ELKO – 2014 has come and will soon leave – not without its fare share of incredible moments. Success was found by teams and individuals alike. The year gave sports fans and county residents of all backgrounds many unforgettable memories.
Winter/Spring
Elko boys basketball — The Indians experienced an outstanding season, finishing with a 25-4 record and a 15-1 mark in league play. The Tribe won the Division I-A North title for the third consecutive season and defeated Desert Pines 63-47 in the state semifinal. The Indians advanced to the state final but were defeated by Clark High School of Las Vegas and wound up as the state runner-up for the second time in three seasons.
Spring Creek girls basketball — The Lady Spartans finished the season 18-13 but posted an impressive 13-3 record in league play. The squad picked up a close 48-45 victory in the first round of the regional playoffs over rival Elko. Spring Creek advanced to the state semifinal and trailed 37-24 to Boulder City entering the fourth quarter. The Lady Spartans mounted a comeback, but Spring Creek fell to Boulder City, 48-40.
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State Wrestling — Elko sophomore grappler Aram Villegas was the only Indian to capture a state championship in 2014, winning the title of the 113-pound weight class. Villegas returns for his junior campaign and will look to make another run toward a state championship in the 120-pound division this season.
Spring Creek and Elko baseball — Both area teams experienced success on the diamond during the 2014 spring season, each making the regional tournament. Elko went 20-10 with a 17-7 mark in the Division I-A North. The Indians received the No. 1 seed of the regional tournament but were eliminated by No. 4 seed South Tahoe, 8-6 in the first round. Spring Creek finished 19-13 with a 15-9 league record and received the No. 3 seed in the regional tournament. The Spartans were eliminated in the first round by Fallon, 8-3. However, the Spartans had some historic games against Elko. Spring Creek defeated the Indians 6-1 during the regular season, marking the team’s first league victory over Elko since both teams entered the Division I-A North in 2010. Spring Creek defeated Elko again in the third-place game of the regional tournament, 6-2.
Summer/Fall
Bryce Saddoris — The former Spring Creek wrestling standout and collegiate All-American while at the U.S. Naval Academy represented USA Wrestling at the Pan-American Games in Mexico City. He reached the gold-medal match of the 145-pound weight class before losing to tournament champion Miguel Martinez of Cuba. Saddoris qualified for the International Federation of Associated Wrestling World Championships (FILA). He represented the United States at the World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Saddoris lost to 2012 Olympic silver medalist Revaz Lashkhi of Georgia and finished 12th in the world. He is one of USA Wrestling’s strongest candidates to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.
Spring Creek/Elko cross country — The Spartans and Lady Spartans had quite the season. The Spring Creek boys ran consistently all year, and consistency was the key to the squad bringing home the Division I-A North title and Nevada state championship. The Spartans never had a runner finish in the top 11 at the state tournament, but Spring Creek had three runners finish consecutively from 12th through 14th – Steven Evers, Cole Campbell and Logan Patton – respectively. Spring Creek had back-to-back finishers at 16th (Matt Banks) and 17th (Logan Patton) and again at 22nd (Camden Mauer) and 23rd (Brayden Piercy). The Spartans had all seven members of 52 total runners finish in the top 23.
The Lady Spartans narrowly missed making it a clean sweep for Spring Creek. The Lady Spartans finished as the state runner-up to Truckee. Five of Spring Creek’s runners finished in the top 13, with Truckee edging that total with five in the top 10. Spring Creek’s Julia Mahlke finished third in the state and obliterated the Elko course record during the regular season. Alex Monroe finished seventh at state, Lauren Walz placed ninth, Larissa Mauer came in 11th and Jordan Oliphant finished 13th.
Elko’s Kyler Simpkins finished a fantastic career, winning the Division I-A North title and finishing second at the state championship. Indian teammate Timothy Rose finished third at the regional meet and seventh at state. Both Simpkins and Rose were named All-State runners.
Elko football – The Indians finished with a 9-2 record and an 8-1 mark in the Division I-A North. Elko won its first round playoff game 23-8 over Fernley and advanced to the state semifinal. Elko’s only two losses came to 2013 state runner-up Fallon and eventual 2014 state champion Moapa Valley in the semifinal.
Team success was not the only accolades Elko received during the season. Individuals had great a year as well, and one Indian changed the Elko record books.
Senior running back Jason Wilson broke the EHS career records for rushing yards and total offense. Wilson was named a 1st-Team All-League selection and a 2nd-Team All-State honoree. Junior linebacker and offensive lineman Benton Wickersham was named the Lineman of the Year for the entire state and received the same honor as a league selection. Senior Nathan Klekas was named to the 1st-Team All-State Offense as the tight end. Senior Jordan Walthers was named a 1st-Team All-State Defense selection at linebacker and a 2nd-Team All-State Offense selection as a lineman. Junior Jacob Pengelly was named a 1st-Team All-State selection on the defensive line.
Elko volleyball – The Lady Indians had an unbelievable season, going 15-1 in league play. Elko captured the Division I-A North championship, defeating Truckee in five sets. The Lady Indians lost to Sierra Vista in the state semifinal, clawing back from a 2-0 deficit and forcing a fifth set. Elko fell 15-13 in the deciding set, and questionable officiating throughout played a big part in the flow of the match.
Multiple Lady Indians received high praise throughout the season – none more so than senior middle blocker Kelsie Gailey. She was named the Division I-A North MVP and was named a 1st-Team All-State selection. Joining Gailey on the 1st-Team All-State and 1st-Team All-North selections was junior outside hitter Jill Wright. Senior libero Desirea Danner was named to the 1st-Team All-North and 2nd-Team All-State selections.
