Track | Coupeville Sports

Archive for the ‘Track’ Category

Work hard, dominate every day

Posted in Boys Basketball, Football, Hall o' Fame, Track, tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Dominic Coffman, football, Hall of Fame, track and field on September 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Dominic Coffman will run over you, not around you. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Ka-Chunk!

It is the sound I most associate with Dominic Coffman, as he chose to frequently run over, and not around, would-be tacklers on the football field.

During his time reppin’ the black and red for the Wolves, the 2023 Coupeville High School grad piled up his fair share of yards and touchdowns, and he did it by living up to the standard set by the program’s premier running back, Ian Barron.

Like the man who holds every school record associated with rushing, Coffman chose violence, and left a trail of battered and bruised rivals in his wake.

Fancy cuts are fine, sprinting for the sideline, then dodging a tackler to step out of bounds can be effective.

The Dominator, like Barron, was content to leave those moves to others, however.

Give him the damn football and get out of the way.

During his stellar senior season, when he captured Northwest 2B/1B League MVP honors while sparking Coupeville football to its first league title and trip to state in three-decades-plus, Coffman got most of his yards AFTER impact.

It took multiple tacklers to wrestle him to the ground on most carries, and if your grip slipped for a second, you were likely on your back, watching him inflict more carnage downfield.

Not that Coffman was a one-hit wonder.

He also had sticky fingers when it came to catching passes, and was a hellion on defense, steam erupting from his body on fall nights as he scared the bejesus out of rival QB’s.

The 2022 edition of Wolf football can make an argument as the best in program history — though 1990 will want a word — and Coffman, teamed with Scott Hilborn, Tim Ursu, Daylon Houston, and a host of others, were the senior core.

Enjoying Senior Night with his family. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

A leader on and off the field, Coffman was rewarded with an invitation to the Earl Barden Classic, the state all-star game for small-school standouts, and he made his presence felt while lining up with a who’s who of gridiron giants.

Now the game is carrying him to Spain, where he will be suiting up for a semi-pro team playing American football.

They will know him soon, by the bruises he inflicts.

As intense as he can be on the football field, Coffman is a fairly soft-spoken dude off of the gridiron, and has always struck me as an intelligent, well-spoken young man.

The first time I came into contact with him was when, as a middle schooler, he informed me that if I had any photos of him playing sports, I should send them to him.

Younger, but already intense. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

After that, we spoke at a tennis match where he was camped out as a fan, and I couldn’t help but come away impressed with him.

He was that kid who grew up loving sports, not in a small way, but in a BIG way.

More than one coach told me stories about him having to be chased inside by teachers as he got every last second of enjoyment out of recess.

I once got detention for purposefully ignoring the bell, and continuing to play basketball — in a driving rainstorm — so I know where Dominic comes from.

As good a football player as he is, he was absolutely what a small-town school needs, playing three sports and playing them well.

On the basketball court, he played like a heat-seeking missile, fighting for rebounds and loose balls like a younger version of Dennis Rodman, while being the loudest member of the Wolf support crew.

Coffman was part of a boys’ basketball team which went 16-0 in the regular season and came dangerously close to toppling top-ranked Kalama at the state tournament.

In fact, he went to the big dance in all three of his sports, also making the trek twice in track and field, while qualifying in both the 4 x 100 relay and high jump both times.

Working with his relay teammates, Coffman brought home a pair of 2nd place medals, helping spur the Wolves to impressive team finishes.

Capping his senior season by shining at the state track meet. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

As he prepares to head to Spain, let’s take a moment to hail Coffman.

For the high school athletic career he put together, excelling season after season in multiple sports while retaining his joy and drive through difficult times in the world.

And, for always being That Guy — a class act who combined drive and desire, hard work and a refusal to back down, into being one of the most-distinctive student/athletes to ever walk the CHS hallways.

Soon the world will know, but we knew first.

Which is why we’re the first to honor him, but probably not the last.

Today Dominic Coffman throws open the door to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, joining fellow Wolf football legends like Ian Barron and Paul Messner, Brad Haslam and Brad Sherman in our lil’ digital shrine.

After this, you’ll find The Dominator up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, a fitting testament to a dude who never, ever quit working.

The Dominator. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Read Full Post »

Knoblich a joyful assassin

Posted in Girls Basketball, Hall o' Fame, Track, Volleyball, tagged Basketball, CHS Wolves, Ryanne Knoblich, track and field, volleyball on August 29, 2023| 1 Comment »

Ryanne Knoblich gets some love from Mama Mariah. (Karen Carlson photo)

“Nice try, Ry!”

Over the years, as she grew from a plucky young girl fighting to have an impact, to emerging as a full-blown star honored as a Coupeville High School Athlete of the Year winner, that statement took on new meaning.

