Mark Nelke

Coeur d'Alene

Sports Editor at Coeur d’Alene Press

Coeur d'Alene Press sports editor Mark Nelke covers North Idaho high school and North Idaho College sports, with a touch of Idaho Vandals mixed in

Featured in: Favicon

cdapress.com Favicon

idahostatesman.com Favicon

bonnercountydailybee.com Favicon

shoshonenewspress.com Favicon

bonnersferryherald.com Favicon

columbiabasinherald.com

Articles

Buchanan transferring to Iowa State

3 weeks ago | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

By MARK NELKESports editorBlake Buchanan, the former Lake City High basketball star who played the past two seasons at the University of Virginia, is transferring to Iowa State, he announced recently on his Instagram page. Buchanan told The Press on Tuesday he first met Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger a few years ago, when he was invited to a USA Basketball minicamp.
6A REGION 1 BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Lake City shoots past Post Falls in Game 1

2 months ago | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

By MARK NELKE Sports editor COEUR d’ALENE — Round 1 of a new format — on a weekend afternoon, but attracting some 1,500 fans — went to the home squad. Senior Reese Strawn and sophomore Jordan Carlson scored 20 points each as the top-seeded Lake City Timberwolves beat the second-seeded Post Falls Trojans 69-57 in Game 1 of a best-of-3 series for the 6A District 1 boys basketball title Saturday afternoon at Lake City. Game 2 is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Post Falls.
Vandals try to keep focus on Lehigh

Dec 6, 2024 | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

Tonight, Lehigh at Idaho, 6 p.m. • ESPN+ By MARK NELKE Sports editor The Idaho Vandals can see the future. But they need to worry about the present first. If the eighth-seeded Vandals (9-3) win their FCS playoff opener against unseeded Lehigh (9-3) tonight at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow in a second-round matchup, they would almost certainly travel to top-seeded Montana State next week in the quarterfinals. Montana State blistered the Vandals 38-7 in Bozeman in October.
A rival, a nice trophy, but mostly, playoff positioning

Nov 22, 2024 | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

By MARK NELKE Sports editor The in-state rivalry game is a nice angle. Playing for a new trophy – the Potato State Trophy, a large potato-shaped wooden beauty carved last summer by Idaho sports information director Jerek Wolcott in his backyard — that's pretty cool as well. But the FCS playoffs are the biggest thing on the mind of the Idaho Vandals (8-3, 5-2), who play the Idaho State Bengals (5-6, 3-4) today at 3 p.m. at the sold-out ICCU Dome in Pocatello in the regular-season finale.
Trying to avoid another late-season slip-up

Nov 15, 2024 | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

Tonight, Weber State at Idaho, 5 p.m. — SWX, ESPN+ By MARK NELKE Sports editor Going undefeated at home in the regular season for the first time since 1996. Honoring 11 seniors on senior day. Both noble aspirations. But the Idaho Vandals have stumbled in their second-to-last regular season game the past two seasons, including two years ago when they fell to UC Davis on senior day. “Getting a win is the best way to honor those guys,” third-year Idaho coach Jason Eck said.
STATE 6A QUARTERFINALS: 'Win and move on' Coeur d'Alene puts away Middleton, on to state 6A semifinals

Nov 8, 2024 | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

By MARK NELKE Sports editor COEUR d’ALENE — It was one of the most lopsided fairly close games that you will ever see. The Coeur d’Alene Vikings shredded the Middleton Vikings through the heavy dose of wide receiver screens — with a deep ball or two thrown in as a change of pace. But Coeur d’Alene also was guilty of just enough miscues to give Middleton life throughout the game.
Coming off bye, ‘recharged’ Vandals begin home stretch

Nov 8, 2024 | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

Today, Idaho at Portland State, 1 p.m. • ESPN+ By MARK NELKE Sports editor If the Portland State Vikings didn’t have the attention of the Idaho Vandals before ... They certainly have the Vandals’ attention now. That’s because last week, quarterback Dante Chachere led Portland State to an impressive road win at Sacramento State, beating a team ranked in the FCS top 10 in the preseason, but has fallen on hard times of late.
STATE 6A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: Post Falls runs past Borah

Nov 1, 2024 | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

By MARK NELKE Sports editor POST FALLS — A rainy night. A muddy field. Sounds like a good time to make it a smashmouth football game. Post Falls rushed for 386 yards and had two backs go over the 100-yard mark as the Trojans rolled past the Borah Lions of Boise 49-21 in the first-round of the state 6A playoffs Friday night at soggy Trojan Stadium. "It was rainy out, so that was our game plan, to run the ball,” Post Falls senior center Jackson Portner said.
State volleyball tournaments: The adversity that made Lakeland stronger

Oct 29, 2024 | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

By MARK NELKE Sports editor Ziya Munyer went up for a jump-serve at practice on Sept. 13. And when she came down, she thought her season was over. “When I landed, my knee totally gave out on me,” recalled Munyer, the 6-foot-1 senior standout middle blocker for the Lakeland Hawks. “And I was distraught.” “Initially, everyone kind of gasped a little bit,” Lakeland coach Kelsie Badger said.
'Gives us a little more fire': Back at state volleyball for second straight year, Coeur d'Alene taking underdog approach

Oct 28, 2024 | cdapress.com | Mark Nelke

By MARK NELKE Sports editor Gracie Legg had a rough first day of volleyball tryouts at Coeur d’Alene High this season. Not only did the returning senior libero get sick on that first day, she also tore cartilage in her knee during a drill. Legg was diagnosed with pneumonia in her left lung. Between her illness and her injury, she missed the first month of the season, but is back in her usual role of wearing a jersey a different color from her teammates.