Coupeville Sports

My kingdom for a title!

October 8, 2026 by David Svien

Lyla Stuurmans (4) and Madison McMillan (11) sparked CHS volleyball to a 4th place finish at the 2024 state tourney. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It is the most elusive thing in Cow Town sports history — a team state title.

At least at the high school level.

Now, the 2010 Central Whidbey Little League baseball team beat everyone to claim the top prize.

And, technically, the 2006 Coupeville High School cheer squad has a state crown to its credit — though cheer is classified as an activity and not a sport by the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association.

The Wolves have two individual state titles in cross country thanks to Natasha Bamberger and Tyler King, and a whole bunch of track and field titles, both for individuals and a boys’ 4 x 400 relay team.

But as we sit here in 2026, CHS has yet to join its neighbors, Oak Harbor (football) or South Whidbey (cross country, tennis) in winning the ultimate team prize.

Over the years, 43 Wolf teams have advanced to state, capturing 26 wins (21 from female athletes) and bringing home hardware several times.

Just not that trophy that says STATE CHAMPS.

Yet.

The hunt continues, with the first team to achieve the feat guaranteed to be immortalized forever.

Scott Hilborn pitched Wolf baseball to a big win over Toledo at the 2023 state tourney. (Photo courtesy Wendi Hilborn)

As we sit here on October 7, 2026, here’s what has gone down in the past, with a couple of small caveats.

In this exercise, tennis, golf, wrestling, swim, cross country, and track are MIA because athletes advance to state as individuals.

You can win a TEAM state title in those sports with just an athlete or two — it happens frequently in tennis for example — but you don’t need the entire team to qualify to get to the big dance in the first place.

Which is the case for basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, baseball, and football.

Out of those six sports, the only Wolf program still seeking its first trip to state is girls’ soccer. Sort of.

Back in 1994, long before CHS launched its own team, Coupeville girls could play with Oak Harbor.

That year, the coach (Carol Bartelson), the top scorer (Marnie Bartelson), and the all-star goalie (Amanda Allmer) were all Wolves and led the team to a 4th place finish in the 4A classification.

But they did it wearing Oak Harbor’s purple and gold, with Wildcats stitched on the jerseys, and the WIAA lists the achievement on the page for OHHS and not CHS.

With that in mind, here’s the state tourney history for CHS team sports (as documented by the aforementioned WIAA):

Baseball:

First trip: 1973
Most-recent trip: 2023
Total trips: 10
State tourney wins: 3
Schools beaten: Kittitas, White Swan, Toledo
Best finish: 3rd in 1987

Boys Basketball:

First trip: 1970
Most-recent trip: 2024
Total trips: 7
State tourney wins: 2
Schools beaten: Columbia (Burbank), Montesano
Best finish: No trophies

Boys Soccer:

First trip: 2009
Most-recent trip: 2010
Total trips: 2
State tourney wins: None
Schools beaten: None
Best finish: No trophies

Football:

First trip: 1974
Most-recent trip: 2022
Total trips: 5
State tourney wins: None
Schools beaten: None
Best finish: No trophies

Girls Basketball:

First trip: 1998
Most-recent trip: 2016
Total trips: 7
State tourney wins: 7
Schools beaten: Freeman, Onalaska, Overlake, Winlock, River View, Cascade Christian, Zillah
Best finish: 6th in 2002

Softball:

First trip: 2002
Most-recent trip: 2026
Total trips: 5
State tourney wins: 8
Schools beaten: Cle Elum, Royal, Okanogan, Napavine, Deer Park, Colfax, Raymond-South Bend, Friday Harbor
Best finish: 3rd in 2002

Volleyball:

First trip: 2001
Most-recent trip: 2024
Total trips: 7
State tourney wins: 6
Schools beaten: King’s, Freeman, Toutle Lake, Zillah, Tonasket, Mossyrock
Best finish: 4th in 2024

Softball has the most state tourney wins of any CHS program. (Jackie Saia photo)

Posted in history | Tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Softball, state tournament, volleyball | Leave a Comment »

Fog busters, trail conquerors

October 7, 2026 by David Svien

Wolves (left to right) Zach Blitch, Kenneth Jacobsen, and Ivy Rudat take a break from running to create a Senior Night moment. (Julie Wheat photo)

The boat was slow; the feet were fast.

Hampered by persistent fog, the ferry crossing Wednesday afternoon to Friday Harbor wasn’t the quickest in history.

But even though the Coupeville High School cross country squad arrived after the planned 4:00 PM start time, their hosts waited for the Wolves before hitting the trail.

