Northwest Notes May 1, 2025

Annual District 1 all-star 

track and field meet today

The annual District 1 all-star meet, featuring the top 16 athletes in all classifications, is today starting at 2:30 p.m. at Post Falls High. 

Events begin with the field events, then move to the track at 3:30 p.m. 

At 4 p.m., longtime Post Falls coach Dennis Amende, former Sandpoint High star Sam Levora and former Post Falls High star Melody Kempton will be inducted into the meet Hall of Fame. 

Kempton was a three-time Idaho High Jump State Champion, a Triple-Jump Champion, and the two-time North Idaho Female Track Athlete of the Year. Kempton still holds the school record in the high jump (5 feet, 8 inches) and triple jump (36 feet, 6 ½ inches). 

Levora was a three-time district champion in cross country, and runner-up as a junior and senior at state. In track, Levora was third in the 1,600 and 3,200 as a sophomore and second in both events as a junior and senior. Levora still holds the school record in the 1,600 and 3,200. 

Amende, a longtime Post Falls High teacher and coach, was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019 for his lifetime of service to wrestling and assistant track and field coach. 

Hildebrandt, Yalaho sign with WSU men's basketball

PULLMAN — Simon Hildebrandt and Eemeli Yalaho signed financial aid agreements with the Washington State men’s basketball program to compete for the Cougars in the 2025-26 season, head coach David Riley announced Wednesday.

Hildebrandt, an incoming senior from Winnipeg, played the 2024-25 season at High Point University, capped by a Big South Tournament championship and the Panthers’ first berth to the NCAA Tournament. A 6-foot-9 forward, Hildebrandt averaged 5.5 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game in 25 appearances in the rotation.

Prior to entering the NCAA ranks, Hildebrandt spent two seasons at the University of Manitoba, leading the Bison as an All-Canadian team selection as a sophomore and averaged 16.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Yalaho, a rising junior from Jyvaskyla, Finland, played his first two seasons at Texas Tech. Eemeli, who goes by ‘E.Y.,’ is a 6-8 forward and played 26 games with the Red Raiders, including his first career start in 2024-25. Yalaho battled back injuries as a sophomore, playing 11 games as Tech reached the Elite Eight. Yalaho averaged 2.5 points per game and 1.7 rebounds per game in just over nine minutes of action per game.

Both Hildebrandt and Yalaho earned conference all-academic recognition with their respective programs.

The forward duo become the third and fourth signees to join the WSU men’s basketball program this offseason, joining junior transfer Jerone Morton from Morehead State and sophomore transfer Emmanuel Ugbo from Boise State.