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Sam Landau glides into final track season!!

Posted in Track on February 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Sam Landau

Landau (far right) and friends share a moment with Santa. In back, Luke Pelant )left) and Danny Savalza. Up front, Ben Wehrman.

Landau (far right, front) and friends share a moment with Santa. In back, Luke Pelant (left) and Danny Savalza. Up front, Ben Wehrman.

The Terminator. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

This is an exciting time in the Landau house.

The Oscars are less than 12 hours away, and if you know anything about mom Julie, you know she’s girding for good-natured, winner-take-all competition against fellow movie buff Val (Jones) Flack.

Their battles for Oscar supremacy at Videoville and David’s DVD Den were legendary, and I’d like to hope they’re still fighting for possession of the custom-designed trophy they used to hand back-and-forth depending on each year’s winner. Let it ever be so.

Meanwhile, oldest son Sam Landau is gearing up for his senior season of track at Coupeville High School and a final run at garnering some headlines of his own.

He’s a veteran on the track oval — he’s been competing since the 7th grade (“I started because running is what I was good at”) but first picked up the bug back in the fourth grade, when dad Noah started him down the runner’s path.

A distance ace who runs the 1600 and 3200, he also took a stab at relay races last season and was an immediate hit. Teaming with Larry Hurlburt, Matthew Hampton and Mitch Pelroy in the 4 x 400, Landau helped pace the Wolves to strong showings all season, with the quartet coming up just short of advancing to state.

Willing to run wherever coach Randy King might put him, Landau knows his strengths generally lie in the distance races.

“I’m good at running for extended periods of time, hours on end, with no problem,” Landau said. “I need to work on keeping a fast pace.”

When it comes to goals, he’d like to bust out a sub-five-minute mile (his PR is 5:06) and a farewell trip to the state meet in Cheney in any of his events wouldn’t be half bad.

“I’d like to go to state. That would be pretty sweet!,” he said.

As his high school track career winds down, Landau can look back and enjoy the great races, the unexpected pleasures and the chance to be a vital part of a team.

“Getting to try a steeplechase in my sophomore year was pretty fun,” Landau said. “I enjoy the camaraderie, as well as improving my running.”

Away from the track oval, he’s a bit of a self-proclaimed nerd who enjoys skiing, aerospace sciences, Tom Clancy novels and SuperWhoLock (which combines TV favorites “Supernatural,” “Dr. Who” and “Sherlock.”

An avid student, he competes on both the sports and intellectual planes.

“I do Science Olympiad and that’s pretty fun,” Landau said. “But I think I enjoy track a little better.”

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Hark! Is that spring sports that doth approach?!?!

Posted in Baseball, Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis, Golf, Softball, Track on February 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Nothing says spring like a new golf bag.

Fear the Wolf.

It’s cold. It’s wet. It’s windy.

So, of course, that means spring sports are about to begin on Whidbey Island.

Less than 36 hours from now, when school lets out Monday afternoon, hurlers, sluggers, booters, netters, links legends and track and field athletes of all sizes and shapes will flood out of Coupeville High School and try to seize the day.

The first games hit Tuesday, March 12, with the first home contests the next afternoon. Until then, anything is possible.

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We’re never leavin’ town, suckers!!

Posted in Baseball, Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis, Golf, Softball, Stange has Moves, Track on February 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

“Why is Stange dancing over there?!?!”

“No livin’ on a school bus for this guy! No McDonald’s twice a week! Wahoo!!”

“Wait … track has to go to Sultan … TWICE?!?!”

So who did Ken Stange pay off?

I kid. I kid. But, seriously, who did he pay off, because the Coupeville High School girls’ tennis team is rarely going to see the inside of a school bus this season.

Want to enjoy the thrill of playing in front of your home fans? Be a netter, because they’re scheduled to play an astonishing 10 of their 14 matches on the courts at CHS.

With one of their four road trips just a short jaunt to Langley, and another a hop across the ferry to play Chimacum in Port Townsend, Stange will laugh and laugh when other coaches talk about epic trips to the wilds of Sultan.

