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Winner! Winner! Cheesecake dinner!!

Posted in Girls Tennis on March 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »

“Cheesecake! I demand your finest cheesecake!!”

First!

The girls’ tennis squad was the fourth of five Coupeville High School spring sports teams to debut, but the first to win.

Racing the rain, and with dessert awaiting them on the ferry ride home, the Wolves obliterated host Friday Harbor in every way possible Friday afternoon.

The varsity swept to a 5-0 win, while the JV led two of the three matches (and was tied in the other) that were being played when falling liquid brought an early end to the day.

Just getting to play was a bonus, as Coupeville’s first two matches were both washed away.

Barring a continuation of the wet weather, the Wolves will make-up for it, playing four times next week — three at home and one in Langley against Island rival South Whidbey.

For now, Wolf coach Ken Stange was content to bask in the glow of a nearly-perfect day on the courts.

“It was a fine way to open our season,” Stange said. “We played … we won … it rained … we bought food … we ate cheesecake on the float home.

“It will get more difficult, though,” he said, looking ahead at matches against Archbishop Thomas Murphy, Lakewood and the always-tough Falcons. “I anticipate the other schools will be tough opponents.”

Complete results:

1st singles — Amanda d’Almeida beat Maddy Marinkovich 6-0, 6-0

2nd singles — Allie Hanigan beat Roxanne Bormann 7-5, 6-0

1st doubles — Holly Craggs/Iris Ryckaert beat Meagan Anderson/Ashton Timmons 6-4, 6-2

2nd doubles — Emily Gallahar/Breanna Koym beat Isabel Gabriel/Sophie Dillery 6-4, 6-2

3rd doubles — Ivy Luvera/McKenzie Bailey beat Summer Fox/Katrina Wakeman 6-2, 6-2

4th doubles — Jacki Ginnings/ Micky LeVine led Ashton Timmons/Tyla McKay 4-3

5th doubles — Mary Massengale/Samantha Martin were tied 4-4 with Kendall Calvert/Marina LeDuc

6th doubles — Miranda Engle/Emily Gallahar led Halle Carrier/Hailey Loucks 4-2

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Sydney Autio helps lead a tennis revolution!!

Posted in Girls Tennis, Volleyball on March 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Sydney Autio (right) and doubles partner McKenzie Bailey.

It’s been awhile.

When Sydney Autio picked up a racket and hit the court for the start of the girls’ tennis season last week, it had been a bit since she had found herself in that position.

“I have played for fun with my mom a couple of times when I was like seven, but I had no idea what I was doing,” Autio said. “So, yeah, my first year playing and knowing what and how to play.”

One of 19 first-timers (out of 28 girls) on the Coupeville High School roster, Autio, a freshman, is exactly the type of player Wolf coach Ken Stange looks for, however.

A strong teacher on the court, he delights in drawing out players who, while they may not have their skills already fine-tuned, are full of energy and own a genuine excitement in learning the sport. That’s Autio.

“I enjoy a lot about tennis! It’s a team sport, which I love, because it’s important to have a team member to be able to count on when you need them,” Autio said. “I enjoy the fact that if I’m having a bad day, playing tennis relieves some stress. I really just love it. It’s really fun and I enjoy it!”

After seeing the sport in Olympics coverage (“I always thought it looked fun!”) and hearing Stange talk about it in English class, she couldn’t resist. Even if it meant playing two sports at the same time.

A volleyball player who starred for the Wolf JV squad earlier this year, she plays with a club team on the weekends.

“Volleyball is really fun! I can’t honestly say I have a favorite,” Autio said. “Tennis has grown on me, so they are pretty much tied for first right now!”

While her skills as a spiker are ahead of her net skills, her tennis game is coming along quickly.

“I think I have a pretty good serve and forehand so far,” Autio said. “It can always use improvement, but so far those are my best!

“I do need to for sure work on my back hand … it’s not constant,” she added. “I can get a good back hand every once in a while, but it’s not something I can count on, which I need to!”

