WVC's Shelly Pflugrath moves into
elite territory with 4th Sports Award

The achievement of Triple Crown status with at least three Sports Awards to an individual's credit is a rare accomplishment and a milestone that WVC softball coach Shelly Pflugrath was included into back in 2013. This year, she was the recipient of the Female Team Coach of the Year plaque for the fourth time during the 45th NCW Sports Awards at the Town Toyota Center on June 9.

Since 1971, only 22 athletes and coaches have entered the realm of Triple Crown awardees, and just seven have received four or more Sports Awards. Megan Franza, a three-sport athlete at Cascade High and a basketball player at the University of Washington is the only five-time recipient.

The Don Elliston President's Award, given to an individual for exceptional service to North Central Washington athletics, went to John Kalahar. He has devoted more than 40 years to NCW athletics as an organizer as well as coach, most notably as WVC's first for softball.

Girl and boy Scholar-Athletes of the Year were Manson's Raechel Vanderholm and Cashmere's Bryan McNair. Each were awarded college scholarships with Vanderholm's to attend BYU and McNair's to the University of Washington.

ESPN anchor and sports feature producer Kenny Mayne, who was also a junior college honorable mention All-American quarterback at WVC, was the featured speaker. With respect to also honoring his WVC football coach Sandy Cooprider, Mayne commented "I wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Sandy told all of us to make whatever we're doing (at the moment) our big-time. I really took that to heart going forward in anything I did in my career." He also cautioned young athletes to "not peak at 18" - to continue to improve and look for opportunities and challenges in all walks of life. "I hope I haven't peaked yet, and I'm 55," he added. "I hope to have new ambitions and set new goals."

Independently selected, North Central Washington Male College Athlete of the Year honors went to Austin Bryan of Wenatchee who earned NCAA-II second team All-District, second team All-West Region and All-California Collegiate Athletic Association berths while averaging 14.7 points per game and leading the CCAA in 3-point shooting by making 45.7% of his attempts. In the Female College Athlete category, two athletes tied for top honors - Audrey Ketcham of Wenatchee who finished 21st in the high jump at the NCAA-I Championships and 5th at the NCAA-I West Regionals while clearing a 7th best all-time 5-11 1/2 in Washington State University history; and Anna Kottkamp of Wenatchee who rowed in Notre Dames #1 varsity eight boat that finished 16th in the NCAA-I Championships. Kottkamp was the Atlantic Coast Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the school's Class of 2015 valedictorian while also being named second team All-ACC in rowing.

2015 Sports Awards recipients –

HIGH SCHOOL MALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR

Jim Townsend, Okanogan and Cole Christman, Wenatchee

HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR

Ali Sealby, Wenatchee

MALE TEAM COACH-OF-THE-YEAR

Brandon Evenson, Ephrata basketball

FEMALE TEAM COACH-OF-THE-YEAR

Shelly Pflugrath, WVC softball

MALE TEAM-OF-THE-YEAR

Wenatchee baseball

FEMALE TEAM-OF-THE-YEAR

Okanogan basketball

COLLEGE MALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR

Austin Bryan (Wenatchee) Humboldt State [CA] basketball

COLLEGE FEMALE ATHLETE-OF-THE-YEAR

Audrey Ketcham (Wenatchee) Washington State track and Anna Kottkamp (Wenatchee) Notre Dame [IN] rowing

List of finalists –

High School Male Athlete

Cole Christman, Wenatchee; Trey Adams, Wenatchee; Jim Townsend, Okanogan; Phillip Moore, Eastmont; Killion McGinnis, Wenatchee; Mason Elliott, Cashmere; Grady Miller, Wenatchee; Dennis Merritt, Cascade; Timbo Taylor, Brewster; and Jose Padilla, Chelan.

High School Female Athlete

Ali Sealby, Wenatchee; Jill Townsend, Okanogan; Kaycee O'Brien, Cascade; Adrianna Simmons, Ephrata; Markie Miller, Brewster; Erin Mullins, Cascade; Baylee Fontaine, Wenatchee; Jessica Wierzbicki, Wenatchee; Breanne Knishka, Cashmere; and Keanna Egbert, Okanogan.

Male Team Coach

Brandon Evenson, Ephrata basketball; Miles Caples, Entiat basketball; Todd Phillips, Brewster baseball; Jay Hawkins, Tonasket football; Dennis Tronson, Wenatchee soccer; Duane Ives, Omak wrestling; Eric Judd, Okanogan football; Jamie Richards, Chelan soccer; Dave Mitchell, Tonasket wrestling; and Greg Martinez, Quincy wrestling.

Female Team Coach

Shelly Pflugrath, WVC softball; Hillary Coomes, Ephrata soccer; Rachel Bromiley-Goetz, WVC basketball; James Elwyn, Wenatchee swimming; Bryan Boesel, Okanogan basketball; Julie Cannon, Entiat track; Lincoln Post, Liberty Bell soccer; Brent Darnell, Cashmere basketball; Mike Bourn, Oroville basketball; and Donene Hendricks, Chelan volleyball.

Male Team

Okanogan football; Schoolhouse rugby; Wenatchee track; Wenatchee Valley lacrosse; Cashmere baseball; Wenatchee baseball; WVC basketball; Cascade football; Liberty Bell wrestling; and Okanogan track.

Female Team

Eastmont bowling; Wenatchee swimming; WVC basketball; Okanogan basketball; Ephrata soccer; Pateros basketball; Wenatchee golf; Omak tennis; Brewster softball; and Cascade volleyball.

College Male

Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Wenatchee) Stanford [CA] football & track; Austin Bryan (Wenatchee) Humboldt State [CA] basketball; Joe Green (Cashmere) Whitworth track; Mike Marboe (Wenatchee) Idaho football; Trenton Osborn (Eastmont) Eastern Washington track; Malachi Roberts (Eastmont) Rocky Mountain [MT] basketball; Ryan Roseneau (Cascade) Eastern Oregon track; Ian Sagdal (Eastmont) Washington State baseball; Jacob Sealby (Wenatchee) Washington State track; Armando Tafoya (Quincy) Central Washington track; and Jeremy VanAssche (Eastmont) Eastern Washington track.

College Female

Hannah Bruggman (Wenatchee) Washington State swimming; Courtney Dietrich (Chelan) Sacramento State [CA] volleyball; Jaicee Harris (Chelan) Washington State volleyball; Jozie Kimes (Cashmere) Eastern Washington track; Anna Kottkamp (Wenatchee) Notre Dame [IN] rowing; Rachel Kraske (Omak) George Fox [OR] track; Kea Paton (Cashmere) Lewis-Clark State [ID] track; Rebecca Tarbert (Eastmont) Eastern Washington track; Jameka Townsend (Okanogan) Willamette [OR] track.