Having wrested the semi-mostly-kinda-finished spring sports schedules from Wolf scheduling maestro Kim Andrews (who didn’t give them up easily), I was able to quickly look at them and pick up little tidbits of interest. All while fending off Andrews, who kept on screaming “The ink hasn’t even dried yet, you heathen!!”

Of note, after a basketball season in which Coupeville spent a LARGE chunk of time on the road, is a return to balanced scheduling.

Well, except for track, which never gets to host more than one meet in a season. Randy King will have plenty of Sultan stories, as his squad visits that town twice.

Softball and boys’ soccer have balanced schedules, while baseball hosts 11 of its 20 games.

The record for traveling, however, won’t go to the track squad. Instead, that honor falls to Wolf golfers Austin and Christine Fields, who will trek to Langley every single day. With Coupeville not having its own links squad, the Fields will train and travel with South Whidbey, while still repping the black and red of their home school.

Schedules:

P.S. — check http://coupeville.tandemcal.com/ for updates, because as Andrews will tell you, “Nothing is written in permanent ink, buddy!!!”

BASEBALL:

Wed-Mar. 13 @ Lakewood
Fri-15 Lakewood
Sat-16 Nooksack Valley
Sat-23 Port Townsend
Mon-25 South Whidbey
Wed-27 @ South Whidbey
Fri-29 South Whidbey
Mon-April 1 @ Cedarcrest (DH)
Wed-3 Cedarcrest
Mon-8 ATM
Wed-10 @ ATM
Fri-12 ATM
Mon-15 @ Granite Falls
Wed-17 Granite Falls
Fri-19 @ Granite Falls
Mon-22 Sultan
Wed-24 @ Sultan
Fri-26 Sultan
Mon-29 @ Lakewood

BOYS SOCCER:

Tue-Mar. 12 @ Friday Harbor
Tue-19 @ Cedarcrest
Fri-22 @ Lakewood
Tue-26 South Whidbey
Fri-29 @ Sultan
Tues-April 2 ATM
Fri-5 @ Granite Falls
Mon-8 King’s
Wed-10 Cedarcrest
Fri-12 Lakewood
Tue-16 @ South Whidbey
Wed-17 Friday Harbor
Fri-19 Sultan
Mon-22 @ ATM
Wed-24 Granite Falls
Fri-26 @ King’s

GIRLS TENNIS:

Tue-Mar. 12 @ Friday Harbor
Wed-13 ATM
Mon-18 Lakewood
Wed-20 @ South Whidbey
Fri-22 Chimacum
Tue-26 ATM
Wed-27 South Whidbey
Thur-28 Blaine
Tues-April 9 @ Granite Falls
Fri-12 Lakewood
Wed-17 Friday Harbor
Tue-23 Lakewood
Thur-25 Granite Falls
Fri-26 @ Chimacum

SOFTBALL:

Wed-Mar. 13 @ Lakewood
Thur-14 @ Meridian
Tue-19 South Whidbey
Thur-21 @ Cedarcrest
Sat-23 Port Townsend
Mon-25 ATM
Wed-27 @ Granite Falls
Fri-29 Sultan
Mon-April 1 @ Lakewood
Mon-8 South Whidbey
Wed-10 @ Cedarcrest
Fri-12 ATM
Tue-16 @ Granite Falls
Thur-18 Sultan
Tue-23 Lakewood
Mon-29 @ South Whidbey
Wed-May 1 Cedarcrest
Fri-3 @ ATM
Tue-7 Granite Falls
Thur-9 @ Sultan

TRACK:

Thur-Mar. 14 @ Island Jamboree (Oak Harbor)
Thur-21 @ Sultan w/ Granite Falls
Sat-23 @ Tri-District previews (King’s)
Thur-28 @ Granite Falls w/ South Whidbey
Thur-April 11 @ Sultan w/ Cedarcrest and King’s
Thur-18 South Whidbey
Thur-25 @ South Whidbey w/ ATM

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“You bring 100% every time!!”

