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Queen, Simpson pace CMS in track opener

Posted in Middle School, Track, tagged , , , , , on April 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Wolf 8th grader River Simpson picked up three wins Wednesday in the middle school track season opener, giving him 15 for his career. (Photo courtesy Rainy Simpson)

As season debuts go, this one was pretty flawless.

Coupeville 7th grader Les Queen, already an accomplished basketball player, competed in his first middle school track and field meet of the spring Wednesday and promptly won all four events he participated in.

Coming out on top in the 200, 400, discus, and as a member of a 4 x 100 relay squad, the lanky Wolf was one of 25 CHS athletes to nab a victory while clashing with visiting Sultan and Northshore Christian.

Also making a big early impact was 8th grader River Simpson, a triple winner in the 200, long jump, and 4 x 2, while Laurel Crowder, Henry Purdue, Sarai Dangerfield, Malachi Chapa, Kaleigha Millison, Liam Stoner, and Jesse Kehoe each picked up two first-place finishes.

Defending its home turf in style, Coupeville also stormed to big wins in the team standings.

The Wolf boys racked up 123 points, outpacing Northshore (82) and Sultan (35), while the CMS girls edged NSC 95-78, with Sultan bringing up the rear with 60.

While the points and wins are nice, Coupeville coach Jon Gabelein was also thrilled to see all the PRs rain down.

“Our athletes enjoyed starting their season right here at home,” he said. “I am very proud of the hard work they are doing at practice as it will be this daily effort that allows them to enjoy even stronger abilities.

“Several returning veterans were excited to share that they earned a PR today compared to their best results from last year.

“Being a team of 64 middle school students, their positive attitudes and supporting each other’s participation will keep making our adventures fun and rewarding for everyone throughout the upcoming season.”

Coupeville returns to action next Wednesday, May 6, when it travels to the wilds of Sultan for a rematch with the Turks.

 

Wednesday results:

 

GIRLS:

 

8th grade:

100 — Ava Alford (4th) 15.49; Amira Annunciado (7th) 16.25 *PR*; Claire Lachnit (11th) 16.81; Vicky Quiroga Rivera (14th) 17.89 *PR*

200 — Alford (2nd) 33.18 *PR*; Emma Green (5th) 35.04; Sabrina Judnich (6th) 37.17 *PR*; Quiroga Rivera (7th) 40.31 *PR*

400 — Lachnit (2nd) 1:29.25

800 — Anna Powers (2nd) 2:59.26

1600 — Powers (2nd) 6:28.15

100 Hurdles — Powers (3rd) 21.28; Kaleigha Millison (4th) 22.77

4 x 200 Relay — Lachnit, Judnich, Millison, Addison Jacobson (1st) 2:26.85

Shot Put — Jacobson (3rd) 23-06; Alford (6th) 19-01; Annunciado (7th) 18-06 *PR*

Discus — E. Green (4th) 51-11 *PR*; Lachnit (5th) 51-08; Jacobson (6th) 49-11; Millison (10th) 45-09; Judnich (12th) 45-00 *PR*; Powers (13th) 43-11 *PR*

High Jump — Millison (1st) 3-10

Long Jump — Annunciado (6th) 11-08 *PR*; Quiroga Rivera (10th) 8-10 *PR*

 

6th/7th grade:

100 — Laurel Crowder (2nd) 14.89 *PR*; Josilyn McColl (3rd) 14.93 *PR*; Bella Sandlin (4th) 14.93 *PR*; Mia Goers (8th) 15.91 *PR*; Eden Weeks (11th) 15.97 *PR*; Ava Clark (13th) 16.09 *PR*; Sophia Magdolen (15th) 16.52 *PR*; Ruby Folkestad (16th) 16.78 *PR*; Jasmine Allen (16th) 16.78 *PR*; Daisy Leedy-Bonifas (18th) 17.22 *PR*; Evelyn Merino Martinez (24th) 17.74 *PR*; Emma Roberts (25th) 17.79 *PR*; Dresden Rusch (26th) 18.04 *PR*; Reagan Green (27th) 18.07 *PR*; Dani Halsing (29th) 18.46 *PR*; Milly Somes (31st) 19.88 *PR*

200 — Crowder (1st) 30.69 *PR*; Sandlin (2nd) 32.48 *PR*; Weeks (4th) 34.31 *PR*; Magdolen (5th) 4.55 *PR*; Goers (7th) 35.17; Maja Govorcin-O’Connell (8th) 37.18 *PR*

