Coupeville Sports

Vroom, vroom, click, click

August 21, 2022 by David Svien

Have hydro, will race. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Boats were revved and photos were snapped.

Back from a summer RV trip across America, John Fisken (and his cameras) stayed busy Sunday documenting Hydros for Heroes.

The annual event, which went down on the waters off Oak Harbor, is a popular fundraiser which attracts more than its share of looky-loo’s.

To see everything Fisken snapped, and perhaps purchase some prints for posterity, pop over to:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Events/Hydros-for-Heroes-2022-08-21/

Posted in hydros | Tagged Hydros for Heroes, John Fisken photos, Oak Harbor | Leave a Comment »

Gridiron gang ready to rumble

August 20, 2022 by David Svien

Ready to rumble. (Thomas Ford photo)

The seniors will lead the way.

Coming off of a busy Saturday which saw two practices, and a team run at Ebey’s Landing, the Coupeville High School football team has released a hype poster for the new season.

Doubling as a schedule for Wolf fans, it was shot by photographer Thomas Ford and stars CHS seniors.

“That’s something I’d like to do every year for the graduating class,” said Coupeville head coach Bennett Richter.

“I thought it came out pretty awesome.

“Hopefully we can get the word out and get some people to come out and watch a very exciting Coupeville team!”

The 2022 schedule:

Fri-Sept. 2 — @ Klahowya — (5:00)
Fri-Sept. 9 — South Whidbey — THE BUCKET GAME — (7:00)
Fri-Sept. 16 — Sultan — (7:00)
Fri-Sept. 23 — @ La Conner — (5:00)
Fri-Sept. 30 — Friday Harbor — HOMECOMING — (6:00)
Fri-Oct. 7 — Bellingham — (7:00)
Fri-Oct. 14 — @ Cascade (Leavenworth) — (7:00)
Fri-Oct. 21 — La Conner — SENIOR NIGHT — (7:00)
Fri-Oct. 28 — @ Friday Harbor — (6:30)

Posted in Football | Tagged CHS Wolves, Daylon Houston, football, seniors, Tim Ursu | Leave a Comment »

Young sluggers bring the thunder

August 20, 2022 by David Svien

Chelsi Stevens, ready to unleash holy heck on a rival pitcher. (Allison Scarpo photo)

They’re the next generation of superstar softball sluggers.

Pulling together 13 girls from across the region, the Whidbey Thunder is a 12U diamond squad which plans to play in eight tournaments over the next year.

Coached by Keasha Campbell, the team will travel across Washington state, with games slated to start in late fall/early winter.

As it preps for this new adventure, the Thunder have launched a GoFundMe to give fans a chance to support their efforts.

Money raised will help with league fees — currently $900 per player — uniforms, equipment, insurance, travel expenses, and tournament fees.

Whether the Thunder players go on to suit up for Coupeville, Oak Harbor, or South Whidbey once they hit high school, the travel ball experience should be invaluable to their growth.

“Softball has always been part of our community,” Campbell said.

“It’s the basis of many young girls’ aspirations to attend college and play big, to form lifelong friendships, and to learn a skill they will love the rest of their lives.

“The goal of our team is to support our athletes not only in softball, but also in academics, school activities, and their families.”

The Thunder roster:

Jolene Coleman
Annika Hastings
Sophia Jennings
Gretta Jones
Charlotte Lasick
Ava Lucero
Adeline Maynes
Chelsi Stevens
Kennedy Rae Strevel
Cameron Van Dyke
Sydney Van Dyke
Abby Whitney
Sophie Zeigler

To support the team, pop over to:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/player-fees-for-whidbey-island-thunder-softball?qid=b1e59481aa5496815ff0c4360621c547

Posted in Softball | Tagged Chelsi Stevens, GoFundMe, Softball, travel ball, Whidbey Island Thunder | Leave a Comment »

Wolf coaches run all day (and night)

August 19, 2022 by David Svien

Elizabeth Bitting (left) and Paige Spangler, always ready for a run. (Photos property Spangler)

They’re ultra-committed.

On a day when the heat and humidity in Coupeville sapped most folks, Wolf cross country coaches Paige Spangler and Elizabeth Bitting couldn’t be stopped.

The duo overcame the weather Thursday, pounding their way through an ultra-marathon.

Darkness comes, and they’re still going strong.

Averaging 5.2 miles every four hours across a 24-hour span, Bitting and Spangler ran a 50K, which breaks down to 31.2 miles.

They kicked things off at 5 AM, finishing the sixth and final leg at the Coupeville pier as midnight approached.

The finish line!

As Spangler and Bitting prep for the start of the school running season — the former is the high school coach, while the latter heads up the middle school program — they lead by example.

Spangler is training for the Chicago Marathon, which goes down Oct. 9.

If you’d like to help the Wolf harrier coach with expenses, pop over to:

https://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/paige-spangler?referral_source=FBK&fbclid=IwAR3cu0kTmNd3IoqumvQfqBTKJx2WDk0_JsOUYIWVln4WYZzjepBe45aJAuo

Posted in Running | Tagged CHS Wolves, CMS Wolves, Elizabeth Bitting, marathon, Paige Spangler, ultra running | 1 Comment »

Gabriella Gebhard enjoys Westminster dreams

August 18, 2022 by David Svien

Gabriella Gebhard takes one of her setters for a run at a recent dog show. (Photos courtesy Stephanie Gebhard)

Gabriella Gebhard is on her way to the big time.

The Coupeville High School rising sophomore, among the best in the nation in her age group of competitive dog handlers, has earned an invite to the biggest show on the books.

Coming off of two more wins as Best Junior at AKC Sporting Dog and All Breed Shows, Gebhard has qualified for the Westminster Dog Show.

The premier event on the circuit, it started in 1877 and has run uninterrupted through the Great Depression, world wars and pandemics.

Gebhard will participate in the 147th edition of Westminster, which is slated for next summer.

To qualify, she had to earn seven Best Junior awards between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022.

Wins #6 and #7 came in Enumclaw, where she teamed up with her faithful canine companion, Walker (Set’r Ridge’s Legend in the Making) to win a Grand Championship.

While that duo is Westminster-bound, Gebhard also has Set’r Ridge’s Climbing to the Top (Everest), who bagged two wins and a Best of Opposite award.

Perfect form, and the awards keep coming.

Altogether, Gebhard has three setters, including Set’r Ridge’s Eternal Faith, and each of the trio is a champion.

While Westminster is the internationally known, broadcast on TV main event, Gebhard and her pooches have plenty of other shows ahead on the schedule.

That includes the Royal Canin AKC nationals, set for Dec. 17-18 in Orlando.

“She (Gabriella) is over the moon,” said mom Stephanie. “We are so excited!”