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Archive for the ‘Wolves in college’ Category

Speedy Kortuem chases college track dreams

Posted in Track, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , on May 24, 2020| Leave a Comment »

After a standout career at Coupeville High School on the soccer pitch and track oval, Mallory Kortuem will run in college, as well. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

In a non-pandemic world, Mallory Kortuem would be running for a state title next weekend.

The Coupeville High School senior, who holds four school track and field records, finished 2nd in the 400 last spring and would have been the odds-on favorite to wear the 1A girls crown this year.

While schools being shut down by COVID-19 prevented her from making a triumphant return to Eastern Washington, it’s not the end of Kortuem’s track career, however.

She has signed a letter of intent to run for Western Washington University, an NCAA D-II school, and will receive a partial scholarship.

The Vikings compete out of the 11-school Great Northwest Athletic Conference, which also includes Central Washington University and Seattle Pacific University.

Kortuem knows she’ll be running in the 400 for WWU, which has indoor and outdoor track seasons. After that, things are wide open.

“I am planning on trying the 200 as well, and I might be put on a 4 x 400 team,” she said.

“I have also been interested in trying the 800, which I would have tried this year, but I did not get the chance,” Kortuem added. “All I know for sure by the coaches is the 400.”

Mom Heather smooches the youngest of her three superstar children.

In between practices and meets, the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Famer will study kinesiology, and may go into graduate school after her time at Western.

During her time at CHS, Kortuem was a standout soccer player as well as track and field star.

She departs holding school records in the 400 (58.02) and pole vault (8-10), while also being part of record-setting 4 x 100 (50.54) and 4 x 200 (1:46.13) relay squads, with all of those marks set during her junior campaign.

Kortuem earned four state meet medals through her junior season, one of just seven girls in CHS history to reach that mark since the school opened in 1900.

A college track career begins with putting pen to paper on your letter of intent. (Photo courtesy Kortuem)

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She has the Wright attitude

Posted in Softball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , on April 27, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville grad Sarah Wright is now a college softball sensation. (Photo property Sewanee softball)

Sarah Wright brought her manners with her to college.

The Coupeville High School grad was honored Monday, named to the Southern Athletic Association Winter/Spring All-Sportsmanship Team.

Now a freshman at Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee, Wright is a key member of the Tiger softball team.

Before the season was stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic, she had started all 16 of her team’s games at catcher.

Wright led the team in home runs and RBI, and was second in batting average, hits, and total bases.

Sewanee had athletes honored for basketball, swimming and diving, baseball, softball, lacrosse, golf, track and field, and tennis.

Back in her Coupeville days, Wright was the CHS Class of 2019 Valedictorian, starred for Wolf softball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer teams, and once came dangerously close to eating a worm to entertain her teammates.

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Stone notches All-American status

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , , on March 24, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Makana Stone, here with mom Eileen, continues to rake in college basketball honors. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coupeville’s Makana Stone ends her college career as one of the best basketball players in the country.

The former Wolf, now a senior at Whitman College, was one of 25 players honored Tuesday when the D3hoops.com All-American teams were announced.

Already tabbed as the Northwest Conference Player of the Year and a First-Team All-West Region pick, Stone was one of five players to receive Honorable Mention status.

Erica DeCandido of Tufts University (Massachusetts) was selected as the NCAA D-III national player of the year.

Berea College (Kentucky) freshman Aaliyah Hampton was tabbed as Rookie of the Year, while Brian Morehouse, who led Hope College (Michigan) to an undefeated season, was named Coach of the Year.

The only West Coast player honored, Stone averaged 15.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a night as Whitman went 26-3 this season.

She collected 409 points, 225 rebounds, 37 assists, 26 steals, and 26 blocks, while shooting 166-316 (52.5%) from the floor and 74-96 (77.1%) from the free-throw line.

The Blues won their first two games in the NCAA tourney, and were hours away from playing in the Sweet 16 when the season was prematurely ended by the coronavirus.

During her four years as a Blue, Stone played in 110 games, including making a program-record 92 starts.

She finished as the #5 scorer (1,337 points) and #2 rebounder (837 caroms) in Whitman women’s basketball history.

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Stone snares major hoops honor

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , on March 17, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Makana Stone received another major college basketball award Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Her basketball season ended prematurely, but she continues to be showered in awards.

Coupeville grad Makana Stone, already honored as the Northwest Conference Player of the Year, was named Tuesday to the D3hoops.com West Region First Team.

The Whitman College senior, who averaged 15.1 points and 8.3 rebounds, joins Emma Gerdes of Wartburg, Caitlin Navratil of Nebraska Wesleyan, Taite Anderson of Bethel, and Hanna Geistfeld of Bethany Lutheran.

