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Posts Tagged ‘Cheer’

Former Wolf new CHS cheer coach

Posted in Cheer, tagged , , , , on August 19, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Jennifer Morrell

Coupeville High School is staying in-house with the selection of its next cheer coach.

Jennifer Morrell, who works as a nurse for the school and is a former Wolf cheerleader, has been recommended for the position, CHS Principal Geoff Kappes confirmed.

Her hiring will be official when the school board approves it Aug. 23 at their monthly meeting.

Morrell, who patrolled the sidelines for Coupeville’s cheer squad in the mid-’90s, replaces BreAnna Boon, who stepped away to focus more time on an off-Island job and her children’s ever-expanding athletic endeavors.

Former CHS cheer guru Sylvia Arnold is through the roof over seeing one of her former athletes follow in her footsteps.

“Jen was an amazing cheerleader for Coupeville High School back in my early coaching days! Back in 1995!!,” Arnold said.

“She is going to be exceptional as a coach … one who will bring the spirit back into our exhausted sports programs!

“She definitely understands what it means to be a part of Coupeville, a caregiver of lives, and a conduit of joy in the midst of uncertainty!!”

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Two sisters, one cheer dream

Posted in Cheer, tagged , , , , on August 9, 2021| 1 Comment »

Amanda (Neitzel) Score, back when she was rockin’ the sidelines for Coupeville High School. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Big sis Maddy Neitzel prepares to get loud ‘n proud.

The cheer gene is strong in their family.

Maddy Neitzel and lil’ sis Amanda (Neitzel) Score remain two of the most-electrifying athletes to ever grace the hallways of Coupeville High School.

The duo were Wolf cheerleaders, loyal to the cause from “toe to bow,” front and center on some extremely-enthusiastic squads, and their impact lingers long after they have headed out into the real world.

Both sisters live in Arizona now, but haven’t been forgotten by Coupeville fans.

And the siblings still have Whidbey connections, as their romantic unions stretch back to their days in a CHS uniform.

Amanda, a 2017 grad, married her high school sweetheart, former Wolf baseball player Kory Score.

Meanwhile, Maddy, who earned her high school diploma in 2016, is engaged to fellow Coupeville alum T.J. Stream.

Amanda celebrates the end of her high school days with classmate Megan DePorter.

Jump back in time when the Neitzel sisters were walking the CHS hallways and patrolling the sidelines at Mickey Clark Field, and one thing remains fixed in memory.

And that is how genuinely full of light the siblings were (and, surely, still are).

Smart, strong, and very kind, the Neitzels brought high energy to their cheer game, and were capable of flying high into the heavens, or making the skies rumble with their impassioned vocal work and stunts.

All cheerleaders, whether they’re seasoned pros or green newbies, have at least a bit of that in them. Otherwise they wouldn’t have stepped up and claimed the uniform.

But Maddy and Amanda set themselves apart from the pack by having an extra measure of energy, an ability to work as part of a team while always poppin’ out from the crowd.

They didn’t intentionally try to steal the spotlight from their fellow cheerleaders, but it was always obvious there was something special about the Neitzel sisters.

Maddy and Amanda had that magical quality only a few genuinely have.

They were stars, pure and simple.

It’s why, after hundreds of Wolf cheerleaders have come and gone at CHS, the Neitzels still burn bright in our memories.

They had impact. They were truly memorable.

So today they enter the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, joining a select group of cheerleaders to earn entry into our digital shrine to excellence.

After this, the Neitzel sisters can be found hanging out at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.

One word which perfectly fits two sisters.

Maddy is joined by fellow Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Famer Jazmine Franklin for an epic stare-down. (Gabe Wynn photo)

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Support Coupeville’s best and brightest

Posted in artwork, tagged , , , , on August 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Jazmine Franklin

She’s the real deal.

Coupeville grad Jazmine Franklin was an outstanding tennis player, and a high-energy cheerleader during her days at CHS, a student leader and one of the brightest stars in the Wolf galaxy.

And nothing has changed in her post-high school days.

Franklin is now a highly-accomplished artist, with the rest of the world discovering what Coupeville people already knew.

She’s not a queen, but THE queen.

Franklin’s latest artistic masterpiece, seen in the photo above, is up for auction right now, with the current top bid at $100 through Sunday.

The auction closes at 7 PM Tuesday for the 11×14 inch airbrush painting on stretched canvas, and you can still bid by messaging her at https://twitter.com/JumpinLikeJazz or https://www.facebook.com/JazmineFranklins.

Or, you can pop over to her personal site and peruse (or buy) her artwork and apparel.

Whether you need prints and posters, or want to rep her artwork through t-shirts, masks, or mugs (to name just a few of her items), Franklin offers a wide range of artfully-crafted products.

 

To see Jazmine’s artistic endeavors, pop over to:

https://jzmn-originals.myshopify.com/

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9 for 9: Cheer loud ‘n proud

Posted in Cheer, tagged , , , , on August 5, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Maddy Neitzel, a high-flying Wolf cheer hero. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

This blog turns nine years old August 15, and to mark the occasion, I’m picking what I view as the best nine Wolf athletes from each active CHS sport.

To be eligible, you had to play for the Wolves between Aug. 2012-Aug. 2021, AKA the “Coupeville Sports” years.

