Coupeville Sports

   Josh Bayne heads home in a hurry. With a GPA above 3.5, he’s probably on his way to do some homework. (John Fisken photos)

Emily Gallahar is one of 20 tennis players to carry a 3.0 GPA or better.

If you’re smart, you play tennis.

That’s what our exclusive, in-depth analysis of the five Coupeville High School spring sports teams reveals.

Of course, by in-depth, I mean I scanned the program they gave out at the start of the season, which has little stars next to each athlete’s names to tell you who has GPA’s between 3.0 and 4.0. Then I counted them up and did as little math as possible.

And let me add, when I graduated Tumwater High School and ended my stunning three-year tennis career, I did so with a GPA as far under 3.0 as I could push it. And look where I am now! Um, yes…

Anyway, Wolf girls’ tennis coach Ken Stange is like the Pied Piper of well-educated student/athletes, with 20 of his 28 players (71%) boasting a 3.0 or higher, with 13 at 3.5 or better. Amanda d’Almeida tops the list with a 4.0 as an about-to-graduate senior.

Not that the other Wolf coaches have anything to be ashamed about. All five teams have more than 50% of their team staffed by players with 3.0 or better GPA’s, with baseball (9 of 14 for 64%) second-best overall.

But, if we move up a step and talk about 3.5 or better, softball (43%) almost topples tennis (46%).

Track and boys’ soccer, which had the biggest rosters when the program was printed (34 and 28 athletes), tie for the most 4.0 athletes, with three apiece.

We’ll give that race to track, by a hair, since two of the three soccer players are freshmen (Dawson d’Almeida and Loren Nelson join junior Jared Dickson) and have held on to their GPA’s a shorter time.

Two of the three track 4.0’s are held by veterans (junior Heni Barnes and sophomore Erin Rosenkranz) with freshman Makana Stone still in her first year of taking classes.

In the end, there are no spring scandals, no teams with a bunch of “dumb jocks.” 71 of 118 spring athletes (60%) carry a 3.0 or better and manage to combine class time with athletic success.

If I was prone to jumping to conclusions (I am, I am), I would say it proves one thing — the kids are alright.

Oh, and that they care a lot more about their GPA than I ever did.

Which is two things…

Yep, well, remember, this is being written by someone who finished off his math credits by signing up for remedial math as a senior, doing the entire workbook in one night, then pretending to do work each day while actually doodling cartoons.