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Camera clicker is gone, baby, gone

April 22, 2025 by David Svien

The older of these two guys is leaving the school sports photo biz. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Diet Coke in hand, he’s hitting the road.

Photographer John Fisken, who has haunted Whidbey Island sporting events for the past two decades, is moving on to different pursuits.

“It’s been a fun ride, but time to end,” he said.

Fisken publicly confirmed Tuesday that he is retiring from sports photography at the end of April, taking to Facebook to offer a farewell.

“My original plan was to hang up my camera at the end of the 2025-2026 school year,” he said.

“Circumstances have changed, and except for the few commitments that I already have on my calendar, I’m retiring at the end of the month.”

Fisken expressed his thanks to those who have been along on his ride.

“It’s been a lot of fun, and being around the young people has helped keep me young,” he said.

“I’ve enjoyed watching the growth and success of various teams, as well as felt their pain over the past two decades.”

His website, JohnsPhotos.net, will remain active through the end of the year for those who want to continue to purchase prints

Meanwhile, he plans to dive deeper into researching his family history, then travel extensively once wife Diane retires from teaching in the Oak Harbor school district.

After graduating from Seattle’s Roosevelt High School in 1980, Fisken served in the US Navy for 24 years, landing on Whidbey in the early 2000’s.

After videotaping games with a camcorder early on, first in Hawaii, then Oak Harbor, he morphed into a photographer, following an interest which had first sprouted when he was in high school.

From covering Wildcat games, at the middle and high school level, Fisken later expanded to snapping pics in Coupeville, and, eventually, South Whidbey.

Fisken’s favorite football photo features Hunter Smith plunging into the end zone for a touchdown.

Fisken ran a blog, Oak Harbor Sports Report, from 2008-2016, and his photos have appeared frequently both on Coupeville Sports and in the Whidbey News-Times.

Along the way, he expanded his photo snapping to include parades, military ceremonies, graduations, dances, and breaking news, such as cars and trucks plowing through buildings and raging fires.

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They’re burnin’ down the house

April 21, 2025 by David Svien

Luisa Loi is ready to face the fires of Hell. Or at least those generated by the local fire department. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Can you feel the burn?

Wanderin’ paparazzi John Fisken and inquisitive writer Luisa Loi did recently, as they took part in a training burn conducted by North Whidbey Fire and Rescue.

The house in question was located over on Swantown Road in Oak Harbor.

Now, all that’s left are the memories, and maybe a few embers still blowing in the breeze.

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Oval stars make push for statewide glory

April 21, 2025 by David Svien

Cael Wilson is having a stellar senior season. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Every second counts. Every inch matters.

As the high school track and field season turns towards the homestretch, every week presents a shuffling of the top marks across the state.

That’s shown this time around, as Coupeville stars try and hold on to their places among the best athletes in the 2B classification.

For the moment, Lyla Stuurmans (800) and Cael Wilson (long jump), who were in the top 10 last Monday, get bumped. But they can get back in.

The Wolves host the Coupeville Classic Invite this Saturday, April 26, before beginning the postseason run through the league, district, and state meets.

The finish line nears, but the battle rages.

Where the Wolves sit among all 2B athletes statewide through April 21:

 

GIRLS:

Shot Put — Katie Marti (10th) 32-11

Pole Vault — Aleksia Jump (10th-tie) 7-00

 

BOYS:

400 — Preston Epp (10th) 52.48

800 — Carson Field (6th) 2:05.43

4 x 100 Relay — Marquette Cunningham, Davin Houston, Epp, Chase Anderson (9th) 45.67

4 x 400 Relay — Anderson, Blake Burrows, Cael Wilson, Epp (7th) 3:38.79

High Jump — Wilson (4th) 6-01; Houston (9th) 5-08

Pole Vault — Wilson (3rd-tie) 12-00; Axel Marshall (10th-tie) 10-06

Triple Jump — Matthew Ward (8th) 39-11

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Busy week boasts home-heavy schedule

April 20, 2025 by David Svien

Fred Farris surveys the standings. (David Somes photo)

They’re going to be double-dipping.