400 — Sandlin (1st) 1:14.10 *PR*; Magdolen (3rd) 1:20.20 *PR*; Allen (4th) 1:22.85 *PR*; Diana Teran Herrera (7th) 1:34.96 *PR*

800 — Sarai Dangerfield (1st) 4:05.25; Teran Herrera (2nd) 4:06.90 *PR*

1600 — Juniper Dotson (2nd) 6:07.48 *PR*; Dangerfield (3rd) 6:43.85

100 Hurdles — Dotson (1st) 21.18 *PR*; Leedy-Bonifas (12th) 29.19 *PR*; Kolby Johnson (14th) 36.95 *PR*

4 x 100 Relay — Leedy-Bonifas, Dotson, McColl, Allen (2nd) 1:02.53; Goers, Abby Hunt, Folkestad, R. Green (4th) 1:05.86

4 x 200 Relay — Merino Martinez, Dangerfield, Rusch, Clark (1st) 2:32.28

Shot Put — Weeks (5th) 19-10 *PR*; Govorcin-O’Connell (6th) 19-07 *PR*; Roberts (9th) 15-06 *PR*; Rusch (12th) 15-05 *PR*; Clark (17th) 12-09 *PR*

Discus — McColl (4th) 46-11 *PR*; Halsing (6th) 45-01 *PR*

High Jump — Crowder (1st) 4-06 *PR*; Hunt (2nd) 3-08 *PR*; Govorcin-O’Connell (3rd) 3-08 *PR*; Halsing (4th) 3-06 *PR*

Long Jump — Dotson (2nd) 12-00 *PR*; Sandlin (3rd) 11-08 *PR*; Goers (5th) 11-01 *PR*; Allen (8th) 10-09 *PR*; Halsing (10th) 10-04 *PR*; Dangerfield (12th) 9-11 *PR*; Magdolen (13th) 9-09 *PR*; Roberts (13th) 9-09 *PR*; Leedy-Bonifas (16th) 9-06 *PR*; Johnson (26th) 7-05 *PR*; Teran Herrera (31st) 5-06 *PR*

 

BOYS:

 

8th grade:

100 — Aiden Wheat (8th) 13.96 *PR*; Xander Beaman (13th) 14.55; Diesel Eck (16th) 14.64 *PR*; Vincent Alguire (17th) 14.71 *PR*; Maverick Walling (18th) 15.12; Maverick Light (23rd) 17.18 *PR*

200 — River Simpson (1st) 26.26 *PR*; Wheat (4th) 28.59 *PR*; Beaman (5th) 29.28; Jacob Lujan (7th) 33.17

400 — Malachi Chapa (1st) 1:01.22 *PR*; Lujan (3rd) 1:09.83 *PR*

800 — Henry Purdue (1st) 2:27.50 *PR*; Lincoln Wagner (2nd) 2:38.08; Archer Schwarz (5th) 2:49.50

1600 — Purdue (1st) 5:16.06 *PR*; Schwarz (2nd) 5:58.15 *PR*

110 Hurdles — Lujan (1st) 20.80

4 x 100 Relay — Wheat, Beaman, Simpson, Chapa (2nd) 52.00

4 x 200 Relay — Walling, Simpson, Wagner, Sawyer Rudat (1st) 1:58.80

Shot Put — Alguire (1st) 35-09 *PR*; Eck (2nd) 33-11; Rudat (12th) 14-09 *PR*

Discus — Eck (1st) 112-00 *PR*; Wagner (6th) 75-04 *PR*; Light (14th) 45-00 *PR*

High Jump — Chapa (1st) 5-03 *PR*; Purdue (2nd) 5-01 *PR*; Beaman (3rd) 5-00 *PR*; Alguire (4th) 4-10 *PR*; Wheat (6th) 4-08 *PR*

Long Jump — Simpson (1st) 15-11 *PR*; Chapa (3rd) 15-06 *PR*; Wagner (5th) 15-00 *PR*; Walling (9th) 13-01 *PR*; Lujan (9th) 13-01; Schwarz (12th) 12-07; Rudat (13th) 12-06 *PR*; Light (17th) 10-08 *PR*

 

6th/7th grade:

100 — Liam Stoner (1st) 13.63 *PR*; Jesse Kehoe (3rd) 13.74; Logan Dees (6th) 14.75 *PR*; Henry Tierney (8th) 15.12 *PR*; Cyrus Badger (15th) 16.84 *PR*; LJ Schultz (17th) 17.10 *PR*