Ryanne Knoblich may have followed in the footsteps of older brother Gavin, himself a three-sport sensation for the Wolves, but Mariah and Clint’s daughter wrote her own super-successful story.

When she exited CHS this past spring, carrying her diploma (and countless academic and athletic honors), she left as one of the best I’ve ever written about.

As an athlete, absolutely.

As a human being, even more so.

Ryanne was unfailingly joyful during her days repping the red and black, her megawatt personality lighting up gyms and track ovals and winning her a well-deserved legion of fans.

Pick a sport, and she was a huge contributor.

Doin’ what she does. (Jackie Saia photo)

On the volleyball court, she grew into a dangerous sniper, one who crashed from sideline to sideline in pursuit of the ball, before unleashing often-crippling spikes.

Look at her stats from her senior season, and it’s readily apparent how dangerous, and well-balanced, a player she truly was.

Ryanne racked up 108 kills and 109 digs, the rare player to amass top numbers at the net and in the back row.

She could also serve with the best of them, peppering rivals with spikes which tore off arms and deflated players on the other side of the court.

Through it all, while racking up All-Conference honors, she delighted in her teammate’s accomplishments as much as her own, her voice carrying across the gym as she bum-rushed her pals to squeeze the life out of them with a congratulatory hug.

That all-in style carried over to basketball, where Ryanne was her team’s most effective rebounder, while also finishing #3 in scoring.

She could pop a silky jumper, elbow a wayward rival, then dive on the floor to fight like her life depended on her ability to claim possession of the ball.

All while chuckling to herself, an intense warrior who always seemed to delight in just getting a chance to play alongside her friends.

The artist at work. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

When spring rolled around, Ryanne went outdoors for track and field, and it’s there she probably made her biggest impact.

The pandemic denied her a freshman season on the oval, but she more than made up for it in the remaining three years.

From her sophomore through senior year, Ryanne competed in 11 different events, from sprints to relays, hurdles to jumping competitions.

Through it all, she rang up 16 wins, twice finished 2nd at the state meet in the high jump and tied a school record which stood untouched since 1999.

Ryanne touched the skies at five feet, two inches in her premier event, joining Wolf legend Yashmeen Knox atop the record books.

While she may have left the building, her name will live on every time a new CHS athlete enters the gym complex and looks up at the record board on the wall.

And, while that record may one day be toppled, Ryanne’s place among the best Wolf athletes ever is still assured, as her photo will join others who have been tabbed as a CHS Athlete of the Year winner.

That honor is forever.

Not that she needs it, as “Nice try, Ry” will also live on in the memories of those who watched her play while fueled by her unique mix of intensity and joy.

Solo, or as part of a team, Ryanne is always a winner. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Still, awards are nice, so let’s toss another her way.

Today we welcome Ryanne to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, where she joins her brother.

After this you’ll find the duo hanging out up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.

It’ll be easy to spot Ryanne.

She’ll be the one having a heck of a good time, effortlessly building her fan club one huge play, and one big smile, at a time.

A joyful assassin. (Delanie Lewis photo)

Read Full Post »

Rising star meets living legend

Posted in Track, Wolves in college, tagged Anatoliy Bondarchuk, Central Washington University, CHS Wolves, hammer throw, Logan Martin, Martin Bingisser on August 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Hammer throw legend Martin Bingisser (left) meets up with Coupeville chucker Logan Martin. (Bob Martin photo)

Call it the Martin and Martin Show.

Coupeville grad Logan Martin, now a track and field star at Central Washington University, recently got a chance to meet and throw with Martin Bingisser, Switzerland’s national hammer throw coach.

A former All-American at the University of Washington, he’s an 11-time national champion in the sport who is also a lawyer and founder of HMMR Media – a leading online resource for throwers.

Bingisser is a busy man but has family in Bellingham and makes the trek from Switzerland every two years.

Enter the ever-resourceful Martin, who used email and Instagram to convince the legendary thrower he should meet up with his #1 fan when in Washington state.

“I was quite the pest, but it paid off!” Martin said with a laugh.

The duo, along with Logan’s dad, Coupeville High School track and field coach Bob Martin, met up at Western Washington University.

“It was very surreal when I was able to shake his hand and hang out with him for the day,” Logan Martin said.

“I see him as a living legend and quite literally everything he said was gold.”

While achieving his own success, Bingisser was coached by Anatoliy Bondarchuk, an Olympic gold medalist in 1972 who has gone on to mentor an incredible string of world record holders.

During his own rise in the sport, adding the hammer throw to the shotput and discus as a high school athlete, Logan Martin has been a relentless worker, both in the practice circle and reading about the sport.

A lot of that research came directly from Bingisser’s writing.

