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Take a picture, it’ll last longer

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged CHS Wolves, Eryn Wood, girls tennis, John Fisken photos, Sophie Martin on March 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Eryn Wood blasts a return Monday as CHS tennis returns to action. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Genna Wright flicks a winner.

Noelle Daigneault reaches to the heavens.

Sophie Martin makes a strong debut on the hardcourt.

Jaimee Masters is locked ‘n loaded.

Vivian Farris reaches high to net a shot.

The courts are open for action.

Coupeville High School tennis players returned to competition for the first time since 2019, rolling to a big win at home Monday afternoon.

As the Wolves peppered their foes with precision shots, wanderin’ photo guy John Fisken bounced from court to court, capturing the pics seen above.

To see all the images he captured, and possibly buy some glossies for the grandparents to put on the mantle, pop over to:

GT 20221-03-08 vs Friday Harbor – John’s Photos

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Wolf netters swat Friday Harbor

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged CHS Wolves, Friday Harbor, Genna Wright, girls tennis, season opener on March 8, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Genna Wright, seen here in 2019, returned to the tennis courts Monday along with her teammates. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They were in mid-season form.

Returning to the courts for the first time since 2019, the Coupeville High School girls tennis team demolished visiting Friday Harbor Monday afternoon, and did it in epic fashion.

Not only did the Wolves win the varsity match 5-0, but they outscored the Wolverines 60-7, not allowing the visitors to take more than two games in any set.

Toss in a pair of JV wins and the final margin rolls out to a 76-12 tally.

Barring a major plot twist, it would seem pretty safe to bet on Coupeville winning the Northwest 2B/1B League title this year, as Friday Harbor will be its only foe in a pandemic-shortened six-match season.

While the NWL is currently a seven-team conference, tennis gets the short end of the stick as most league schools don’t offer the sport.

Chimacum, which has played tennis in the past, was originally set to join Coupeville in its new league, but that plan was put on hold for a year by COVID-19.

For now, the Cowboys have partnered with next-door neighbor Port Townsend, and compete as East Jefferson in the 1A/2A Olympic League.

With everything disrupted this school year, Coupeville also can’t play its normal arch-rival, South Whidbey, as the NWL is playing spring sports first, then fall, before closing with winter.

Meanwhile, South Whidbey, as part of the Emerald Sound Conference, is going fall-spring-winter, same as the Olympic League, putting both boys and girls tennis in opposite seasons from the Wolves.

While a six-game schedule against what looks like a pretty overwhelmed Friday Harbor program isn’t perfect, CHS coach Ken Stange pledged to possibly tinker with his lineup going forward to create competitive matches as much as possible.

Monday, the Wolves controlled every bout, and did it with relative ease.

But, as much as they enjoyed the final scores, just getting the chance to compete again, masks and all, was the biggest win.

Noelle Daigneault, possibly the bubbliest of all Wolves, won her varsity singles match, then immediately ambled to a different court and joined tennis newbie Sophie Martin to net a doubles victory.

“I would shake your hand, but I’m not going to,” Daigneault chuckled as she met her opponent at the net, mindful of pandemic protocols.

“But just know, I really do want to!”

On a nearby court, Vivian Farris and Hayley Fiedler, making their CHS tennis debuts, giggled between points, then seemed to surprise themselves a bit by slapping perfectly-placed winners.

And on court #1, Genna Wright, returning to action after a soccer injury, then a pandemic, put a crimp in her junior year, was back to sending screaming forehands past her foe.

Her mask covered most of her face, but around the eyes you could see relief, and happiness.

She was back in action, and everything seemed slightly brighter on an otherwise cloudy day in Cow Town.

Complete Monday results:

Varsity:

1st Singles — Genna Wright beat Allie Fleming 6-1, 6-2

2nd Singles — Noelle Daigneault beat Lucy Martin 6-2, 6-0

1st Doubles — Jamiee Masters/Emily Fiedler beat Amelia Eltinge/Ava Martin 6-0, 6-1

2nd Doubles — Abby Mulholland/Eryn Wood beat Lucy Marinkovich/Eleanor Rollins 6-0, 6-0

3rd Doubles — Katelin McCormick/Mary Milnes beat Trinity Cullen/Isabella VanderYacht 6-0, 6-1

JV:

4th Doubles — Vivian Farris/Hayley Fiedler beat Elanor Gislason/Eva Sanabria 8-4

5th Doubles — Sophie Martin/Daigneault beat Lilli Turnbow/Annabelle Mountford 8-1

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Short visit, big impact

Posted in Cheer, Girls Tennis, Hall o' Fame, tagged Brazil, Cheer, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, Julia Borges, tennis on October 24, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Brazilian foreign exchange student Julia Borges built a substantial fan club during her time in Coupeville. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Gone, but never forgotten.

Julia Borges was only in Coupeville for a single school year, but she made a positive impression on everyone she met.

