Coupeville Sports

   One birthday, three transcendent stars. CHS supernovas (clockwise, from left) Mattea Miller, Arisbeth Montiel and Julia Borges. (John Fisken photos)

We are in a golden age of female athletics in Coupeville.

Now sure, there are a lot of very talented male athletes as well. But, as a group, the women are kicking butt and taking names.

From last year’s league title winning girls’ basketball and tennis squads on down, the young women who wear the red and black at CHS are a talented, confident bunch.

And today is a magical day in which three bright shining stars all share a birthday, united by currently calling Cow Town home and by their general awesomeness.

Julia Borges is the newest addition, having arrived from Brazil to spend a year on The Rock as a foreign exchange student.

Already she is front and center with the Wolf cheer squad, her radiant smile beaming out as she joins in with her teammates during football games.

There is little rhyme or reason to where foreign exchange students are sent to, but, once again, we hit the jackpot by getting one of the best available.

Julia has been an outstanding addition to Wolf Nation, one who will always be a part of our little world, even after she heads home to the big city.

Joining her in celebrating her day of cake is Arisbeth Montiel, a two-way terror who joins Borges on the Wolf cheer squad while also being one of the leading goal scorers for the Coupeville girls’ soccer squad.

Whether she’s banging home scores on the soccer pitch, where she teams up with Kalia and Mia Littlejohn to form a potent trio putting the fear of God into opposing goalies, or working the pom poms, Arisbeth is another stellar addition to a group of Wolf female athletes taking the world by storm.

And capping our birthday trio is the legend herself, Mattea Miller, the Alaskan Assassin, who has sparkled in so many sports it’s hard to keep count.

Soccer, basketball, track. She can do it all and more, and remains, like best friend Valen Trujillo, the gold standard for student/athletes at CHS.

Mattea has never been one to shout and scream and thump herself on the chest. Instead, she is the athlete who quietly does whatever is necessary, the dirty work or the star work, and sparkles at it all.

If they come to us and say, go pick someone who your town can hold up proudly, as an athlete, but even more so, as a person, a young woman of class and determination, who always shows love for her family and friends, someone who is worthy of being hailed for her character and her sweet nature, someone who will fight on the field but embrace others afterwards, Miller accomplishes all of that.

She is one of the special ones.

As all three of these young women — top scholars, feisty athletes, special people — celebrate their cake day, we want to wish them the best.

Arisbeth, Julia, Mattea, you make this town better for your presence. May your day sparkle as much as you all do.