200 — Les Queen (1st) 28.84 *PR*; Stoner (2nd) 29.26 *PR*; Dees (4th) 31.76 *PR*; Miles Abram (7th) 34.26 *PR*; Badger (12th) 35.98 *PR*; Schultz (13th) 37.02 *PR*; Jackson Coxsey (14th) 42.79 *PR*

400 — Queen (1st) 1:05.96 *PR*

800 — Abram (3rd) 3:09.42 *PR*

1600 — Abram (2nd) 6:16.02 *PR*

4 x 100 Relay — Stoner, Queen, Alton Hansen, Dees (1st) 55.55

Shot Put — Coxsey (5th) 14-08 *PR*

Discus — Queen (1st) 116-00 *PR*; Tierney (5th) 63-03 *PR*

High Jump — Kehoe (1st) 5-02 *PR*; Abram (3rd) 4-0 *PR*; Hansen (4th) 4-0 *PR*

Long Jump — Kehoe (1st) 16-02 *PR*; Stoner (4th) 13-11 *PR*; Dees (5th) 13-08 *PR*; Hansen (6th) 13-05 *PR*; Tierney (7th) 12-11 *PR*; Schultz (17th) 9-04 *PR*

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CMS track stars return to the oval

Posted in Middle School, Track, tagged , , , , on April 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Wolves celebrate at last year’s league championship meet. (Photo courtesy Kelly Powers)

The countdown begins.

Coupeville Middle School kicks off its final sports season of the 2025-2026 school year right after Spring Break, with track and field beginning practice Tuesday, Apr. 14.

CMS coaches Jon Gabelein and Kelly Powers will guide the young Wolves through a six-meet season, culminating in an appearance at the Cascade League Championships.

 

The schedule:

Wed-Apr. 29 — HOME (Northshore/Sultan) — 3:30
Wed-May 6 — @ Sultan (Northshore) — 3:30
Wed-May 13 — HOME (South Whidbey) — 3:30
Wed-May 20 — @ South Whidbey (King’s) — 3:30
Mon-June 1 — @ Cascade League prelims (Lakewood) — 3:30
Thur-June 4 — @ Cascade League finals (Lakewood) — 3:30

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Nothing but net, one more time

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on March 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Juniper Dotson weaves her way through the defense. (Julie Wheat photos)

No season is complete until the final photos drop.

So, while the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball teams wrapped game action last week, we take a momentary detour to offer up some more Julie Wheat pics from the hardwood campaign.

Once again, she shoots and scores.

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Strong finish, big growth

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on March 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Emma Green locks down on defense. (Julie Wheat photos)

Growth and commitment.

That was what Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball coaches Brooke Crowder and Kassie O’Neil wanted to see this season from their young players.

So, while the win/loss record might not have been flawless for two of three Wolf squads, much was accomplished over the past eight games.

Ending its season on the road Thursday in Granite Falls, land of the blind referee, Coupeville finished with a roar.

“Last night showcased strong effort across all three teams, with several players stepping up in key moments,” Crowder said.

How the finale played out:

 

Level 1:

Coupeville hung tough through the first 14 minutes, before a torrid third quarter performance from Granite lifted the host team to a 38-20 win.

The Wolves, who finished 1-7 on the season, trailed just 4-3 through one quarter of play, and 12-6 at the half.

All of Coupeville’s first half scoring came via the three-ball, with Kaleigha Millison and Aubrey Flowers both knocking down a trey from long range.

Granite came out on fire in the third, however, going off on a game-busting 17-6 tear to claim victory.

Flowers paced the Wolves with six points, earning some praise from her coach for a well-rounded game.

“Aubrey delivered one of her strongest performances of the season,” Brooke Crowder said. “She attacked the rim with confidence, took outside shots when the defense gave space, and anchored the paint defensively by holding position under the basket and disrupting plays.

“It was a complete game on both ends of the floor.”

Millison banked in five in support of Flowers, with Anna Powers (5) and Emma Green (2) rounding out the scoring.

Well almost, as Coupeville also picked up a bucket thanks to a Granite player accidentally scoring on her own basket.

Claire Lachnit, Laurel Crowder, Finley Helm, Zayne Roos, and Bella Sandlin also saw floor time for a plucky Wolf squad which never backed down from a challenge this season.

“Last night was a tough way for Team 1 to close the season,” Brooke Crowder said. “The game was emotional, and at times it felt like things simply weren’t going our way. Anyone who was there understands the frustration our players felt in that moment.

“But what matters most is how these girls competed.

“They played with heart, they kept fighting, and they left everything they had on the floor.