“After digging a little bit, I found that 90% of the hundreds of pages that I’ve printed out and filed, were written by Martin, which was really cool,” Logan Martin said.

During his time at CHS, Dalton’s younger brother played soccer, tennis, basketball, and track, claiming 2nd place at state in all three of his throwing events.

Logan Martin then made the jump to college track and field, earning All-West Region honors in the hammer throw as a CWU freshman this spring.

With his sophomore campaign looming ahead of him, the work continues.

Getting to spend valuable time with one of the best the sport has ever seen is invaluable.

“I was able to take away a whole new perspective on myself as an athlete and my throw,” Logan Martin said.

“And also, two notebook pages that are filled with chicken scratch from that session,” he added with a laugh.

Read Full Post »

Hit the tape, ring up the wins

Posted in Middle School, Track, tagged Alex Murdy, CMS Wolves, Lindsey Roberts, Tamsin Ward, track and field on June 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Wolf 6th grader Tamsin Ward made a splash in her first middle school track season. (Photo courtesy Jandellyn Ward)

She’s off to an impressive start.

Coupeville Middle School 6th grader Tamsin Ward won 11 times, across four different events, in the just-concluded track and field season.

While middle school stats are notoriously hard to document (more on that in a second), her 2023 campaign ranks as the third-best put up by a Wolf athlete in the last 15 years.

Only Lindsey Roberts, with 18 wins, and state champ Alex Murdy, with 12, had more in a single spring, and both accomplished that feat as 8th graders.

Danny Conlisk (10), who went on to win two state titles as a high school runner, is fourth, while Nick Laska notched nine victories as a 7th grader this spring, tying him with Makana Stone at #5 on the CMS single-season list.

Now, here’s where we talk about why it’s nearly impossible to fully document what may have happened in the past.

While athletic.net makes modern life much easier, compiling track and field activity from across the country, it’s only been with us since 2004.

Originally released just in Oregon (not a state we live in), its Coupeville Middle School-related data doesn’t go back any further than 2008.

So, while I can document 87 Wolves who have earned a medal at the high school state track and field championships — dating back to 1963 — only 39 of those competitors have readily available middle school results.

But wait, CMS might have something in its own records … ha ha, just kidding. No one held on to anything.

So, while Tyler and Kyle King have 11 and 10 state meet medals, respectively, and Natasha Bamberger won five state titles, they and other “early” contenders such as Jeff Fielding and Joy Hack aren’t part of this project.

Unless someone has some handwritten notes stashed in a box out in a barn.

Until then, the best seasons by a CMS track and field athlete between 2008-2023 are listed below.

The list goes 12 deep, and not 10, because of a three-way tie at #10.

Seen here as a high school track athlete, Jared Helmstadter got off to a strong start in middle school. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Lindsey Roberts
18 wins
2015 – 8th grade

200 (6)
1600 (4)
100 Hurdles (6)
4 x 100 Relay (2)

Alex Murdy
12 wins
2019 – 8th grade

200 (2)
4 x 100 Relay (4)
High Jump (3)
Long Jump (3)

Tamsin Ward
11 wins
2023 – 6th grade

100 (4)
Shot Put (4)
High Jump (2)
Long Jump (1)

Danny Conlisk
10 wins
2015 – 8th grade

100 (1)
200 (3)
1600 (6)

Nick Laska
9 wins
2023 – 7th grade

4 x 100 Relay (2)
Shot Put (3)
Discus (4)

Makana Stone
9 wins
2012 – 8th grade

200 (2)
400 (4)
4 x 200 Relay (2)
Long Jump (1)

Chris Battaglia
8 wins
2014 – 7th grade

1600 (3)
4 x 200 Relay (3)
High Jump (2)

Chris Battaglia
8 wins
2015 – 8th grade

Discus (4)
High Jump (4)

Jared Helmstadter
7 wins
2012 – 8th grade

100 (3)
400 (2)
4 x 100 Relay (2)

Beckett Green
6 wins
2023 – 7th grade

100 (2)
200 (2)
4 x 100 Relay (2)

Lathom Kelley
6 wins
2012 – 8th grade

800 (2)
4 x 100 Relay (2)
Shot Put (2)

Lindsey Roberts
6 wins
2014 – 7th grade

200 (1)
1600 (2)
75 Hurdles (3)

Read Full Post »

Run, jump, snap a final pic (or two)

Posted in Middle School, Track, tagged Amber Wyman, CMS Wolves, Jon Gabelein, Kennedy O'Neill, track and field on June 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Kennedy O’Neill soars to glory.

No more meets, but a few photos left to deal with.

The Coupeville Middle School track and field team wrapped its season last week with the Cascade League Championships, and today we offer up the remaining pics we had still stashed away.

The action photos are from Wolf Mom Ana Oliveira, the coach portraits snapped by John Fisken.