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Mindy Horr

Mindy Horr

Mindy and part of her extensive fan club.

Mindy and part of her extensive fan club.

Makin' magic in Korea.

Makin’ magic in Korea.

They don’t come much more talented than Mindy Horr.

A truly standout athlete at Coupeville High School, the 2005 grad was a four-year star in volleyball and tennis, claiming second at state in doubles with Taniel (Lamb) Proctor as a senior.

But it’s been the eight years since that moment in which she has shone at her brightest, taking a message of hope and love literally around the world.

Always on the move, her mega-watt smile and graceful heart lighting up the world around her, Horr is changing the world, one student at a time.

After graduating from Biola University in Southern California with a BA in English and a minor in Biblical studies (appropriate since her father, Cliff Horr, is a pastor), she has traveled the world.

Along the way, she found her calling, teaching English in South Korea.

Recently she made the jump to Director of Marketing and Admissions Supervisor with the company which brought her to Korea — Adventure Teaching — but, regardless of what position she holds, her joy in helping others spills out on a daily basis.

“I love what I do, and I still think teaching English in Korea is one of the coolest opportunities around!,” Horr said.

“As my life has turned out very different from what I imagined back at graduation in 2005, I don’t tend to make extensive future plans,” she added. “I never would’ve guessed where I am today, and I like the unpredictability of it.

“Loving Jesus and loving people. That’s what my future looks like.”

She still finds time to stay active, enjoying the sports she dominated in as a high school athlete.

“I still get out and play tennis and volleyball whenever I get the chance,” Horr said. “Shortly after moving to Portland in January with my sister Bethany, we made sure to find the nearest tennis courts, and hope for sunny days.

“My volleyball has changed from hard court to sand, which presents a whole new set of skills to learn,” she added. “But I play whenever I get the chance!”

As a Wolf, she learned her tennis game from her father, who guided the CHS  team for many years.

“Tennis has been a life-long love of mine, and getting to play for Coupeville with my dad as coach seemed pretty natural, seeing as he’d been my coach my whole life,” Horr said. “I learned a lot about the importance of consistency and attitude – though I have to say, some of the lessons weren’t that fun to learn. You can definitely beat yourself in tennis.

“I think the final game where Taniel and I won at Quad-Districts to make it to state was a really incredible feeling,” she added. “We had worked so hard over the last four years to get to that point. It was definitely worth it.”

As a setter for Toni Crebbin’s Wolf volleyball squads, Horr was part of a golden era for female athletes in Coupeville. One which included the young woman who is replacing Crebbin at the helm of the program this year.

“That final year of volleyball was a highlight – we had a great team and a lot of fun,” Horr said. “Coach Crebbin pushed us, but made sure we still enjoyed playing. Losing at state was disappointing, but I look back on my time playing volleyball for Coupeville as some of the best memories of high school.

“Super proud (and also slightly jealous) of Kirsty Croghan, who is joining the long line of amazing Coupeville volleyball coaches – up there with Crebbin and (Kim) Meche.”

Wherever her life takes her, and for Horr, that can change at a moment’s notice, the lessons and skills learned while wearing the red and black help guide her through adult life.

“Lessons from sports have shaped the way I look at life, for sure,” Horr said. “In high school, each game was everything – we put our hearts into those seasons. That’s what life should look like – you leave it all on the court.

“My advice for current athletes at Coupeville is to enjoy it,” she added. “It will end, and you’ll move on to other fun adventures. But this time at Coupeville, being a part of something small but great – you’ll never have a time quite like this again.”

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Rally cap time!! (Julie Wheat photo)

Rally cap time!! (Julie Wheat photo)

There are a lot of photos, but, every once in awhile, one goes and melts down the internet by itself.

The photo above, which captures former Coupeville High School sports star Erik Wheat rockin’ the rally caps with his son Aiden (grandson of Dee at PC) at a minor league baseball game, is just such a photo.

Erik and wife Julie (Swankie), also a big Wolf star a year or two back, are in El Paso, Texas these days as Erik pursues his military career.