“I’m incredibly proud of this group not just for how they played, but for who they are as teammates and competitors.”

Bella Sandlin shreds the defense.

 

Level 2:

A bucket here, a bucket there, and CMS wins.

In the end, however, Granite held on for a razor-thin 21-18 win, dropping the Wolves to 1-7 for the campaign.

The game was a tight one, with the Tigers up 6-2 after one, 9-5 at the half, then 13-11 through three quarters, before clamping down on defense late to ice things.

Ava Alford pumped in a season-high seven points for Coupeville, with Juniper Dotson and Annabelle Cundiff each knocking down four, while Addison Jacobson (2) and Halle Black (1) rounded out the attack.

Daisy Leedy-Bonifas, Ruby Folkestad, and Reagan Green all played strongly on the defensive end of the floor for the Wolves.

“Ava recorded her highest scoring game of the season by consistently putting herself in the right spots,” Brooke Crowder said. “Battling for rebounds, winning loose balls under the basket, creating steals, and pushing the ball up the floor in transition.”

And she wasn’t the only Wolf to shine in the finale.

“Halle demonstrated excellent court awareness, finding teammates in scoring positions and executing effectively on baseline out-of-bounds plays,” Crowder said.

“Juniper brought relentless energy throughout the game, playing aggressive defense and running the floor hard from start to finish without letting up.

“Annabelle also made a strong impact with her energy and defensive effort, helping keep the team competitive while showing great vision and composure moving the ball and finding teammates in transition.”

 

Millie Somes celebrates the moment.

Team 3:

Coupeville’s buzz saw of a team sliced ‘n diced another opponent, with the Wolves winning 17-14 to claim their third-straight win.

They didn’t always get a chance to play as a unit when other schools came up short on players, but when they did, they clicked, finishing 4-1.

Squaring off with Granite Falls, the Wolves bolted to a 9-4 lead at the first break, before slightly stretching the advantage out to 13-6 by the half.

While Coupeville only scored four points in the second half, with buckets from Nikolette Dunham and Millie Somes, its defense was on point, holding the Tigers scoreless in the third frame.

Abby Hunt finished with a team-best six points, with Dunham (4), Ellie Callahan (2), Arianna Vinson (2) Somes (2), and Danielle Halsing (1) keeping the stat keeper busy.

Leah Hernandez, Amira Anunciado, and Daisy Leedy-Bonifas filled out the rotation for a squad which ended things on a huge high note.

“Abby set the tone with hustle and persistence, maintaining constant pressure on the court,” Brooke Crowder said.

“Defensively, Ellie and Arianna worked effectively together in help defense, shutting down attempts around the basket and protecting the paint. Amira added another strong performance with tough rebounding, powerful runs up the court, and confident ball movement that helped keep the offense flowing.

“Across all three teams, the effort, hustle, and teamwork on display reflected the growth and determination of the program.”

 

Final season scoring stats:

Laurel Crowder – 35
Daisy Leedy-Bonifas – 30
Halle Black – 28
Annabelle Cundiff – 27
Kaleigha Millison – 23
Emma Green – 22
Juniper Dotson – 21
Anna Powers – 21
Abby Hunt – 17
Cami Van Dyke – 14
Aubrey Flowers – 13
Finley Helm – 13
Nikolette Dunham – 12
Ava Alford – 11
Zayne Roos – 10
Addison Jacobson – 9
Ellie Callahan – 8
Danielle Halsing – 7
Bella Sandlin – 6
Millie Somes – 6
Claire Lachnit – 5
Sophia Burley – 4
Ruby Folkestad – 4
Reagan Green – 4
Emily Rains – 4
Arianna Vinson – 3
Amira Anunciado – 1

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Wolves rumble down South

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on March 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Halle Black hits turbo drive. (Julie Wheat photos)

What a difference a month makes.

When Coupeville and South Whidbey kicked off the middle school girls’ basketball season back in early February, the Cougars won both games between the Island rivals.

Jump forward to Tuesday, and it was advantage Wolves, as CMS hit the road and claimed two victories in three contests against their neighbors.

Now, all that’s left for Brooke Crowder and Kassie O’Neil’s rampaging hardwood assassins is a road trip Thursday to Granite Falls for the season finale.

And probably some birthday well-wishes to O’Neil Wednesday, when the former Wolf gunslinger turned ol’ ball coach hits her cake day.

 

How Tuesday played out:

 

Level 1:

Coupeville hung tough with a talented South Whidbey squad, but a third-quarter shooting slump ultimately doomed the Wolves in a 32-14 loss.