Facing culture shock, as the Brazilian native left São Paulo, the most populous city in the Western hemisphere, only to land smack-dab in the middle of Cow Town, USA, she responded by embracing every challenge.

During her year (2015-2016) as a foreign exchange student, Julia jumped headfirst into everything Coupeville offered.

A dancer, she joined the CHS cheer squad, taking advantage of an opportunity not generally offered in her own country.

“It is not common to have cheer-leading teams in Brazil, so that is a different experience that all the Brazilian girls would like to have,” she said back in the summer of 2015.

“I love dancing and I have been practicing it in Brazil since I was a child, so being a cheerleader is similar.”

Julia caught on so quickly, she cheered for her new classmates through both football and basketball season, and was selected as Most Improved by her coaches.

When the spring came around in 2016, she picked up a tennis racket and headed to the courts.

Along with two seasons as a cheerleader, Borges also played tennis for the Wolves.

There she proved to be a perfect doubles partner, teaming up with Julianne Sem to form a dangerous duo for a Wolf net squad which won a league title.

What always impressed me the most about Julia during her time in Coupeville was her quiet strength and how she showed kindness to all, whether they were teammates or foes.

Going from a home of 19 million people to a town of less than 1,900 had to be a huge transition.

Like all foreign exchange students, Julia would have been dealing with language barriers and perhaps some home sickness.

She responded by bringing out the best in those around her by simply being herself, a truly lovely young woman.

Julia might not have set any sports records while she wore the red and black of Coupeville, but she was a winner in every way.

She got the most out of her life-changing experience, and left behind a legion of fans.

While she might be a world away from Whidbey Island these days, Julia will always be a vital part of Wolf Nation – her serene spirit lighting up the universe.

So today we want to induct Miss Borges into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, to insure she always knows how highly everyone here regards her.

After this, if you stroll past the Legends tab at the top of the blog, you’ll find her there, a true Wolf, now and forever.

Thank you, Julia, for visiting our lil’ chunk of the globe and making it a much-better place while you were here.

As you become a soaring success out there in the world, always know you have two hometowns – the one where you were born, and the one that has adopted you as one of our own.

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Learn her name, respect her game

Posted in Girls Basketball, Girls Soccer, Girls Tennis, Hall o' Fame, tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Hall of Fame, Soccer, tennis, Tia Wurzrainer on July 21, 2020| 1 Comment »

Tia Wurzrainer: three sports, 1000% effort. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Numbers don’t always tell the full story.

And that’s why, to fully appreciate what Tia Wurzrainer brought to Coupeville High School athletics the past four years, you needed to see her play in person.

From a distance, she didn’t score a staggering amount of goals on the soccer field, and didn’t net a record-busting number of baskets on the hardwood.

But watch Tia play in person, whether it was soccer, basketball, or tennis season, and you would quickly gain an appreciation of why she was so valued by coaches, and so beloved by her teammates.

The young girl who once sat quietly eating her sandwich back in a corner at her family’s restaurant, Christopher’s on Whidbey, emerged as one of the hardest-working, far-tougher-than-expected athletes to ever pull on a Wolf jersey.

Tia did the dirty work, and then asked for more, always with a smile.

On the soccer field, she sacrificed her body game after game, a defender who seemingly feared no scoring ace, and wasn’t gonna take no crap from no one, no matter how fancy the rival school might be.

She protected her side of the field with a burning intensity, slamming into frays, chasing down breakaways, fighting for every 50/50 ball, making life considerably easier for the CHS goalkeepers who camped out behind her.

Give her a chance to score, and she could, but Tia made her name holding down the backline, where she netted All-Conference honors and earned mad respect from anyone foolish enough to challenge her.

As fall faded into winter, she would move from the pitch to the basketball court, but her persona as a quietly tough-as-nails roustabout never changed.

Tia slices to the hoop for a bucket in a big win over arch-rival South Whidbey.

The kind of “glue” player every coach needs, she was that rare teen athlete who not only accepted her role, but openly embraced it.

Need a lock-down defender?

A hustler and a scrapper?

A pass-first player who could help keep her team flowing under big-time pressure?

A staunch supporter of each and every one of her teammates?

Tia was the answer for all those needs, and she always seemed to play with the same intensity and effort regardless of whether she was starting or coming off the bench.

Proving she was a true three-sport star, she never skipped a season, joining Avalon Renninger to form a deadly doubles duo on the tennis court each spring.

Always a deadly assassin on the tennis court.

The pair meshed almost flawlessly, both in playing style, and with the grace and drive they exhibited match after match.

Team leaders, captains, and stellar competitors, the duo were on the fast track to make it to the state tourney, only to see their senior season derailed by COVID-19.

While Tia and Avalon didn’t get the chance to make a run at glory in Eastern Washington, that shouldn’t detract in the slightest from what they accomplished when given a chance to play.

While reflecting on their net careers, CHS tennis guru Ken Stange marveled at what Wurzrainer had brought to his program.

