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Archive for the ‘Girls Tennis’ Category

Head of the class!!

Posted in Girls Tennis, Happy birthday, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on March 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Payton Aparicio (John Fisken photos)

Payton Aparicio, doin’ work. (John Fisken photos)

Sydney’s little sister has become a star in her own right.

Coupeville High School sophomore Payton Aparicio, who celebrates a birthday today, has fully stepped out of the shadow cast by her successful big sis, more than making a name for herself in the sports world.

A two-sport star (volleyball and tennis) who still has time to return to basketball and make it three (you never know), Payton is one of the true bright lights in Wolf Nation.

She tore up the tennis court as just a freshman, teaming with fellow 9th grader Sage Renninger to play #1 doubles, and play it well.

Now, with a season of experience under their belts, they seem on the verge of having a truly huge breakout season this spring.

If Aparicio sets the tennis world on fire, it will be the second time she’s captured the spotlight this school year.

In the fall, she made the jump from playing JV volleyball as a frosh to being a varsity sensation as a sophomore.

When the stats were added up at the end of the season, Aparicio was one of three Wolves to appear in 10 of 11 categories, cracking the top four in a startling seven categories.

She was second on the team in serving percentage and service points won, third in kill percentage, hitting percentage and service returns and fourth in kills and digs.

Fueled by Aparicio and a roster full of fellow young guns, Coupeville surged from one win the season before to six in 2015, including a playoff victory against Seattle Christian.

Watching Payton fly around the court, two things were obvious.

One, she is a talented athlete (who hails from impressive athletic bloodlines), and, as her confidence continues to grow, I fully expect Aparicio to soar even higher.

And two, she truly lights up the gym and the world around it.

Payton comes across as a thoughtful, smart young woman who has a deep love for her large extended family, both blood relatives and teammates.

As she hits her cake day today, just a few days away from the start of a new tennis season, we want to take a quick moment to wish her the best.

Happy birthday, Miss Aparicio. May it sparkle like you do.

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Hang another banner!!

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged , , , , , on March 7, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Jazmine Franklin (John Fisken photo)

   Senior Jazmine Franklin is one of seven returning letter winners for the Wolf net squad. (John Fisken photos)

Sophomores Sage Renninger (left) and Payton Aparicio reunite as a doubles duo.

  Sophomores Sage Renninger (left) and Payton Aparicio reunite as a doubles duo.

They are the queens of the court and they’re not ready to give up the throne just yet.

The Coupeville High School girls’ tennis squad enters a new season dead-set on defending its 1A Olympic League crown.

And they’d like to do it as convincingly as they won that first title banner a season ago.

“Win the league title again, going undefeated, is first and foremost,” said veteran CHS coach Ken Stange. “I also believe that we have a shot to advance players beyond the district tourney, to state.

“This is a real possibility, and it is a legitimate goal for our players.”

The grizzled tennis guru is in his 11th year at the helm of the Wolves, and coming off a season in which his netters went 11-3 overall, 6-0 in league play.

That included a stunning non-conference upset of the big dogs, South Whidbey, on their home court.

This time around, along with three league matches each against Klahowya and Chimacum/Port Townsend, Coupeville will again be tested by a tough non-conference schedule.

South Whidbey, Granite Falls and longtime rival Friday Harbor are back for home-and-home rumbles, while 2A schools Port Angeles and Sequim will fill slots vacated by Charles Wright Academy and Lakewood.

As they head into their 15-match schedule, the Wolves are talented, but thin.

With softball and track hauling in bigger than normal numbers this year, that may have affected the turnout for tennis.

“Depth will be an issue this season,” Stange said. “With barely enough players to field a full team, and our newcomers lacking in experience, we will have to learn as we go at third and fourth doubles.

“It should be fun, though!”

Seven letter winners return to anchor the Wolf attack and should account for the three singles and top two doubles units.

Juniors Valen Trujillo and Bree Daigneault and senior Sydney Autio are (lightly) penciled in as lone Wolves, while both doubles duos (seniors Jazmine Franklin/McKenzie Bailey and sophomores Payton Aparicio/Sage Renninger) played together last year.

“Our strengths lie with our returning players,” Stange said. “We have lots of varsity experience and they all had great seasons last year. I expect more of the same.”

“We often struggled at the top of the lineup last year, with our top doubles team constantly facing off against difficult foes,” he added. “This year, we turn the tables.”

Three returning players (sophomores Maggie Crimmins, Kameryn St Onge and Kenzi LaRue) and two newbies (junior Kaela Hollrigel and foreign exchange student Julia Borges) lead the players battling for the other varsity slots.