Now 1-6 on the season, CMS trailed 9-6 after one quarter and found itself down 19-10 at the half.

The Cougars were deadly in the third frame, however, using an 11-0 run to ice things, before the Wolves rebounded to claim a defensive-minded final quarter by a slim 4-2 advantage.

Laurel Crowder paced Coupeville with five points, with Emma Green (2), Anna Powers (2), Zayne Roos (2), Bella Sandlin (2), and Aubrey Flowers (1) also etching their names in the scorebook.

Kaleigha Millison, Sabrina Judnich, Finley Helm, and Claire Lachnit also saw floor time for the Wolves.

While CMS lost the rematch, it made huge inroads in slowing down South Whidbey’s Jayda Coleman, who torched the nets for 28 in the opener.

“Laurel and Bella made a major impact by focusing on shutting down the opposing team’s top scorer,” Brooke Crowder said.

“They held her to just 12 this time around through disciplined defense and constant pressure,” she added. “Bella also added several steals and showed strong shot selection on the offensive end.”

Brooke Crowder praised Emma Green, who “stepped up to take on point guard responsibilities, bringing steady energy to the floor and confidently getting shots up over the defense.

“Her willingness to lead the offense helped keep the team attacking throughout the game.”

Coupeville pushed the play on offense, but the rim was unforgiving at times.

“Despite consistently attacking the basket and getting looks at the hoop, the shots simply didn’t fall our way tonight,” Brooke Crowder said.

“The effort and willingness to keep driving the lane never wavered, however.”

 

Ruby Folkestad plays big in the paint.

Level 2:

The game of the day, with Coupeville rallying late to force overtime, before claiming its first win of the campaign.

Juniper Dotson, Halle Black, and Addison Jacobson all banked in buckets in the extra period, sparking the Wolves (1-6) to an electrifying 30-28 victory.

The game was a vintage back-and-forth affair, with the hosts up 5-2 at the first break, before Coupeville rode six second-quarter points from Black to reclaim the lead at 10-9 heading into halftime.

South Whidbey had an answer, surging ahead 19-16 through three quarters, before the Wolves responded in kind, knotting things up 24-24 with Annabelle Cundiff pouring in six points in the fourth.

Six CMS players scored in the win, led by Black, who pumped in a season-high 11 points.

Cundiff (7), Jacobson (4), Dotson (4), Ava Alford (2), and Emily Rains (2) also made the scoreboard bounce, while Ruby Folkestad, Claire Lachnit, Abby Hunt, Reagan Green, and Arianna Vinson rounded out the rotation.

Despite playing for the second time in less than 24 hours, the Wolves brought big effort to the floor, something the coaching staff appreciated.

“Ruby stood out defensively by stepping into passing lanes and creating disruption for the opposing offense,” Brooke Crowder said.

“Addison contributed key box-outs that helped secure rebounds, while Halle showed strong effort on the boards and increased her offensive involvement by putting up more shots.

“Arianna brought relentless defensive pressure with active hands and strong positioning, stopping drives and shutting down players underneath the basket.”

 

Level 3:

After not playing the first time around, the school’s third squads clashed in a half-game this time around, with Coupeville holding on for a 10-8 nailbiter.

The victory, and it’s official because this blog you’re reading says so, lifts the Wolves to a crisp 3-1 on the season coming on the heels of a win against Sultan Monday night.

CMS jumped out to a 4-2 lead through the game’s first seven minutes, before the squads slugged it out through a back-and-forth second frame.

Daisy Leedy-Bonifas, a 6th grader who is second among all Wolves in scoring this season, continued her torrid shooting, rattling the rims for a game-high six points, while Ellie Callahan and Millie Somes each chipped in with a bucket.

Amira Anunciado, Leah Hernandez, Nikolette Dunham, Arianna Vinson, Abby Hunt, and Danielle Halsing also saw floor time for Coupeville’s winningest team.

“Daisy set the tone with aggressive play on both ends of the floor,” Brooke Crowder said. “She actively hunted the ball, created steals, and pushed the pace whenever she had the opportunity.

“Ellie contributed strong defensive play along with solid rebounding and several put-back attempts around the basket and Millie rounded out the effort with nonstop hustle and smart shot selection.”

Across all three games, the Wolves demonstrated they are more confident and accomplished than they were a month ago.

“Overall, the teams showed strong defensive growth, aggressive play, and continued effort attacking the rim, exactly the habits that lead to improvement as the season progresses,” Brooke Crowder said.

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