Coupeville Sports

   Jacki Ginnings capped a strong three-year run Wednesday, exiting at the district tennis tourney. (John Fisken photos)

Valen Trujillo, heir to the throne.

Aaron Curtin is headed back to Yakima for the 1A state tourney.

“She was very kind and respectful, but would always hold her ground.”

Over the last three years, Jacki Ginnings has been a rock for the Coupeville High School girls’ tennis squad, a player Wolf coach Ken Stange could always count on, match after match.

“She has been a tough competitor for us, and she will be missed,” Stange said. “She could possibly be made of iron. She didn’t miss a single contest this season, and many of her matches were of the 2+ hour variety.

“I’m going to miss her tenacity,” he added. “She had a way with opponents. Early in her career, she would let players cheat, but, by her second year, she would hold her foes accountable for bad calls.”

Ginnings, a senior, capped her career Wednesday with a strong showing at the district tourney, falling 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinals to eventual champ Alexis Schorno of Charles Wright Academy.

Schorno claimed the lone spot at state being offered from the highly-competitive District 3 tourney.

Ginnings traveling partner, sophomore Valen Trujillo, also made it to the semifinals, before being knocked out 6-1, 6-2 by Taryn Mulvihill of Vashon Island.

“They both fought hard, but came up short against a pair of talented players,” Stange said.

The Wolf tradition of having a strong #1 singles player carried down from Amanda d’Almeida to Allie Hanigan to Ginnings in recent seasons, with Trujillo set to inherit the mantle next year.

“Jacki put up a 10-4 record at #1 this year. Those are excellent numbers,” Stange said. “Luckily, Valen seems fit to take over the role as our top singles player.”

Extra match:

A quirk in the schedule forced Wolf netter Aaron Curtin, who had qualified for state back in the fall, to go back out and beat a player he had already taken down to reaffirm his trip to Yakima.

The CHS senior did just that, dispatching Steen Jennings of Vashon 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

“I’ve never seen Aaron hit serves harder than he was hitting them today,” Stange said.

Curtin will take his second consecutive trip to the 1A state tourney May 29-30. He advanced as a doubles player with Ben Etzell during his junior season.