So here we go. Each day between Aug. 2-15, a different sport and (probably) a different argument.

 

Cheer is a sport.

So, now that we’ve ended that discussion, who are the best nine athletes to wear the uniform during my blogging years?

That’s a really tough one, as how do you grade a sport where, most times at least, no one is scoring points?

I guess, in the end, you (with you being me) flip a coin and pick those young women who stood out for being truly loud ‘n proud, the ones whose work on the sidelines lingers the longest in the memory.

You could make a case for a lot of Wolves who aren’t on this list, but in this brief moment, here’s nine who I think could bring as much spirit as need be, regardless if Coupeville was ahead or behind.

Mica Shipley, forever chasin’ that cheer life, from little girl to college superstar.

Nicole Becker — My former co-worker at Christopher’s, a bright, personable ball o’ fire who devotes countless hours to working with Special Olympics athletes in honor of her sister.

Kiara Burdge — The first freshman cheerleader ever awarded the Wolf award, and a team leader from day one.

Kylie Burdge — Big sis could light up a stadium like few others, a brilliant young woman who soared in the classroom and on the field.

Emilee Crichton — My next-door neighbor for many years, as bright and personable as anyone you’re likely to meet.

Sylvia Hurlburt — She was born to be a star, and never let her fervent fan club down. Always front and center. Always.

Breeanna Messner — A four-sport sensation, she played volleyball and cheered during the same season, and was awesome at both.

McKenzie Meyer — So much energy and excitement crackling through every atom in her body, plus she’s a true-blue Videoville alum, which gets her extra props.

Maddy Neitzel — She touched the heavens as a flier, and brought grace and style to her sideline work, a perennially-positive cheerleader if there ever was.

Mica Shipley — A high flyer who led CHS cheer back to competition (and a 3rd place finish at state). Now she’s an NCAA D-1 cheerleader, possibly a first for Wolf alums.

Look up spirit in the dictionary and you’ll see a photo of McKenzie Meyer.

 

Next up: We head to the pitch to honor the best male booters.

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Coaching jobs up for grabs

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , , on June 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville High School cheer coach BreAnna Boon, here with Mica Shipley (left) and Ashleigh Battaglia, is moving on to conquer new worlds. (Photo courtesy Boon)

Elizabeth Bitting (left), here with Catherine Lhamon, is stepping back as CHS cross country coach to focus on her middle school runners. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

There are four coaching jobs newly available at Coupeville schools.

The district has posted openings for three high school positions — girls basketball, cheer, and cross country — as well as a middle school girls hoops gig.

Scott Fox previously stepped down as CHS girls basketball coach as he prepares for back surgery and an extended recovery time.

To read about that decision, pop over to:

Fox leaves the hardwood | Coupeville Sports

In the world of cross country, Elizabeth Bitting was doing double duty for a year, coaching high school and middle school harriers, but now returns to CMS as previously planned.

“My heart is with the middle schoolers,” she said. “(Athletic Director) Willie (Smith) knew this was going to be our one-hit wonder.”

Her year with the CHS program sparked huge dividends, as the Wolves held their first home meets in decades, and senior Catherine Lhamon went undefeated across four races in a pandemic-altered season.

Better still, the continued growth of numbers for a CHS/CMS harrier program revived three years ago has been astounding.

“The (high school) team’s potential is phenomenal,” Bitting said. “Whoever takes over better be up for continuing to push them and get the best out of them.”

The Wolf running guru is working with several dads to set up a weekly Kettles Trail run for the team, and will continue to help out at every level.

“I’m still pushing them to improve themselves,” Bitting said. “I may not be coaching them but I’m not far!

“I also have 15 soon to be 6th graders interested in cross country when we return! Gotta get them young!!!”

The pandemic shut the CHS cheer program down for a year, and when it returns this fall, coach BreAnna Boon finds herself in a different place in life than before.

“Unfortunately I now work in Mount Vernon and I don’t get home until 6:30,” she said. “Plus now I have two little ones in sports that makes it impossible to keep up with as well.”

During her two years on the Coupeville sidelines, Boon led the Wolves to a 3rd place finish at state, and a trip to nationals.

“Coaching at CHS has honestly been one of the best experiences of my coaching career,” she said. “The community support, the school district, and the athletes I was blessed to work with have changed my life forever.

“I know the kids cannot wait to move away and get into the big world, but if there is anything I want them to take away from growing up in Coupeville, it is be proud of your hometown,” Boon added. “It’s a big part of who you are.

“The love and support the Coupeville community has is something that is so rare.”

While leaving the Wolf cheer program is bittersweet, the chance to be actively involved with her own children’s growth is priority one.

“As sad as I am to be leaving CHS, I am excited to now watch both of my own children succeed in sports,” Boon said. “My son plays football, basketball, and baseball, and my daughter is in softball, and gymnastics.

“Life is crazy busy with two kids in sports, but we will always find time to sit in the stands under the Friday night lights cheering on the CHS football boys!,” she added.

“Whoever gets to be the next coach for this cheer program, is going to be amazingly blessed to have the backing of the Coupeville community. I know I was.”

 

To see the job openings, and possibly apply, pop over to:

Coupeville School District – Frontline Recruitment (applitrack.com)

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