Lake County athletes recognized as finalists for statewide honor
MISSOULA — Three Lake County athletes were recently recognized as part of Montana’s finalists for Wendy’s High School Heisman including Mission’s Loren Erickson (volleyball) and Paden Alexander (cross-country) and Polson’s James Larson (soccer).
MISSOULA — Three Lake County athletes were recently recognized as part of Montana’s finalists for Wendy’s High School Heisman including Mission’s Loren Erickson (volleyball) and Paden Alexander (cross-country) and Polson’s James Larson (soccer).
According to a press release, the award is given to the high school athlete who best demonstrates “hard work, dedication and exceptional records in athletics, academics and community leadership.”
Erickson, Alexander and Larson were chosen from 45,000 applicants, making it to the round of 20 finalists, before Frenchtown’s Abby Indreland and Chinook’s Robert Kingaman were named the state’s winners.
They will now compete with winners from the country’s other regional winners for a chance to be one of the 12 National Finalists and a shot to earn money for their schools.
The winners will be recognized during college football’s Heisman Trophy presentation on Dec. 8 on ESPN2.
While Lake County’s standouts didn’t make the final cut, their respective school’s still have plenty to be proud of.
Erickson helped the Lady Bulldog’s to a second-place finish at the District 6-B volleyball tournament this season after posting 586 assists, 217 digs, 107 kills, 33 aces and 31 blocks.
Mission head coach Kendal Anderson described Erickson as “any coach’s dream,” citing her tireless work ethic.
“Loren is a dedicated athlete on and off of the court,” Anderson said. “She is the first at practice and the last to leave. I have been very fortunate to have the chance to work with her leadership and enthusiasm.”
Erickson is also an Honor Roll student and competes in three sports throughout the year.
Alexander has left a similar mark on Mission athletics this season and throughout his cross-country career.
The talented senior scampered his way to his third-straight top 10 finish at the Class B State Meet, clocking in at 16 minutes and 43 seconds and placing second this time around.
Bulldogs head coach Marc Cutler credited Alexander’s stellar senior campaign to his “hard work and dedication,” and said he was definitely worthy of a spot among the finalists.
“I’m so proud of him for becoming a finalist for the Montana High School Heisman,” Cutler said. “He is very deserving of this recognition.”
Larson also made a strong case for the state award after scoring five goals and hooking up with teammates for three assists this season.
However, according to Pirates head coach Jess Kittle, what Larson has done off the field can’t be ignored either.
“He puts in so much time and dedication into everything he does, from soccer to schoolwork and to volunteering in the community,” Kittle said.
Though Larson didn’t come away with this particular award, he is still in contention for three more awards.
He is one of five nominees for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Player of the Year for Montana, and is also a nominee for NSCAA’s Scholar All-Region and Scholar All-America teams.
Last year Clay Frissell made both teams and Caden von Widenradt made the All-Region team, so Larson will be hoping to continue this trend.