Both Coupeville High School softball and baseball have a pair of home doubleheaders on the schedule this coming week, providing ample opportunity for local fans to watch the Wolves in action.

Concrete slides into Cow Town Tuesday for the first of the twin bills, while Forks makes the long journey to the island Saturday.

In between, the Wolf JV softball team will nab its first game of the season Thursday, with Oak Harbor popping in for a game.

CHS track and field is also at home Saturday, hosting the Coupeville Classic Invite, while Wolf girls’ tennis is the lone team to spend any time listening to the bus wheels go round and round.

The netters are slated to travel to Granite Falls Wednesday, before hosting The Bush School Friday afternoon.

As everyone preps for a busy week, a look at where win/loss records sit through April 20:

 

Northwest League baseball:

School League Overall
MV Christian 7-0 10-2
Friday Harbor 5-1 8-4
La Conner 3-2 4-3
Coupeville 3-3 3-7
Orcas Island 3-4 3-8
Darrington 1-6 2-8
Concrete 0-6 1-6

 

Northwest League girls’ tennis:

School League Overall
Friday Harbor 2-0 2-1
Coupeville 0-2 0-7

 

Northwest League softball:

School League Overall
Coupeville 6-0 9-1
Orcas Island 3-1 5-6
Darrington 2-2 5-2
Concrete 1-3 2-3
La Conner 1-3 1-8
Friday Harbor 1-5 4-10

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Track goes on the attack

April 19, 2025 by David Svien

Khanor Jump unleashes his full fury. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

“Way to show up and show out!”

The trek out to Forks is a fairly long one, but a worthwhile one, especially in the eyes of Coupeville High School track and field coaches.

The Wolves were up at the crack of dawn Saturday, primed for a long day, but the choice to take part in the Forks Lion Club Invitational was the right one.

“No rain, some sun, and a whole lot of speed!” said CHS coach Elizabeth Bitting.

“Great racing and jumping all around, with tons of PRs and some impressive placings.”

The trip was a change from the original schedule, which had the Wolves slated to go to Cashmere today.

Joining the fracas in Forks allowed Coupeville to take more athletes than the other option, and it paid off with the CHS girls claiming a team title at the seven-team meet.

The Wolf boys finished with a solid second-place performance in the team standings, trailing only 2A powerhouse Olympic.

Along the way, Coupeville racked up nine wins and 29 PRs, with Lyla Stuurmans pulling off the double delight with victories in the 800 and 1600.

She was joined by Matthew Ward (triple jump), Aleksia Jump (3200), Carson Field (800), Olivia Hall (400), Cael Wilson (high jump), Katie Marti (discus), and the boys 4 x 100 relay unit.

After bouncing across the backroads of America, the Wolves will get to stay closer to home for their next meet, as they host the Coupeville Classic Invite next Saturday, April 26.

That will be the final regular-season event before the postseason run begins.

Emma McFadden sends the discus off on a trip.

 

Saturday’s results:

 

GIRLS:

100 — Laken Simpson (8th) 14.59; Willow Leedy-Bonifas (14th) 15.48

200 — Isa Mc Fetridge (6th) 31.14

400 — Olivia Hall (1st) 1:10.26 *PR*; Lillian Ketterling (3rd) 1:14.72 *PR*; Marin Winger (6th) 1:18.90

800 — Lyla Stuurmans (1st) 2:44.41; Mikayla Wagner (2nd) 3:01.44 *PR*; Ketterling (3rd) 3:04.14 *PR*; Lexis Drake (7th) 3:22.84

1600 — Stuurmans (1st) 6:05.53; Wagner (3rd) 6:31.39; Aleksia Jump (4th) 6:44.47 *PR*; Devon Wyman (9th) 7:39.45

