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Posts Tagged ‘CHS Wolves’

Wolf track coaches Bob Martin and Elizabeth Bitting, and their athletes, are bringing home some serious hardware. (Photo courtesy CHS track)

Jam-packed and never-ending.

The final day of the 2B state track and field championships went long Saturday, with unpredictable Yakima weather adding a two-hour delay to things.

Welcome to Eastern Washington in May. (Bob Martin photo)

But, before and after the thunderstorm-related shenanigans, action was hot and heavy, with Coupeville High School athletes making their presence felt.

Earning medals in all 11 events they competed in Saturday, the Wolves claimed four 2nd place performances, tied a school record which has been in place since before Y2K, and captured the biggest team trophy in program history.

This quartet combined to earn nine state meet medals this weekend. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Blasting to a 2nd place finish in the 4 x 400 relay — the final race of the three-day meet, the CHS girls held off several rivals chomping at their heels, finishing 3rd in the team standings.

That’s the best finish for any Wolf team, girls or boys, since they’ve been keeping records.

The previous best for a Coupeville girls team was 5th in 1984, when Natasha Bamberger won state titles in the 1600 and 3200.

The CHS boys finished 4th in 2006 and 2008 and slipped into 5th place at the very last second this time around.

With the weather break having pushed things back, sophomore pole vaulter Cael Wilson was still hard at work in the late going, and he came through huge at crunch time.

Competing in the event for only the fourth time in his career, he shattered his PR by two feet, claiming 8th place and Coupeville’s final point of the meet.

The Wolf boys finished with 33 points, with St. George’s (52), Chewelah (48), Goldendale (44), and Raymond (43.5) taking the top four slots.

On the girls side, it was a brutal battle at the top, with St. George’s edging Okanogan 118-111.33.

Coupeville (38), Davenport (33.33), and Brewster (29) rounded out the top five.

While the girls relay team and Cael Wilson had huge impacts at the end, there were highlights for the Wolves all day long.

Ryanne Knoblich soars into the history books. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Senior Ryanne Knoblich finished second in the high jump in back-to-back seasons, and this time, she touched the skies with a jump of five feet, two inches.

That ties a school record set in 1999 by Yashmeen Knox, whose husband, Rich Wilson, also still holds the CHS boys mark of 6-4 from 2000.

It also set off a lovefest on Facebook, with Knox congratulating her modern-day counterpart.

“Bravo Ryanne!” she wrote. “It took 24 years for my record to be reached!!! Let’s hold onto it for a little bit longer.

“Great finish to a strong career!”

To which Knoblich replied “Thank you so much! It is such an honor to share it with you!”

The Wolves also got 2nd place performances Saturday from Aidan Wilson (800) and the boys 4 x 100 relay unit.

The elder Wilson claimed three medals this spring and finishes with five for his prep career.

He’s one of only 12 Wolves to have reached that number and did so even with the pandemic erasing the state meet when he was a freshman and sophomore.

They’re fast, and they know it. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Sophomores Monroe Myles and Lyla Stuurmans, making their first appearance at state, also earned three medals apiece, with 13 Wolves medaling this spring.

Topping that list is senior Alex Murdy, who won a title in the long jump Friday to become the 10th state champion in school history.

Whether they return to Whidbey with an individual prize, or were part of a vibrant support team, Coupeville coaches praised all 22 athletes who made the trip to Yakima, and the many more who were part of the team this season.

“They did phenomenal! We couldn’t be any prouder of them!” Elizabeth Bitting said.

“They have received so many accolades this season and to top it off with a 3rd place state finish for the girls, first time in school history, and a boys 5th place finish, truly shows the dedication, work and belief they put into us.

“What an amazing season it has been!!!”

Athletes kill time in a nearby gym during the weather-related shutdown. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

 

Saturday’s results:

 

GIRLS:

100 — Monroe Myles (5th) 13.27

200 — Myles (5th) 26.99

400 — Lyla Stuurmans (8th) 1:04.38

800 — Stuurmans (7th) 2:31.88 *PR*

100 Hurdles — Claire Mayne (3rd) 17.25 *PR*

4 x 400 Relay — Mayne, Carly Burt, Myles, Stuurmans (2nd) 4:16.09

High Jump — Ryanne Knoblich (2nd) 5-02 *PR* *SCHOOL RECORD*

 

BOYS:

800 — Aidan Wilson (2nd) 2:00.33 *PR*

4 x 100 Relay — Tim UrsuTate Wyman, A. Wilson, Dominic Coffman (2nd) 44.36

Discus — Zac Tackett (7th) 133-05 *PR*

Pole Vault — Cael Wilson (8th) 10-06 *PR*

 

“We are Wolves, hear us roar!” (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

 

2023 state meet medalists:

Carly Burt — 4 x 400 (2nd)
Dominic Coffman — 4 x 100 (2nd)
Ryanne Knoblich — High Jump (2nd)
Carolyn Lhamon — Shot Put (4th)
Claire Mayne — 100 Hurdles (3rd), 4 x 400 (2nd)
Alex Murdy — Long jump (1st)
Monroe Myles — 100 (5th) 200 (5th), 4 x 400 (2nd)
Lyla Stuurmans — 400 (8th), 800 (7th), 4 x 400 (2nd)
Zac Tackett — Discus (7th)
Tim Ursu — 4 x 100 (2nd)
Aidan Wilson — Triple Jump (5th), 800 (2nd), 4 x 100 (2nd)
Cael Wilson — Pole Vault (8th)
Tate Wyman — 4 x 100 (2nd)

Of that group, Burt, Myles, Stuurmans, Tackett, and Cael Wilson are underclassmen and can return next spring.