Posted in Football, Track on February 19, 2013| 1 Comment »

Matthew Hampton

Hampton hugs 4 x 400 mate Mitch Pelroy after the Wolves tore up the track oval. Watching are Larry Hurlburt (left) and Sam Landau.

Hampton hugs relay mate Mitch Pelroy after the Wolves tore up the track. Watching are Larry Hurlburt (left) and Sam Landau. (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Hampton drops back on defense for the Wolves.

Matthew Hampton is NOT your friend when he steps on the track oval or football field.

The Coupeville High School sophomore gets along well with his teammates, but he is a firm believer that an athlete doesn’t need to go around hugging their opponents. While he’s not exactly prone to shred people with his spikes, he takes the competition side of sports seriously.

“Many of my friends have taught me small things; the main one I take to heart is when you’re on the field, court or track with another team, is that you don’t give any respect to them unless they earned it,” Hampton said. “Bring good sportsmanship, but don’t talk to them or smile at them.

“You bring 100% every time until it’s all over,” he added. “Then you walk away as a winner.”

It’s an attitude that has paid off nicely for Hampton. He went as far as tri-districts as a freshman, running in the 800 meters and as a leg on a speedy 4 x 400 relay squad with Mitch Pelroy, Sam Landau and Larry Hurlburt. While his taste of the big-time was nice, he’s looking for more this year.

“I would like to go to state, to win as many races as I can, or at least place in them,” Hampton said. “And I would like to achieve a 4:45 mile time by the end of the season.”

Hampton, who first took up track in 7th grade (“I started because I wanted to do every sport that year”), soon fell hard for the sport. While he has trouble deciding between football and track as his favorite sport, the Zen-like qualities of running appeal to him.

“I love track because it’s calm, quiet, it’s simple, not as complex,” Hampton said. “It’s not as stressful. I don’t have to rely on someone to cover my back. It would be all on me.

“When it comes to competition, I don’t give up easy,” he added. “I work well with others and I always try my hardest. I’d like to work on being more aggressive, and also need to work on running harder while keeping a pace.”

Hampton is also a rising star on the gridiron for the Wolves (“I love the speed and intensity on the field”), lettering this past season while seeing time on both sides of the ball.

When he’s not wearing the red and black, he balances time in the weight room, driver’s ed, his girlfriend and video games, all played out to a constant soundtrack.

“I love listening to music,” he said. “I love all kinds of music.”

And, through it all, he always has a rock to lean on in the woman who brought him into this world.

“My mother makes the biggest impact in my life,” Hampton said. “She gives me the support that everything is gonna be OK, no matter what.”

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It’s only raining in your mind!!

Posted in Baseball, Boys Soccer, Girls Tennis, Golf, Softball, Track on February 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »

220 hours until Aaron Trumbull brings the heat… (Shelli Trumbull photos)

Nicole Becker unleashes her speedy feet…

and McKayla Bailey starts whippin’ frozen b-b’s at batters.

Ignore the weather outside.

We stand nine days (about 220 hours, give or take an hour) away from the start of spring sports in Coupeville.

Monday, Feb. 25 brings the first day of practice for baseball, softball, boys’ soccer, girls’ tennis, track and golf. Story lines abound.

Will a baseball team headed up by the players who won a state little league crown in 2010 make a run in the Cascade Conference and give ATM and the big boys a wedgie?

Will Maria Rockwell join McKayla Bailey to give the Wolf softball team a wicked one-two combo of flamethrowers?

Will Mendes‘ marauders return to state in soccer? Will any of Ken Stange’s netters emulate their male counterparts and go full-Etzell, diving on the cement court in pursuit of a loose ball?

How fast is Makana Stone? How hungry for redemption is Madison Tisa McPhee? Will Caleb Valko be goofing off and drop the shot put on his foot at any point this season?

And last, but certainly least, will the Fields family (senior Austin and sophomore Christine) scorch the field at the state golf meet once again? Christine was the 8th best golfer in 1A last year as a freshman, largely based on a great 2nd day.

Of course, as we gaze out into a muddy February morning at the moment, the only question that really resonates is — when will the rain go away?

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