Coupeville Sports

Epic journey, epic success

May 19, 2023 by David Svien

Costco pizza, the fuel of championship track stars. (Jon Gabelein photos)

They survived and prospered.

Traveling to the wilds of Sultan Thursday, Coupeville Middle School track and field athletes combined to win 11 events and notch 66 PR’s at a three-team meet.

The Wolf 6th/7th grade boys won the team title, while their female counterparts finished a close second to South Whidbey.

Coupeville’s next-door neighbors, who had the deepest roster, won both 8th grade team titles.

CMS 7th graders Beckett Green and Nick Laska were three-time winners Thursday, including teaming up with Nathan Niewald and Roger Merino-Martinez to claim the title in the 4 x 100 relay.

Green also hit the tape first in the 100 and 200, while Laska finished on top in the shot put and discus.

Merino-Martinez (long jump), Shiloh Sandlin (800), and 6th grader Daniel Payan Vasquez (400) were winners while Tamsin Ward (100, shot put) and the girls 4 x 200 relay unit also triumphed.

All five girls to finish atop the podium are 6th graders, with the relay squad comprised of Hyley Farrell, Elizabeth Marshall, Kennedy O’Neill, and Sage Stavros.

With her two wins, Ward has piled up 10 victories this season, which puts her in big-time company.

Lindsey Roberts won 22 times as an 8th grader in 2015, after notching eight wins as a 7th grader, while Makana Stone finished first 12 times as an 8th grader in 2012.

The duo, who finished with eight and seven state meet medals during their high school days, respectively, never competed as 6th graders as eligibility rules have changed since their middle school days.

Whether they won, PR’d, or just came close Thursday, each Wolf in uniform had an impact, said CMS coach Jon Gabelein.

“Our athletes performed really well during the longest road trip of the season,” he said. “The athletes again proved that the harder they work, the better they get.

“I hope they are as proud as I am of the clear improvements they are showing.”

The Wolves return to action next Thursday, May 25 with an appearance at the Cascade League Championships, which are held at Lakewood High School.

The season-ending rumble is a two-day affair, with day #2 set for May 31 at the same location.

Inaura Maund launches the shot put.

Thursday’s results:

GIRLS:

8th grade:

100 — Tirsit Cannon (2nd) 14.59 *PR*; Lexis Drake (7th) 15.55 *PR*; Ivy Rudat (8th) 15.93 *PR*; Natalie Perera (13th) 17.23 *PR*; Inara Maund (14th) 17.62

4 x 100 Relay — Rudat, Cannon, Drake, Lydia Price (2nd) 1:01.19

Shot Put — Price (11th) 13-05

Long Jump — Cannon (4th) 11-05; Rudat (6th) 10-11; Drake (11th) 9-09; Perera (14th) 9-07; Price (18th) 8-08; Maund (20th) 6-06

6th/7th grade:

100 — Tamsin Ward (1st) 14.00 *PR*; Isabella De Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge (8th) 15.13 *PR*; Amayia Curry (15th) 15.74 *PR*; Willow Leedy-Bonifas (17th) 15.82; Niella Bryan (24th) 16.92 *PR*; Lisette Bentabou (26th) 17.08 *PR*; Lily Fisher (27th) 17.17 *PR*; Denali Kalwies (29th) 17.91 *PR*; Maci Wofford (31st) 18.46 *PR*; Kaleah Matros (32nd) 18.89 *PR*; Lucille Humpfries (35th) 25.17

200 — Laken Simpson (2nd) 31.63; Olivia Hall (5th) 33.59 *PR*; Anmarie Solis (8th) 34.10 *PR*; Arianna Cunningham (11th) 35.35 *PR*; Elizabeth Marshall (12th) 36.03 *PR*; Sage Stavros (13th) 36.49 *PR*; Camilla Wolfe (14th) 37.80 *PR*; Savannah Niewald (17th) 40.00; Alexandra Lo (18th) 45.40 *PR*

400 — Taylor Marrs (3rd) 1:26.63 *PR*; Lo (4th) 1:49.07 *PR*

800 — Lillian Ketterling (2nd) 3:07.53; Devon Wyman (8th) 3:57.37

1600 — Mikayla Wagner (2nd) 7:10.84; Rebekah Dangerfield (4th) 7:15.95 *PR*

100 Hurdles — Tenley Stuurmans (8th) 20.80; E. Marshall (10th) 21.25 *PR*; Kennedy O’Neill (11th) 21.38 *PR*; Cunningham (12th) 21.44 *PR*; Fisher (18th) 26.21 *PR*; Amelia Crowder (19th) 27.54

4 x 100 Relay — Cunningham, Curry, Leedy-Bonifas, Stuurmans (3rd) 1:01.73; Hall, Simpson, O’Neill, Wagner (5th) 1:04.22

4 x 200 Relay — Hyley Farrell, E. Marshall, O’Neill, Stavros (1st) 2:16.94; Bentabou, Crowder, Bryan, Kalwies (3rd) 2:34.25