Keep the party going. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

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Wolf freshman Teagan Calkins earned First-Team All-Conference honors for her superb play. (Jackie Saia photos)

The future is bright for Coupeville High School softball.

Coming off a strong 14-6 season, seven Wolves were tabbed to All-Conference teams by Northwest 2B/1B League coaches.

Better still, four of those seven, including all three players to land First-Team honors, still have two or more seasons left to play.

Sophomores Madison McMillan (SS) and Mia Farris (OF) were joined by freshman catcher Teagan Calkins in receiving top honors.

Four other Wolves — sophomore Taylor Brotemarkle (2B) and seniors Allie Lucero (P/1B), Gwen Gustafson (3B/OF), and Maya Lucero (P/1B) — were named to the Second Team.

Coupeville’s seven All-League players make for a formidable lineup.

Coach of the Year honors went to a former Wolf assistant coach, with Concrete’s Stephanie Henning honored by her fellow diamond gurus for reviving the Lion program.

“She kept her girls playing all season,” said CHS coach Kevin McGranahan. “Something to be said for her and her coaching.”

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Sophomore softball slugger Jada Heaton earned Most Improved status at a season-ending barbecue. (Jennifer Heaton photo)

It was a season of success.

Playing through brutal “spring” weather until the final week, with a non-conference schedule stuffed full of top-level foes, the Coupeville High School softball squad still went 14-6.

And while the Wolves lose five seniors to graduation, their normal starting lineup featured six players who were sophomores, freshmen, or 8th graders.

While that bodes well for the future, Saturday afternoon was all about hailing what had just been accomplished, as Kevin McGranahan and his assistant coaches honored the 2023 squad.

Sophomore Mia Farris claimed the team’s Offensive MVP award, with senior Gwen Gustafson earning Defensive MVP.

They were joined by sophomore Jada Heaton (Most Improved) and 8th grader Haylee Armstrong (Rookie of the Year).

Haylee Armstrong made a big impression while still in middle school. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Gustafson, Allie Lucero, Melanie Navarro, Sofia Peters, and Maya Lucero — a group which stayed together even after losing their freshman season to pandemic restrictions — were also honored with four-year awards.

 

Varsity letter winners:

Haylee Armstrong
Taylor Brotemarkle
Teagan Calkins
Mia Farris
Gwen Gustafson
Jada Heaton
Layla Heo
Allie Lucero
Maya Lucero
Chloe Marzocca
Madison McMillan
Melanie Navarro
Sofia Peters

 

Participation certificates:

Capri Anter
Candace Meek
Rhylin Price
Bailey Thule
Melanie Wolfe

Wolf seniors (l to r) Maya Lucero, Gwen Gustafson, Melanie Navarro, Sofia Peters, and Allie Lucero. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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Helen Strelow closed out her stellar CHS tennis career with a strong run at the state tourney. (Jackie Saia photo)

Class and competitive fire.

Coupeville High School senior netter Helen Strelow has both traits, and so does her coach, Ken Stange.

So, it’s sort of fitting the two concluded their prep tennis careers at the same time, putting a bow on things at the 1B/2B state championships in Yakima.

Strelow battled hard in her third match of the tourney before falling 6-2, 6-3 to Gwen Gilliam of Goldendale in a loser-out match Saturday morning.

The Wolf ace, who split a pair of bouts Friday, finishes her final campaign with an 11-3 record.

Gilliam advanced to the 3rd/4th place match, where she lost 6-0, 6-4 to Liberty Linklater of Okanogan.

That was a reversal of fortune for both, as Gilliam beat Linklater in the first round of the two-day tournament.

The championship match was a family affair, with Avi Sahota of Jenkins (Chewelah), last year’s runner-up, knocking off lil’ sis Simi 6-2, 6-3 to claim the title.

For Strelow and Stange, the van ride back to Whidbey Island caps their time with the CHS tennis program.

The former graduates in a few days, while the latter is retiring after a nearly two-decade run coaching Wolf girls’ and boys’ tennis.

Ken Stange is retiring after coaching Wolf tennis since 2005. (Jackie Saia photo)

As he exited Yakima, Stange paused for a moment to praise Strelow, who provided him with the sixth, and final, trip to state during his coaching tenure.

“She is an amazing person,” he said. “Artist, scholar, athlete, and one of the kindest people anyone could ever know.

“She improved from week to week, day to day, on a consistent basis,” Stange added.

“She certainly has a spot on my all-time CHS team!”

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Lucy (left) and Sophie Sandahl, hanging out with the parental units. (Photo courtesy Jeannie Sandahl)

They went for one final early morning row.

Coupeville sisters Sophie and Lucy Sandahl were in the boat Saturday at the crack of dawn, competing in New Jersey at the NCAA D-II women’s rowing championships.

Their Seattle Pacific University varsity 4+ boat, which finished 2nd in a pair of races Friday, claimed 4th place in the grand finale, with Humboldt State edging Central Oklahoma for the title.

Sophie, a senior making her final appearance as a member of the SPU crew, was in the first seat, while Lucy, a junior, was coxswain for the Falcons.

The Seattle Pacific varsity 8+ boat finished 3rd in its championship race.

The weekend performance, with the Sandahl sisters and company competing on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, caps a strong season for the Falcon crew program.

Sophie, who has majored in art history, with a minor in museum studies, and Lucy, who is studying physiology, were both named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic team this spring.

Their time in the water with SPU has been an extension of athletic careers which blossomed on Whidbey Island.

After moving to Coupeville from South Carolina, Lucy played volleyball and competed in track and field at CHS, while Sophie swam for Oak Harbor High School.

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