“Tia … calm, cool, and collected.

“She would probably argue with me, but I think Tia is perfect.

“Kind, intelligent, intuitive, and hard working. I don’t think I ever heard a single negative word pass through her lips.

“Her work ethic was second to none. Anyone would be happy to have her as a partner, me included.”

Some athletes get a chance to put up big numbers, making it easy for people in far-off states or other countries to have at least a loose idea of what they accomplished.

But it’s those like Tia, the ones you need to be camped out in the bleachers, or on the bench, or out there on the floor with her, to really appreciate, who make an impact which can’t be matched.

If you know, you know.

And, if you don’t know, you really, truly missed out.

Today, we swing open the doors at the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame and welcome Tia to our hallowed digital hideaway, where she is reunited with Avalon, her tennis doubles partner.

After this, you’ll find them at the top of the blog, hanging out under the Legends tab.

All in all, a very appropriate choice of words to describe two of the best, as athletes and as people, to ever emerge from Coupeville.

Wurzrainer and Renninger? They were kind of a big deal.

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“Classy, pure and simple”

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged Avalon Renninger, CHS Wolves, girls tennis, Senior Night, Tia Wurzrainer on June 3, 2020| Leave a Comment »

This spring was to be the 30th season for Coupeville High School tennis coach Ken Stange. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic closed schools, erased spring sports, and prevented Senior Nights.

With that in mind, we’ve been giving Whidbey Island students and coaches a chance to offer those farewells online instead of in person.

Today, Coupeville High School girls tennis guru Ken Stange swings by to offer some heartfelt words.

In tennis, and in life, there are times when one just knows … knows how things are going to turn out.

Certainty. Well, almost certainty.

After 15 years at the helm of the CHS tennis program (that’s 30 seasons, if you count both the boys and girls), I’ve gotten to the point where I know if someone, or a doubles pair, is a serious threat to earn a state berth.

I knew it with Julia Sierra Castano, the Spanish Assassin.

I knew it with Aaron Curtin and Ben Etzell, and again when Aaron went to state in singles.

I knew it with Payton Aparicio and Sage Renninger.

Like I said, sometimes you just know.

Some seasons, you know it’s a rebuild. Other seasons, you know there’s a deep but inexperienced team.

This year? I knew.

I knew that we had a group of new players that would learn the game from their captains, Avalon (Renninger) and Tia (Wurzrainer).

I knew we were returning all three of our doubles teams.

Jaimee (Masters), Emily (Fiedler), Eryn (Wood), and Abby (Mulholland) were primed to win buckets of matches.

I knew that all three doubles teams were pretty damn good last season, and that this season, our team would challenge for a league title.

I knew we would have competitive matches with our Island rivals, South Whidbey.

I knew that we had a doubles team, in Avalon and Tia, that would challenge for an elusive state berth.

Avalon Renninger swats a lethal left-handed shot.

This was to be our team’s return to the top.

We were going to do it with hard work and style.

It was the 2020 season, and our team was going to be the focus.

Alas, bigger problems took center stage, and our season was over almost as fast as it started.

I know that public health wins over tennis, every time, and I know that we all made our sacrifices, for the greater good.

That said, I’m still mad as hell. I’m very sad, too.

I feel badly for the ladies that were gearing up for a fun and successful season.

I feel bad for the parents, who love to come out in support of their kids, school, and community.

There are two individuals who, in my opinion, lost a little more than everyone else associated with the program.

Avalon and Tia were the heart and soul of CHS tennis.

Tia Wurzrainer keeps the rally alive.

They were two talented and caring players who continued the proud tradition of the CHS ladies’ tennis team.

They worked their butts off.

As sophomores, they were within a couple of points from clinching a state berth.

As juniors, they ran into a few buzzsaws from Seattle, prematurely ending their season.

Going into the senior campaign, they got to work.

My spine was recovered enough so I could actually hit hard balls at them, and they had Drake Borden, who was basically their personal hitting partner.

With the help from Drake and I, along with Av and Tia’s high levels of talent and work ethic, we are well on our way to a successful season.

I just knew.

Knowing that a potentially successful campaign, and a run to state for Avalon and Tia, has been lost, I’m very sad.

I love it when we have a dominant team. It’s always more fun when winning!

What hurts most about the lost season is not that we lost a chance to be dominant.

What hurts most is that my seniors, Avalon and Tia, were two of the classiest players ever to grace the courts at CHS.

They were fierce competitors and best of friends.

They mentored other players and kept their teammates accountable. They were serious about tennis while maintaining a lighthearted attitude.

Classy, pure and simple.

I’d hoped that they would place themselves at or near the top of my all-time best doubles teams, with a solid senior season and a state berth.

They are still at or near the top of my list, though.

As a pair, they were a force to be reckoned with.

As individuals, they were two of my absolute favorites who led their team with grace, class, and fun.