Shot Put — Ward (1st) 30-09 *PR*; Marrs (3rd) 22-07.50; Bentabou (5th) 21-02; Simpson (11th) 19-00.50; Wofford (13th) 17-02.25 *PR*; S. Niewald (15th) 16-01 *PR*; Humpfries (16th) 15-09; Matros (17th) 12-05.75

Discus — Cunningham (2nd) 59-05.50; Ketterling (5th) 56-09.75; Bentabou (8th) 53-03.25 *PR*; Marrs (10th) 52-00; Matros (19th) 28-09; Curry (20th) 28-07 *PR*; Crowder (21st) 27-07

High Jump — Crowder (2nd) 3-10 *PR*

Long Jump — Ward (5th) 12-07; Leedy-Bonifas (7th) 12-03; Farrell (8th) 12-00; Mc Fetridge (11th) 10-11; O’Neill (11th) 10-11; E. Marshall (15th) 10-03; Ketterling (16th) 9-11; Stavros (17th) 9-08; Wagner (22nd) 9-02; Hall (23rd) 9-01; Wyman (24th) 9-00; Bryan (25th) 8-10 *PR*; S. Niewald (26th) 8-08; Solis (29th) 8-07 *PR*; Kalwies (32nd) 8-00; Wolfe (34th) 6-10 *PR*; Fisher (35th) 6-07; Lo (36th) 6-02; Wofford (38th) 5-08

Davin Houston flies the friendly skies.

BOYS:

8th grade:

100 — Davin Houston (3rd) 12.93 *PR*

400 — Axel Marshall (4th) 1:11.69 *PR*; Zach Blitch (5th) 1:21.92 *PR*

1600 — Kenneth Jacobsen (3rd) 5:28.74 *PR*

110 Hurdles — A. Marshall (5th) 21.02

Shot Put — Jacobsen (7th) 24-10.50; Blitch (13th) 17-08 *PR*

Discus — Blitch (17th) 54-01

High Jump — Houston (3rd) 5-02 *PR*; A. Marshall (4th) 4-08 *PR*

Long Jump — Houston (2nd) 17-00 *PR*; Jacobsen (6th) 13-09

6th/7th grade:

100 — Beckett Green (1st) 13.20 *PR*; Daniel Payan Vasquez (3rd) 13.70 *PR*; Roger Merino-Martinez (4th) 13.75 *PR*; Wyatt Fitch-Marron (6th) 13.94 *PR*; Max Ohme (10th) 14.58 *PR*; Carson Grove (13th) 14.83; Leonardo Rodriguez (15th) 14.93; Benji Wertz (23rd) 15.97 *PR*; Collin Mirabile (24th) 16.04; Khanor Jump (26th) 16.22 *PR*; Isaiah Allen (27th) 16.27 *PR*; Kion Tellery (31st) 16.64

200 — Green (1st) 28.04 *PR*; Merino-Martinez (4th) 29.09

400 — Payan Vasquez (1st) 1:05.69 *PR*; Nick Laska (2nd) 1:06.36 *PR*; Nathan Niewald (6th) 1:16.62 *PR*

800 — Shiloh Sandlin (1st) 2:36.68; Edmund Kunz (4th) 3:10.45 *PR*

1600 — N. Niewald (2nd) 6:38.90; Kunz (5th) 6:58.39

110 Hurdles — Rodriguez (3rd) 20.91 *PR*

4 x 100 Relay — Green, Laska, N. Niewald, Merino-Martinez (1st) 53.89

Shot Put — Laska (1st) 32-09.50 *PR*; Mirabile (4th) 22-11; Jump (5th) 22-09.50 *PR*; Green (7th) 22-02; Tellery (8th) 18-01 *PR*; Allen (9th) 17-02

Discus — Laska (1st) 88-01 *PR*; Grove (4th) 68-09.50; Jump (5th) 66-03; Ohme (6th) 65-05 *PR*; Kunz (19th) 38-06

High Jump — Fitch-Marron (4th) 4-04; Mirabile (6th) 4-00

Long Jump — Merino-Martinez (1st) 14-09; N. Niewald (3rd) 14-03 *PR*; Sandlin (4th) 13-10; Fitch-Marron (4th) 13-10; Ohme (11th) 12-02 *PR*; Rodriguez (12th) 12-00; Grove (17th) 11-05; Kunz (23rd) 10-05; Tellery (26th) 8-06 *PR*

“Save me some pizza!!”

Posted in Middle School, Track | Tagged Beckett Green, CMS Wolves, Costco pizza, Sultan, Tamsin Ward, track and field | Leave a Comment »

It’s always hammer time for Jump

May 19, 2023 by David Svien

Taygin Jump has a hammer and will throw it. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The hammer thrower is sort like a gunfighter in western movies.