3200 — A. Jump (1st) 14:40.24 *PR*; D. Wyman (2nd) 16:11.00

100 Hurdles — Myra McDonald (3rd) 20.72; Frankie Tenore (5th) 24.98

300 Hurdles — Tenore (3rd) 1:09.08

4 x 100 Relay — Hall, Mc Fetridge, Ayden Wyman, Leedy-Bonifas (3rd) 58.66

4 x 200 Relay — Simpson, Leedy-Bonifas, Drake, Mc Fetridge (3rd) 2:04.80

Shot Put — Katie Marti (2nd) 30-11; Emma McFadden (8th) 21-04 *PR*

Discus — Marti (1st) 101-10 *PR*; Ketterling (6th) 75-02; McFadden (13th) 49-07

Javelin — Marti (5th) 87-02

High Jump — A. Wyman (2nd) 4-06; Tenore (3rd) 4-04

Myra McDonald keeps her eyes on the prize.

 

BOYS:

100 — Chase Anderson (4th) 11.92; Matthew Ward (8th) 12.06 *PR*; Marquette Cunningham (11th) 12.24; Marcelo Gebhard (16th) 12.50; Beckett Green (24th) 12.82 *PR*; Axel Marshall (27th) 12.98 *PR*; Dane Hadsall (33rd) 13.23 *PR*; Richmond Bandong (38th) 13.67; Diego Gonzalez (43rd) 14.10 *PR*; William Hamm (55th) 16.61 *PR*

200 — Anderson (3rd) 24.08 *PR*; Liam Blas (11th) 26.12 *PR*; Green (13th) 26.22; Marshall (17th) 26.95 *PR*; Edmund Wilson (21st) 27.42 *PR*; Bandong (25th) 28.53; Hamm (38th) 34.40 *PR*

400 — Preston Epp (3rd) 53.82; Blake Burrows (7th) 57.59; Hadsall (11th) 1:00.29; Jonah Weyl (17th) 1:03.64

800 — Carson Field (1st) 2:05.43; Joshua Stockdale (4th) 2:18.66 *PR*; Kenneth Jacobsen (5th) 2:23.44; Ethan Walling (6th) 2:35.30; Johnathan Jacobsen (9th) 2:43.63; Isaiah Allen (14th) 2:58.34

1600 — Field (3rd) 4:55.40; George Spear (4th) 5:03.96 *PR*; Malachi Somes (6th) 5:11.10; Stockdale (7th) 5:16.60; K. Jacobsen (8th) 5:25.04; Walling (9th) 5:46.33 *PR*; Edmund Kunz (10th) 6:00.53; Allen (14th) 6:28.34; Nicholas Wasik (16th) 6:37.81

3200 — Spear (2nd) 10:43.66 *PR*; Kunz (6th) 13:11.96

110 Hurdles — Axel Marshall (4th) 19.01 *PR*; Blas (5th) 21.02

300 Hurdles — Blas (3rd) 48.17

4 x 100 Relay — M. Cunningham, Cael Wilson, Epp, Anderson (1st) 46.77; Gebhard, Burrows, Green, Ward (4th) 48.02

Shot Put — Khanor Jump (10th) 30-10.25; K. Jacobsen (29th) 24-05.25; Zach Blitch (31st) 22-09.50 *PR*

Discus — K. Jump (7th) 88-11; Wasik (21st) 75-05 *PR*; Blas (23rd) 73-05; J. Jacobsen (33rd) 59-09; Marshall (35th) 56-09 *PR*; Blitch (38th) 52-09

Javelin — Gebhard (4th) 114-09; Ward (28th) 73-09; J. Jacobsen (33rd) 65-10 *PR*; Finn Price (34th) 65-09 *PR*

High Jump — C. Wilson (1st) 5-08; J. Jacobsen (11th) 5-00

Long Jump — C. Wilson (2nd) 18-04; E. Wilson (11th) 14-11

Triple Jump — Ward (1st) 37-07

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