“It is going to be an interesting year,” Stange said. “With so few players, it’s going to be imperative on each team member to pull her weight.

“Sickness and other things that pull kids away from the court could result in losses,” he added. “I hope that is not the case.”

 

To see Coupeville’s tennis schedule, pop over to:

http://www.olympicleague.com/index.php?league=21&page_name=game_schedule&school=24&sport=18

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The net game waits not for sunshine!!

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged , , , , , on March 5, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Sydney Autio (Sylvia Hurlburt photos)

   Bundled up against the blustery weather, Sydney Autio goes in pursuit of a runaway tennis ball. (Sylvia Hurlburt photos)

Jazmine

   Jazmine Franklin (left) prepares to unleash Hell, while McKenzie Bailey dreams of sitting next to a warm heater.

Bree Daigneault

Bree Daigneault flicks a return.

Jazmine

   CHS tennis guru Ken Stange dispenses dollops o’ wisdom to Franklin, Julia Borges (middle) and Bailey.

Friday didn’t really feel all that much like tennis weather.

The sun crawled away, the wind got blustery and guess what? Buckle up, cause if past springs are any indication, it’ll probably be like that more often than not.

Experienced netters came to practice wearing several layers, as Coupeville prepared for a season in which it will defend its 1A Olympic League crown.

The first real match is not until Mar. 14 (home against non-league foe Granite Falls), but the Wolves will be battle-ready (or at least weather-ready) by then.

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Semi-secure spring sports schedules!!

Posted in Baseball, Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis, Softball, Track, tagged , , , , , , , on February 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Valen Trujillo and the CHS girls' tennis squad are defending league champs/ (John Fisken photos)

   Wolf junior Valen Trujillo and the CHS girls’ tennis squad are defending league champs. (John Fisken photos)

Sophomore Julian Welling

   Sophomore Julian Welling is one of several returning starters new baseball coach Marc Aparicio hopes to inherit.

track

   Everyone in this pyramid can return this season. Top: Sylvia Hurlburt. Middle: Jared Helmstadter, Makana Stone. Bottom: (l to r) Lathom Kelley, Dalton Martin, Mitchell Losey.

These might be the Coupeville High School schedules you’re looking for.

Maybe.

You never know, as high school sports schedules, especially in the spring, are notorious for being ever-changing beasts.

As we sit six days out from the first day of practice for a new season (Monday, Feb. 29), I can say I’m at least 84.7% confident in what’s below.

Of course, even if these schedules stay exactly as they look now, weather is likely to play its usual role in reshaping things as we go forward.

But, as we wait for everything to play out, this is at least a start.

Maybe don’t laminate the schedules yet, though…

* = league game

BASEBALL

Sat-Mar. 12 @ Jamboree (Oak Harbor)
Mon-Mar. 14 @ Sultan
Wed-Mar. 16 Concrete
Fri-Mar. 18 @ Concrete
Mon-Mar. 21 Cedarcrest
Tue-Mar. 22 Sequim
Sat-Mar. 26 @ Friday Harbor
Tue-Mar. 29 @ Lynden Christian
Thur-Mar. 31 Port Townsend (*)
Sat-Apr. 2 @ South Whidbey
Fri-Apr. 8 @ La Conner
Mon-Apr. 11 @ Blaine
Thur-Apr. 14 @ Chimacum (*)
Tue-Apr. 19 Klahowya (*)
Thur-Apr. 21 @ Port Townsend (*)
Sat-Apr. 23 Meridian
Mon-Apr. 25 Chimacum (*)
Wed-Apr. 27 @ Klahowya (*)
Fri-Apr. 29 Port Townsend (*)
Tue-May 3 @ Chimacum (*)
Thur-May 5 Klahowya (*)

BOYS SOCCER

Fri-Mar. 11 Jamboree (South Whidbey, Skyline, Lake Stevens)
Tue-Mar. 15 @ Granite Falls
Sat-Mar. 19 @ South Whidbey
Tue-Mar. 22 Sequim
Tue-Mar. 29 Vashon Island
Wed-Mar. 30 Bellevue Christian
Mon-Apr. 4 Forks
Fri-Apr. 8 @ Cascade Christian
Mon-Apr. 11 @ Forks
Thu-Apr. 21 @ Chimacum (*)
Tue-Apr. 26 Klahowya (*)
Thur-Apr. 28 @ Port Townsend (*)
Sat-Apr. 30 Chimacum (*)
Tue-May 3 @ Klahowya (*)
Thu-May 5 Port Townsend (*)