A self-proclaimed “big math geek” who loves English class, reading, the Harry Potter film series and down time (“I do spend most of my time sleeping, though. That’s my favorite.”), Autio has a large support base made up of family and friends.

“My parents and closest friends are the reason I am who I am today!,” Autio said. “My parents have always supported me and helped me through anything with love and care.

“My friends, on the other hand, have a different way of doing that,” she added. “They are loving and caring but they also let me know when I’m doing something wrong. I have learned to listen to them…”

Regardless of the sport, Autio likes to get her blood pumping before a game by listening to upbeat music. Then she can rise to the moment.

“My goals are to better my play and be the best I can be!,” she said. “I want to walk out of the season knowing I achieved something for my team and for myself.

“I’d also really like to get a letter!”

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Rain claims its first victim!!

Posted in Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis on March 12, 2013| 1 Comment »

CHs schedule maker extraordinaire Kim Andrews, seen here in a sunnier moment, must now retreat to her office and repair a blown-up schedule.

CHS schedule maker extraordinaire Kim Andrews, seen here in a sunnier moment, must now retreat to her office and reconfigure things.

That most dastardly of spring assassins — rain — has washed away half of opening day.

Both the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer and girls’ tennis squads were scheduled to travel to Friday Harbor today for their season openers, but now just one of the two teams will depart town.

With persistent rain making tennis courts slick everywhere, the Wolf vs. Wolverine showdown will be pushed back to another day.

Non-stop rain on Whidbey makes Wednesday’s scheduled home tennis opener against Archbishop Thomas Murphy doubtful, as well.

Wolf soccer players, being of a hardy constitution, will play on, however.

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Ken Stange has snazzy new duds!!

Posted in Girls Tennis on March 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Emily Gallahar’s creation.

“Stange approves! Stange shall dance the dance of his people for you!!”

Coupeville High School girls’ tennis coach Ken Stange is stylin’ these days.

Thanks to Wolf senior Emily Gallahar, a four-year player who designed the sweatshirt logo seen above, he’s now one of the more nattily dressed coaches in town.

He was already a legend on the hard court and a dancer of some renown. Now a fashion plate?

Is there no world that he can’t rule?

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“I’ve never played before, but it seemed fun!!”

Posted in Girls Tennis on March 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Haleigh Deasy and boyfriend Larry Hurlburt.

Ken Stange is the Pied Piper.

Whatever tune the Coupeville High School girls’ tennis coach is playing, it’s working. The Wolves had an astonishing 28 players turn out this season, 19 of whom are in the first year in the sport.

Haleigh Deasy is one of those newcomers, a sophomore who played volleyball from seventh through ninth grade, but who had never picked up a racket competitively until this season.

“I’ve never played before, but it seemed fun!,” Deasy said.

She’s teaming with transplanted track sensation Joye Jackson to form a doubles team that is on the rise.

As the duo head towards their first action (the season kicks off Tuesday, March 12), they, along with the many other newcomers, are deep into learning the skills of a new sport.

With that comes figuring out strengths and weaknesses, and then working on those areas in need of improvement.

“My strength in tennis is my forehand,” Deasy said. “Sadly, my serves are a little on the suckish side.

“I’m getting to work with new people and learning better teamwork skills,” she added. “I just want to help not only myself improve, but my teammate as well, and to just kick some butt!”

Away from the court, she’s a self-professed “CSI” junkie (“I enjoy anything that involves criminal forensics!”) and huge music fan.

“I really enjoy music,” Deasy said. “Country and classic rock are the bomb!”

And when she needs inspiration, either in sports or in regular life, she doesn’t have to look too far. Former Wolf track star Larry Hurlburt is always there to offer her a pick-me-up at the right moment.

“Probably my best friend (and boyfriend),” Deasy said when asked to name her biggest supporter. “He encourages me to become a better person by telling me I’m better than what people tell me I am.”

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