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Lexie (left) and Brittany Black.

Lexie (left) and Brittany Black.

Stylin'.

Stylin’.

The early days.

The early days.

She is the best.

As she turns 26 today, Lexie Black (born with an E, so it stays there, lil’ missy!) the former Coupeville High School basketball star (she still holds a record for the most blocks in a 1A state playoff game), college hoops stud, superb barista, even-better journalist, international supermodel in the making and Milla Jovovich doppleganger, is still off-the-charts awesome.

From her days as a youthful scalawag behind the counter at Videoville to that moment when she embraced all six feet, two inches and stopped slouching and finally stood straight and proud, she was, and is, a shining example of what Coupeville can produce.

She will tell you she doesn’t know what you’re talking about, but you can’t go through life and not realize at some point why everyone around you thinks you’re awesome. Now she just has to accept it.

Once upon a time I thought about calling this blog Lexie Black’s Block Party, which would have been the coolest blog name ever, even if no one understood it.

For young Wolf basketball players now, especially ones who have height and size and long arms like Lexie, I wish that they would commit to playing the game the way she did.

As half of the immortal Black ‘n Blue Sisters, with sidekick lil’ sis Brittany running on the wing, Lexie owned the paint. As sweet and likeable a person as you will ever meet off the court, she thrashed folks on the hardwood.

She believed every shot was hers to reject and every rebound was hers to haul in. She would not back down. Ever.

It is quite simple why the most sustained run of excellence any sports program has had at CHS in the past 20 years came from girls’ basketball.

With the Black sisters, Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby, Tina Lyness and others, the Wolves believed they were going to state, never doubted it, and followed through, year after year.

The current generation could do the same, if they played like Lexie.

You can look like a super model, be a goofball off the court and freak people out once you step on the hardwood.

It’s called bein’ awesome. It’s called bein’ Lexie Black.

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Rodrick Rumble and some of his biggest (little) fans.

Rodrick Rumble and some of his biggest (little) fans.

Oak Harbor, Coupeville … it’s all the same.

Well, maybe not, but everyone on Whidbey Island can be thrilled with the news that former Wildcat great Rodrick Rumble is getting his shot at the National Football League.

The man who helped carry Oak Harbor to a 4A state title before going on to star at Idaho State, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts Saturday and will compete for a spot at wide receiver.

The Colts, with last year’s #1 pick at QB in Andrew Luck, have four nationally televised games on next year’s schedule, and host the Seahawks Oct. 6. They roll out Reggie Wayne and Darrius Heyward-Bey at starter, but the battle for roster spots after them is wide open.

Why not the six-foot-two, silky-smooth Rumble?

All of Whidbey Island is cheering for you.

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Jessica Riddle signs on the dotted line.

Jessica Riddle signs on the dotted line.

Jessica Riddle is packin’ up and moving to the state capitol.

Or near it at least, as the former Coupeville High School volleyball and tennis star has signed to play college ball at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey.

Riddle, who had two standout years as a Wolf before wrapping her high school career at Anacortes after a family move, was the Northwest Conference MVP as a senior. She also helped lead the Seahawks to back-to-back fifth-place finishes at the 2A state tournament.

The Saints are a private Division II school that plays in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Riddle will be among the first recruits brought in by new coach Kara Peterson, a four-year letter winner at the University of Washington who has gone on to be one of the state’s most successful high school coaches.

Peterson built the volleyball program at Black Hills High School in Tumwater from the ground up starting in 1997, when the school was created. During her 15 years there, she led her squads to 12 state tournament appearances, including 10 top-eight finishes and was a six-time Coach of the Year pick.

For Riddle, the chance to be play for a competitive program with a strong coach while getting the educational opportunities she was seeking made the deal an easy one.

“I love the campus, it’s small but very nice,” Riddle said. “They also have a good biology program that I’m interested in. And I was able to get academic and athletic scholarship to cover my tuition.”

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