GIRLS TENNIS

Mon-Mar. 14 Granite Falls
Mon-Mar. 21 @ South Whidbey
Thur-Mar. 24 @ Klahowya (*)
Thur-Apr. 14 @ South Whidbey
Fri-Apr. 15 Chimacum (*)
Tue-Apr. 19 @ Klahowya (*)
Fri-Apr. 22 @ Granite Falls
Tue-Apr. 26 @ Chimacum (*)
Thur-Apr. 28 Klahowya (*)
Mon-May 2 Sequim
Wed-May 4 Chimacum (*)

SOFTBALL

Sat-Mar. 12 South Whidbey
Mon-Mar. 14 @ Sultan
Wed-Mar. 16 Concrete
Fri-Mar. 18 @ Concrete
Wed-Mar. 23 Bellevue Christian
Sat-Mar. 26 @ Friday Harbor
Thur-Mar. 31 Port Townsend (*)
Tue-Apr. 12 @ Lynden Christian
Thur-Apr. 14 @ Chimacum (*)
Tue-Apr. 19 Klahowya (*)
Thur-Apr. 21 @ Port Townsend (*)
Sat-Apr. 23 Meridian
Mon-Apr. 25 Chimacum (*)
Wed-Apr. 27 @ Klahowya (*)
Fri-Apr. 29 Port Townsend (*)
Tue-May 3 @ Chimacum (*)
Thur-May 5 Klahowya (*)
Tue-May 10 @ Bellevue Christian
Mon-May 16 @ La Conner

TRACK

Thur-Mar. 17 @ Island Jamboree (Oak Harbor)
Sat-Mar. 19 @ Port Angeles Invitational
Thur-Mar. 24 @ North Kitsap (Olympic, Sequim)
Thur-Mar. 31 @ South Whidbey (Granite Falls, Sultan)
Thur-Apr. 14 @ Port Townsend (Port Angeles, Sequim)
Sat-Apr. 16 @ Cashmere Invitational
Thur-Apr. 21 @ Olympic (North Mason, Port Townsend)
Thur-Apr. 28 @ Kingston (Port Angeles, Olympic)
Sat-Apr. 30 @ Shelton Invitational
Mon-May 9 @ Olympic League JV Championships (Klahowya)
Sat-May 14 @ 1A Olympic League Championships (Bremerton)
Fri-May 20-Sat. May 21 @ District 3 Championships (Bremerton)
Thur-May 26-Sat. May 28 @ State (Cheney)

To check start times, stay up to date and keep an eagle eye out for changes, bookmark these two pages:

Olympic League — http://www.olympicleague.com/index.php?league=21&page_name=school_home&school=0&sport=0

Coupeville Schools — http://coupeville.tandemcal.com/

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Our own ray of sunshine!!

Posted in A freakin' American hero, Cheer, Girls Tennis, Happy birthday, tagged , , , , , on December 29, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Jazmine Franklin, lighting up the universe every day. (John Fisken and Jazmine Franklin photos)

   Jazmine Franklin, lighting up the universe every day. (John Fisken and Jazmine Franklin photos)

Most days at Coupeville High School, it seems like there are two suns hung in the heavens.

There’s the real sun, and then there’s Jazmine Franklin, who easily outshines the star above.

The Wolf senior, who celebrates her birthday today, radiates pure joy every time I see her.

Even when she’s fully invested in playing the role of a stone cold killer while posing for photos with cheer running mate/best bud Maddy Neitzel, Jazmine can’t help it — she makes the world a happier place with her presence.

Frankly, there’s nothing Franklin can’t accomplish when she sets her mind to it (at least as far as I’ve seen).

Bouncing madly from cheer to tennis to guiding the school’s executive board, she nails everything she does, while dispensing dollops of joy everywhere she goes.

Every single time I have seen Jazmine, the first thing you notice is how everyone in her immediate vicinity is smiling. It never fails.

She seems to bring out happiness in others, and she remains one of the most enduring fans her fellow Wolf athletes have.

If there’s an event, she’s there, game in, game out, and not just for a quick moment or two.

She’s loyal to her friends and classmates and backs them every step of the way.

Based on what I see and hear, I can’t help but think that, as talented as she is now, we have only begun to see the tip of what Jazmine will accomplish.

We turn around a few years from now, as she wows the entire world, and it will be easy to say, “Told you so.”

I don’t see any limits on where she goes and what she accomplishes.

Miss Franklin is truly one of those rare people who will soar as high as she chooses to reach.

And the best part is, how happy all of us will be for her, because she emits such serene joy into the universe and deserves to receive it back.

Happy birthday, Jazmine.

I hope your cake day is an awesome one, and I hope you keep spreading joy for many more.

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