Then spent the rest of the day chasing the fleet-footed invaders, as CHS claimed four of the top six slots.

Cyrus Sparacio and Henry Purdue went 1-2 in the boy’s race, while Anna Powers and Ivy Rudat finished second and third, respectively, in the girls’ rumble.

Top three finishers bask in the limelight. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Even with the late start, Coupeville coach Elizabeth Bitting came away happy with the performance of her team on the 5,000-meter course at the San Juan Golf and Country Club.

“Everyone ran AMAZING!” she said. “I am imagining LOTS of PR’s.”

The Wolves get back at it in a couple of days, traveling to Granite Falls Saturday for the 6th annual Mountain Loop Invitational, which will feature 13 high school teams, five middle school squads, and a running club.

Wednesday results:

GIRLS:

Anna Powers (2nd) 22:38.0
Ivy Rudat (3rd) 24:15.0
Claire Lachnit (5th) 25:49.0
Allie Powers (6th) 26:43.0
Laken Simpson (7th) 26:44.0
Devon Wyman (8th) 27:01.0
Emma Green (10th) 28:22.0
Ava Lucero (12th) 29:32.0

BOYS:

Cyrus Sparacio (1st) 17:19.0
Henry Purdue (2nd) 18:19.0
Beckett Green (7th) 19:23.0
Archer Schwarz (8th) 19:29.0
Kenneth Jacobsen (11th) 19:49.0
Ossian Merkel (14th) 20:27.0
Leo Davis (17th) 21:35.0
Isaiah Allen (18th) 21:37.0
Hunter Atteberry (22nd) 23:34.0
Johnathan Jacobsen (24th) 25:55.0
Nolan Hunt (25th) 28:25.0
Zach Blitch (26th) 34:37.0

No fog on land, just clear skies and open trails. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Posted in Cross Country | Tagged Anna Powers, CHS Wolves, cross country, Friday Harbor, San Juan Golf and Country Club | Leave a Comment »

Wolf grads reunite as (friendly) rivals

October 7, 2026 by David Svien

Lyla Stuurmans (left) and Mia Farris, lifelong friends and volleyball wizards. (Sarah Stuurmans photo)

The Wolves were out in full force at Whatcom College Wednesday night.

Two Coupeville grads were on the volleyball court, and another two were working the sidelines as cheerleaders, as a full-scale CHS reunion went down during a college athletic event.

On the floor, Mia Farris and the host Orcas squared off with Lyla Stuurmans and her Skagit Valley College teammates, with Whatcom pulling out a tense five-set win on Dig Pink Night.

The match went back and forth, before eventually finishing 25-20, 18-25, 28-26, 20-25, 15-13 in favor of Whatcom, a razor-thin margin in which the host team nipped the visitors by a single point, 108-107, if you count it up that way.

The win lifts the Orcas to 8-12 on the season, while SVC drops to 10-8.

While the former Wolf teammates, now college sophomores, played for the third time at the next level (Farris leads 2-1 with one more battle set for October 30 in Mount Vernon), CHS grads Pamela Morrell and Ember Light were also on the scene.

The duo is part of a relaunched Whatcom cheer squad which provided plenty of spirit for fans in the stands.

Ember Light gets a better view of the action. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Morrell)

Stuurmans and Farris, both named as CHS Athlete of the Year winners during their stellar Cow Town high school days, are both filling up the stat sheet this season.

The former collected seven kills, 10 digs, an assist, two solo blocks, and two service aces Wednesday, while the latter had a match-high 29 digs, four assists, and two aces.

For the year, Stuurmans has 105 kills, seven assists, 17 service aces, 158 digs, seven solo blocks, 25 block assists, and 141.5 points.

Farris, who has played multiple positions for the Orcas, has 36 kills, 26 assists, 38 aces, 253 digs, two solo blocks, a block assist, and 76.5 points.

Posted in Volleyball, Wolves in college | Tagged CHS Wolves, Lyla Stuurmans, Mia Farris, Skagit Valley College, volleyball, Whatcom College | Leave a Comment »

Scrappy spikers earn road warrior status

October 7, 2026 by David Svien

Ready to fire off some aces. (Jerry Helm photo)

They reached the end of the road. For now.

Playing away from Whidbey for the third straight time, the Coupeville Middle School volleyball spikers held their own with a private school rival and now get to return home for a stretch.

After splitting two matches with host Northshore Christian Academy Wednesday, the Wolves host their next three bouts.

That’ll come next week, when CMS welcomes King’s, Lakewood, and Sultan to Cow Town on October 12, 14, and 15.