He, or she, wanders from town to town, looking for someone who will meet them in a showdown far off the beaten path, then exits stage left, off to follow the road less taken.

With their event not part of the sanctioned Washington state high school championship meet, hammer throwers have to compete where they can.

It’s a sometimes-lonely trek currently waged by Coupeville High School senior Taygin Jump, who is supplementing her regular season track and field exploits with some side duels.

Her latest performance came last weekend at the Olympia Hammer Series, held at the Evergreen State College.

While there, Jump claimed 4th place in the open event, chucking the hammer 58 feet, 10 inches to net a PR in the event.

She also finished 11th in the varsity finals, netting a 52-08.

It was the second time this season Jump has competed in the hammer, coming on the heels of an appearance at the Sunny and 70’s meet in Snohomish.

The two-sport star, who also plays school and club volleyball, has competed in the 800, 1600, discus, javelin, and hammer this season.

Posted in Track | Tagged CHS Wolves, Hailey Hammer, hammer throw, Taygin Jump, track and field | Leave a Comment »

They’re winners, every season

May 18, 2023 by David Svien

Dominic Coffman (left) and Jonathan Valenzuela celebrate during their junior hoops season. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They are part of an elite fraternity.

Having earned their ticket to a state championship event this spring, Coupeville High School seniors Dominic Coffman and Jonathan Valenzuela are the first Wolf boys to go to the big dance in three sports in more than three decades.

The duo both started for a CHS football team which clashed with Onalaska this fall – the first Wolf gridiron squad to make the state playoffs since 1990.

Jonathan Valenzuela relaxes after a game. (Davin Houston photo)

Jump back to their junior campaigns, and Valenzuela and Coffman came off the bench for a Coupeville boys’ basketball team which carried a 16-0 mark to state.

When Brad Sherman’s program broke through in the winter of 2022, winning league and district titles before vying with top-seed Kalama and Lake Roosevelt at state, it was the first such trip for the school’s male hoops stars since ’88.

Now, this spring, Valenzuela is one of Coupeville’s top hitters for a baseball team slated to play Toledo Saturday in Castle Rock.

The last visit to state for the Wolf diamond dogs was 2014.

Dominic Coffman hangs out with mom on Senior Night. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coffman is slated to be in Yakima May 25-27 for the state track meet, where he will compete in the high jump and 4 x 100 relay.

Last year he qualified in the same events — though the season finale was in Cheney — bringing home a 2nd place medal for his work with the relay squad.

While Valenzuela and Coffman are the first Wolf boys to make it to state in three sports in quite a while, Coupeville’s female athletes have done it several times during that time frame.

Allison Wenzel — the power of the braid compels you. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Allison Wenzel, who graduated in 2018, went to the state basketball tourney as a sophomore, made it to volleyball’s big dance as a junior, then PR’d in the discus at state as a senior.

Before that, Wolf girls earned state berths in volleyball, basketball, and softball during the 2001-2002 school year, with numerous players such as Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby, Sarah Mouw, and Tracy Taylor appearing on all three teams.

Posted in Milestones | Tagged Allison Wenzel, CHS Wolves, Dominic Coffman, Jonathan Valenzuela, state championships | Leave a Comment »

She zips, they bow down

May 18, 2023 by David Svien

Speedy Lyla Stuurmans slows down just long enough to snap a pic with the parental units. (Photo courtesy Sarah Stuurmans)

“The Franchise” is in awards-winning mode.

Coupeville High School sophomore Lyla Stuurmans was honored Thursday by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, named as an Athlete of the Week winner.

Each week during the school year, the WIAA and Gesa Credit Union hail a male and female athlete from each classification (4A-1B) in the state.

Stuurmans, who competes for the 2B Wolves, was honored for her performance at last weekend’s District 1/2 Track and Field Championships in Coupeville.

Running wild on her home oval, the oldest of Scott and Sarah’s four children claimed three titles and will advance to the state meet in all of them.

Lyla won the 400 and 800, then ran the anchor leg on a triumphant 4 x 400 relay squad.

A three-sport star who also plays volleyball (school and club) and has been a varsity basketball starter since she was in 8th grade, Stuurmans has won 15 times this track season, spread across four events.

To see more info on Lyla and the other WIAA winners, pop over to:

https://www.wiaa.com/subcontent.aspx?SecID=347

Posted in Track | Tagged athlete of the week, CHS Wolves, Gesa Credit Union, Lyla Stuurmans, track and field, WIAA | Leave a Comment »

Slap shots, snazzy snaps

May 18, 2023 by David Svien

Elizabeth Lo, net ace. (Jackie Saia photos)

Jackie Saia is on top of her game.

The Coupeville High School teacher and yearbook advisor was out and about recently, snapping pics as the Wolf netters closed out the regular season with a royal rumble against visiting Friday Harbor.

The glossy images seen above and below come to us courtesy of her and are just some of the many she and her students have been nice enough to share with Coupeville Sports readers this school year.