Elko/Spring Creek girls golf – The Lady Indians won six of the eight regular season tournaments they competed in, capturing the league championship along the way. The group golfed well at the state tournament and took third place.
Elko’s Kaily Beatty wrapped up a brilliant career, finishing third at the state tournament. She was also named an All-North performer. Beatty has stamped her name across the Elko record books and would have broken more of her own records if the Truckee tournament would not have been cancelled due to bad air conditions. Joining Beatty on the All-North team was junior Brooke Elquist.
Spring Creek’s Mikal Jerman was the only Lady Spartan to qualify for the state tournament. She had a fantastic season and was named to the All-North team. She finished 11th at the state tournament.
Spring Creek/Elko girls soccer – Former Elko standout Kami Hernandez – now at the helm of the Spring Creek girls team – led the Lady Spartans back into the postseason. Spring Creek received the No. 3 seed of the regional playoffs and lost to No. 2 seed and eventual regional champion Truckee 2-1 in double-overtime. The Lady Spartans finished 10-4-2 in league play and will return roughly two-thirds of their players next season. Spring Creek girls soccer appears to be back on the map.
Senior defender Haley Isaman was named to the 1st-Team All-North and 2nd-Team All-State selections.
The Elko girls soccer team did not qualify for the playoffs for the first season in quite some time. However, a very bright spot shone for the Lady Indians – senior goalkeeper Hailee Simpson. Simpson was named the 1st-Team All-North and 1st-Team All-State goalkeeper. One of the most memorable moments of the season came when Elko played Truckee in its first league game of the season. Truckee defeated Elko 3-0, but Simpson turned in a Tim Howard World Cup-esque performance – stuffing one shot after another on her way to 26 saves.
Spring Creek boys soccer – The Spartans failed to qualify for the postseason but managed to arrange a unique circumstance. Spring Creek appealed the officiating of a home game against Fallon, a game in which the Spartans lost. However, the NIAA ruled in favor of the appeal, and Spring Creek played the Greenwave again at a neutral location – Lowry High School in Winnemucca. The Spartans tied Fallon on a wet and sloppy afternoon, but Spring Creek needed to win the game in order to make the postseason. Fallon was awarded the fourth and final spot of the playoffs.
Senior halfback Jaysen Woodland was named a 1st-Team All-North and 2nd-Team All-State selection.
Soccer Academics – The Spring Creek boys and girls soccer teams proved the significance of success in the classroom is truly more important than success on the field. Both the Spartans and Lady Spartans soccer teams captured the 2014 Division I-A Academic State Championship.
Walt Lovell – Walt Lovell stepped down as the EHS Director of Bands after 36 years. Under his direction, the EHS Band won the Nevada State Marching Band Championships 13 times and finished second 15 times – while never finishing lower than fifth during Lovell’s tenure. With Lovell at the helm, the Elko High School “Band of Indians” performed in three Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parades, two Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades, five Hollywood Christmas Parades, the 6 ABC/Boscov’s Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, a Presidential Inaugural parade and for five Presidents. Lovell was elected to the EHS Class of 2014 Hall of Fame – joining Bob Jones, Gib Landell, Harry Swainston and Gary Porter.
Nathan Klekas – Already being named a 1st-Team All-State tight end, Klekas transitioned to the basketball court. A two-time Division I-A North MVP, Klekas entered his senior season as the EHS all-time leading rebounder by 78 boards. He trailed the all-time scoring mark by 70 points, but that only lasted four games. He eclipsed the previous mark by older brother Ryan Klekas against Fernley. Nathan entered Elko’s first league contest of the year needing 23 points to tie the record and 24 to break it – he scored 26. He will continue to rewrite the record books through the rest of the season with every point he makes and every board he grabs.
Rodeo – Local cowboy and steer wrestler Dakota Eldridge qualified for his second National Finals Rodeo in as many years. Eldridge entered the rodeo in ninth place in the world standings and won more than $73,000 during his 10-day stay in Las Vegas. He split first and second in the seventh go-round with a time of 3.4 seconds. Eldridge won the ninth round outright with a 3.3-second run. He won third in the average and wound up fifth in the year-end world standings.
Local cowboy and team roper Asher Freeman also experienced quite a feat in Las Vegas during the same time as the NFR. Freeman competed in the World Series of Team Roping Finals in the No. 13 division. His partner was Bailey Corkill of Fallon – the sister of recently crowned three-time consecutive world champion heeler Jade Corkill. Bailey Corkill and Freeman roped four steers in 30.87 seconds, splitting second and third place out of nearly 600 teams. The duo combined to win $181,000 – pocketing $90,500 each.
Professional Bull Riders Association member Markus Mariluch was experiencing a fantastic 2014 campaign and would have ridden at the PBR World Finals, but a shoulder injury and surgery kept him from competing in Las Vegas. Mariluch still finished 22nd in the year-end standings, winning $74,265.
Free Press Sports Turnover – In the busy spectrum of local sports, the EDFP also experienced lots of changes. Former reporter Blake Samanas moved on, and Elko County native Anthony Mori entered to fill the position in June. EDFP editor and 10-year sports writer Martin Harris departed from his post in August. Mori took over editing duties and covering Elko and Wells athletics. Utah native Lauren Deane was hired and moved to Elko. Deane now covers Spring Creek and Carlin sporting events.
The year was marked with highs and lows, providing both exhilarating victories and agonizing defeats. The ebb and flow of sports is what makes athletics so exciting. The EDFP is looking forward to the give-and-take, back-and-forth action of the upcoming year. Happy New Year, and here is looking forward to 2015.