Two other NWC players, Jamie Lange of Puget Sound and Kory Oleson of Linfield, earned Third Team honors.

Stone collected 409 points, 225 rebounds, 37 assists, 26 steals, and 26 blocks, while shooting 166-316 (52.5%) from the floor and 74-96 (77.1%) from the free-throw line this season.

During her four years as a Blue, the former Wolf star played in 110 games, including making a program-record 92 starts.

She finished as the #5 scorer (1,337 points) and #2 rebounder (837 caroms) in Whitman women’s basketball history.

Sparked by the play of Stone and teammates such as Mady Burdett, Whitman went 26-3, won its first regular-season title since 2014, and opened the NCAA tourney with back-to-back wins.

The Blues were in Maine preparing to play Oglethorpe University in the Sweet 16 when the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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Seasons end, but legends live

Posted in Baseball, Basketball, Softball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , , , on March 13, 2020| Leave a Comment »

CHS grad Sarah Wright was off to a strong start as a college softball player.

Their seasons have ended too soon.

Seven Coupeville High School grads (and one Oak Harbor alumni whose mom is my former co-worker) saw spring college sports seasons prematurely end.

With most of the nation shutting down athletic events at every level as part of the fight to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus, it’s the new reality.

The status of each:

 

Ally Roberts – Senior
Equestrian – Western Washington University

 

After winning a regional championship in Advanced Western Horsemanship, she was set to compete in the national semifinals in West Virginia later this month.

A top-two finish there would have sent her on to nationals.

That’s no longer the case, though, with both postseason events now scrubbed from the schedule.

“Really sucks, that’s for sure,” Roberts said. “But just happy with how the season went for my team and I.”

 

Danny Conlisk – Freshman
Track and Field – South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

 

After a successful spin around the track during indoor season, the two-time state champ was on his way to the outdoor season, but it’s been cancelled.

A statement released Friday by the NCAA indicates all student/athletes competing in spring sports will be granted an additional season/semester of eligibility.

 

Sarah Wright – Freshman
Softball – Sewanee: The University of the South

 

Like Conlisk, the former Wolf star will be granted a do-over, even though she and her diamond teammates had played 40% of their schedule.

Sewanee was 2-14 on the season when the rest of its 40-game season was scrubbed.

Wright was in the top three on her team in eight offensive categories:

.244 batting average (#2)
41 at bats (#3)
10 hits (#2)
2 home runs (#1)
7 RBI (#1)
16 total bases (#2)
.390 slugging percentage (#2)
.311 on base percentage (#3)

She also had a .915 fielding percentage as Sewanee’s catcher, with 39 putouts and four assists.

 

Makana Stone – Senior
Basketball – Whitman College

 

The Blues were in Brunswick, Maine preparing to play Friday in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA national championships, but never got the chance when the tourney was cancelled.

Whitman finished a very-successful season at 26-3, with Stone, the Northwest Conference Player of the Year, having also been selected to play in the Beyond Sports Women’s Collegiate All-Star Game.

That game, featuring the best D-III players in the country, was set for March 21, but has also been cancelled.

Stone closed her senior season with 409 points, 225 rebounds, 37 assists, 26 steals, and 26 blocks, while shooting 166-316 (52.5%) from the floor and 74-96 (77.1%) from the free-throw line.

During her four years as a Blue, the former Wolf star played in 110 games, including making a program-record 92 starts.

She finishes as the #5 scorer (1,337 points) and #2 rebounder (837 caroms) in Whitman women’s basketball history.

 

CJ Smith – Sophomore
Hunter Smith – Sophomore
James Besaw – Freshman
Joey Lippo – Freshman
Baseball – Green River College

 

The one sport where some hope lingers.

The Northwest Athletic Conference has chosen, so far, to cancel all games through April 13.

Green River, which is 3-4, has had 19 games scrubbed, though 16 remain, for now, on the schedule.

At the time of the shutdown, Hunter Smith was hitting .333 with eight hits (including a pair of doubles), seven walks, five runs, and two RBI.

Besaw is also hitting at a .333 clip, with five hits, while playing error-free ball at first base for the Gators.

CJ Smith is 1-0 in two games as a relief pitcher, having tossed a team-high 7.1 innings while holding opposing batters to a .125 batting average.

The CHS grad has faced 24 batters, and the only other Green River pitcher with a better mark has only squared off with three rivals.

Lippo hasn’t been given much to do at the plate yet, but is playing error-free ball in the outfield, including a strong throw to Hunter Smith to help nail a wayward runner.

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