald, Luiz Ruiz, Aubrey Kirtley, Natalie Green, Gariety Pruett, Chad Hayward, Jenni Borda, Ashley Washburn, David Wood, Emily Smith, Andrew McCollum and Mark Neville.

 

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Other awards

The presentation of Allan Lee Patterson Memorial Awards to two outstanding senior-class students was another highlight of the program.

Selected by the Wood River coaching staff, the Patterson honors were given for the 25th time in memory of Hailey's Allan Patterson. Nicknamed "Tork" for his all-out attitude, Patterson was an outstanding football player and top-level alpine skier with Olympic aspirations.

Patterson was a 1975 Wood River High School graduate who met an untimely death in 1977.

This year’s Patterson winners were Amanda Engel and Jeff Bolton.

U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete awards were presented to Kipp Mills and Evan Peebles. Army Reserve Scholar/Athlete honors went to Erin Elgee and Matt Beck.

Announced as recipients of this year’s $1,000 Picabo Street scholarships were Laurel Williams and Nic Nottingham.

Eva Bach, a cross country runner, earned the Rose Bergin Memorial Award. It was given for the 23rd time to the Wolverine girl who possesses the student-athlete-citizen qualities of Rose Bergin, a 1977 Wood River graduate who died of cancer.

Bob Shay "Most Inspirational" awards were presented to athletes in each of the school's varsity sports and to participants in activities like drama, cheerleading and band.

The awards, once called Rick Hawkes Memorial, were given for the 13th time in honor of coach Shay. Shay "Inspirational" awards went to:

·  Fall sports—Kelsea Ballantyne for the second straight year in volleyball; Eva Bach and Matt DeCarufel in cross country; Mike Sinnott in boys' soccer; Krista Burns in girls' soccer; and Evan Peebles in football;

·  Winter sports—Cole Everman in boys' basketball; Laurel Williams in girls' basketball; and Matt Conover in wrestling;

·  Spring sports—Cole Everman in boys' track; Rachel Richards in girls' track; Patrick Brennan and Kiette Tucker in tennis; Ryne Reynoso in baseball; Britt VanPaepeghem and Derrick Woodall in golf; and B.J. Adams in softball.

·  Other activities—Anna Wieand in cheerleading; Vaughn Neville in speech; Travis Risner in debate; Manny Santiago and Jessica Jensen in drama; Adam Bohrer and Aubrey Kirtley in band; Austin Amaya and Lyndsey Cheslik in choir.

Presented for the 14th time was the "Shay Cup," which goes to a Wood River coach/advisor in the name of Bob Shay.

The "Coach of the Year" recipient was Chris Cey, who guided the Wood River softball team to its first district championship and state tournament berth in four years.

 

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Past "Shay Cup" winners:

Football coach John Blackman; baseball coach Lars Hovey; tennis coach Nancy Williams; boys' soccer coaches Brian Daluiso and Craig Roth; band and choir teacher Bart Bailey; speech arts teacher Tim Neville (twice); volleyball coach Dave Neumann; wrestling coach Tom Goicoechea; boys' basketball coach Norm Cook; girls' basketball/track coach J.C. Nemecek; girls' soccer coach Tizz Strachan; cross country/track coach Bill Martell; and boys' soccer coach Erik Larson.

 

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