Coupeville wraps its eight-match schedule with one last road trip, but stays on The Rock, when it travels to South Whidbey on the 19th.

Unlike most Cascade League schools, Northshore Christian only has two volleyball teams, not three, so the Wolves juggled their own roster to adjust to the absence of a third rumble.

Several players from Level Two popped up to play with Level One, while the second and third CMS teams combined to form a super-squad.

Cruising the open waters in pursuit of volleyball matches. (Mandi Black photo)

How Wednesday played out:

Level 1:

Coupeville’s aces won two of three sets to capture the W and run their record to 3-1 on the season.

With Arley Bosler, Lilah Grinstead, and Mia Goers moving up, the trio combined with the regulars to form a potent juggernaut.

“They came together and played as one,” said CMS coach Elizabeth Mallett. “They fought hard and won.”

Brinn Meek made her debut at libero for the Wolves and “did a great job with numerous good digs,” while Josilyn McColl “played aggressively at the net, getting several kills.”

Also having solid days were Reina Rivers who “had great serves and set up our hitters beautifully,” Faith Rivers, who “had great digs and was all over the court,” and Reagan Green, who “played aggressively at the net, getting a happy birthday and finding the open spot to dump the ball.”

Mallett also praised Milly Somes for “demonstrating good teamwork and picking up several tips” and Halle Black, who filled up the stat sheet with digs and aces.

The three level two players meshed perfectly, with the trio picking up their rotations quickly, showing positivity, and peppering Northshore with service aces.

Ready to rumble. (Jerry Helm photo)

Level 2:

Wolf coaches Mandi Black and Audrey Meek found floor time for 13 different players, with the Wolves pushing their hosts hard before being narrowly nipped in three sets.

“They worked together to rotate in and out evenly throughout the match,” Black said.

“The girls made adjustments on the fly, making sure everyone had equal playing time while continuing to serve and rotate through both the front and back rows.”

Diana Teran Herrera had the hot hand, ripping off a team-leading eight aces, and she and her teammates impressed their coaches with their effort and continued growth.

“The girls showed their usual resilience and determination to come back and win the third set,” Black said.

“We saw lots of great rallies and continued improvement throughout the match.

“The girls’ spirit, hustle, and teamwork continue to show their commitment to both their team and the sport.

“So proud of how they came together and adjusted to another last-minute change.”

Posted in Middle School, Volleyball | Tagged Arley Bosler, CMS Wolves, Northshore Christian Academy, road trip, Scotlyn Helm, volleyball | Leave a Comment »

Booters keep win streak alive

October 7, 2026 by David Svien

Liam Lawson knocked in his first goal of the season Wednesday. (Jackie Saia photo)

The good times continue.

Sparked by a strong team-wide defensive effort Wednesday, the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad pushed its winning streak to four games and held on to a share of first place in the ten-team Northwest 2B/1B League.

Playing on the road, the Wolves bopped host Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood 3-0 to get to 4-0 in conference action, 7-2 overall.

That keeps Coupeville even with two-time defending state champ Orcas Island, which sits at 4-0, 9-0-1.

It also sets up a major showdown Saturday, when CHS will host perennial power Mount Vernon Christian (2-1, 5-1-2) at 1:00 PM at Mickey Clark Field.

Admission is free and Wolf fans should jam the stands. Just sayin’.

While he was glad to nab the victory against the Eagles, Wolf coach Jim Kunz knows the upcoming rumble with the Hurricanes will be a much-more ramped-up event.

“We had some glimpses of the team we can be (today),” he said. “We’ll need more than a glimpse when we take on MVC.”

Junior midfielder Edmund Kunz paced the Wolves against CPC, netting his second and third goals of the season, while sophomore striker Liam Lawson found the back of the net for the first time this fall.

Both players doubled their career output, with the younger Kunz sitting with four goals during his run in a Coupeville uniform, while Lawson now has two.

Lawson is the eleventh different Wolf to score in 2026, which ties the 2018 squad for the second-best showing in program history. The high-water mark is 15 players, set by the 2004 team.

Overall, Coupeville has outscored its foes 33-8 this season, with Wednesday’s shutout the fourth goaltender Sam Richards has recorded.

The senior netminder had some help against the Eagles, with Jim Kunz praising the work of his back line, even under pressure.

“Our defense — Brian (Thompson), Solomon (Rudat), Shiloh (Sandlin), and Lincoln (Wagner) hung in there with Sam to keep them from scoring,” he said.

“The refs didn’t call much so the game got very aggressive by the end.”