Breeanna Messner, always popular with the people. (John Fisken photo)
Messner and the tools of her trade. (Robert Bishop photo)
Wolf seniors (l to r) Haley Sherman, Messner and Madeline Roberts during their run to the state tourney, the school’s first trip in softball in 12 years. (Fisken photo)
Breeanna Messner is the Al Gore of 2014.
The recent Coupeville High School graduate took the popular vote, but was denied the ultimate crown when the people behind the throne made their selection.
Messner, a four-sport (volleyball, cheer, basketball, softball) star for the Wolves, held off Lakewood’s Kiana Smith to win the public voting for the Everett Herald’s Female Prep Athlete of the Year.
She won 506-464 to best a 23-woman field that included athletes from big-name schools like King’s and Glacier Peak.
But the Herald editors selected Lynnwood basketball superstar Jasmin Edwards, who collected 223 votes in the popular vote, as their top athlete.
It was the same on the boys side of the battle, as Garrett Stich of Snohomish topped Hunter Bingham of Monroe in polling, only to see Bingham be tabbed as the Athlete of the Year.
Coupeville’s Ben Etzell was nominated for the boys’ award.
If it’s Tuesday, it must be time to mess with the Everett Herald again.
The newspaper that’s most fond of massacring the names of Coupeville High School athletes (respect the memory of Taya Boonscara … wait, isn’t her name really Taya Boonstra?) has shocked us all by allowing two Wolves to be nominated in their Athlete of the Year voting.
Recent CHS grads Breeanna Messner (volleyball, cheer, basketball, softball) and Ben Etzell (tennis, baseball) are in the running, along with all the “big name” athletes from athletic powers like ATM and Jackson.
Which can only mean one thing — time for Whidbey Island to open a can of whoop-ass on their poll … again.
We’ve done it before. We’ll do it again.
Now, they have set up their poll so you can’t just sit there and click the vote button 10,000 times in an hour, which just means you have to get more creative. There are always ways around vote stifling.
And, of course, we might get a repeat of the Lakewood incident, where someone rigged the system to shoot votes to Lakewood players when ever anyone voted for a Coupeville kid.
We shall see.
But, for now, at least, we believe in the “Friday Night Lights” mantra, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”
Amanda Fabrizi, the 2013-2014 coupevillesports.com Athlete Supreme. (John Fisken photos)
Fabrizi sits on her throne with an assist from volleyball teammates Megan Oakes (left) and Haley Sherman.
Fabrizi and mom Fawn Gustafson during Senior Night for volleyball.
It was High Noon in Internet City, and Amanda Fabrizi and her fans had the fastest trigger fingers Sunday.
Capping a furious final day of voting, in which all the rules were suspended and voters were allowed to stuff the ballot box for the final 12 hours, Coupeville Sports can now proudly announce the winner of our 2013-2014 Athlete Supreme, and it is Miss Fabrizi.
The recent Wolf grad, who was a standout volleyball player and a deadly scorer for the CHS girls’ basketball squad, came storming out of a second place tie Sunday morning and never looked back.
She roared past fellow Class of 2014 grad Jake Tumblin, who had led since the poll debuted Wednesday, eventually building a margin of more than 500 votes before the gridiron giant staged a late rally.
Fabrizi ultimately claimed a 237-vote win over Tumblin, while CHS junior football/baseball star Josh Bayne jumped from 10th to 3rd over the final hours of the poll.
Defending champ Nick Streubel was a non-factor the second time around, despite being selected as an All-State football player.
One suspects big sis Amanda, who carried him to voting victory last year, was too busy with her own college graduation to spend much time mashing computer keys.
Three nominees in one photo — (l to r) Ben Etzell, Breeanna Messner and Nick Streubel. (Robert Bishop photo)
Julia “Elbows” Myers. (John Fisken photos)
Maddie Big Time.
Let’s get it on.
Coupeville High School has given out its athletic awards, but now comes the one you, the readers, control — the 2nd annual coupevillesports.com Athlete Supreme.
Nick Streubel edged Caleb Valko last year in the inaugural battle for a title that is worth a few bragging points and not much else.
Though, with the way the vote got super-intense at the end last time, you would have thought there was money on the line.
While we still haven’t come up with a trophy yet, this year’s winner will take over the banner photo across the top of this blog for a period of time. So there’s that.
A distinguished panel of judges (me and a plate of chocolate chip cookies…) chose 12 nominees, six girls and six boys.
Some were slam dunks while the battle for the sixth slot on each side was brutal.
After much debate (and some milk to go with the cookies), I decided to NOT nominate any one-sport athletes.
While Abraham Leyva scorched the soccer net and Christine Fields ripped up the golf course, it was hard to ignore those who chose to play two or three sports and excel in them all.
Leyva and Fields had great seasons (so did softball player Madeline Roberts), but the 12 athletes I finally narrowed my list down to had great years. My call, and I’m sticking to it.
But now it’s your call.
The vote ends Sunday, June 8 when I get home from work (so that’s late at night) and I’ll announce the winner first thing Monday morning.
With apologies to McKayla Bailey, Kacie Kiel, Lathom Kelley, Aaron Trumbull and several other almost-nominees (next year can be yours!) here are my 12:
Josh Bayne — Two-way threat in football and a Second-Team All-Conference baseball player.
Aaron Curtin — Went to state in both of his sports, tennis and baseball.
Ben Etzell — First CHS player ever picked as an MVP in the 1A/2A Cascade Conference, honored for a baseball season in which he threw a no-hitter in one game, struck out 15 in another and tossed 143 pitches in a third. Went to state in baseball and as Curtin’s doubles partner.
Amanda Fabrizi — Standout volleyball and basketball player who became a big-time scorer on the hardwood during her senior season.
Hailey Hammer — Has been so consistent for so long, this three-sport star (volleyball, basketball, softball) sometimes gets overlooked. Shouldn’t.
Wiley Hesselgrave — Huge hitter on the gridiron and a rampaging force of nature on the basketball court.
Breeanna Messner — Miss Consistency. Four-sport star (volleyball, cheer, basketball, softball) who led CHS softball to state for the first time in 12 seasons.
Julia Myers — MVP of soccer squad after returning from an injury that cost her a season, then emulated Dennis Rodman on the basketball court, where she was a defensive beast.
Makana Stone — Smooth soccer player, high-flying, high-scoring basketball whiz and a record-bustin’ track phenom who is on her way to rewriting the CHS record book. Placed second in the 400 at the state track meet.
Madeline Strasburg — AKA Maddie Big Time. Big hitter in volleyball who made her name by nailing mirror image half-court three-point bombs from the left side at the third-quarter buzzer in back-to-back basketball games. Then crushed home runs at home and away to help propel softball to state.
Nick Streubel — All-State lineman in football, he signed a scholarship with Central Washington. Went on to be one of the leading scorers on the boys’ hoops team and the Wolves’ top thrower during track season.
Jake Tumblin — Rushed for 1,000+ yards while limited by injuries as a two-way football threat, then anchored baseball with his speed at the plate and his game-calling as the team’s catcher.
Coupeville Sports 