Zariyah Allen keeps the play alive. (Julie Wheat photo)
Bang.
Zariyah Allen made an immediate impact on the softball diamond this spring, despite having limited previous experience in the sport.
As an 8th grader, she stepped on to the field with a Coupeville High School squad coming off to a trip to state, hefted a bat and promptly earned her way into the starting lineup, lacing hits and scampering around the basepaths en route to helping the Wolves return to the big dance.
Even more impressively, Allen did so while balancing two schools and two sports, as she also wrapped up her middle school track and field career, adding four wins and a league title and school record in the discus.
All in a day’s work for one of the most-talented next gen Wolves, a quietly confident young woman who is winning over coaches and teammates with her commitment and work ethic.
And it’s just the start.
“One of my favorite parts of being an athlete that I strive for is the good feeling and satisfaction that I get when I get a good contact on a ball or a perfect swish or a nice catch,” Allen said.
“I also love the feeling of accomplishment after a game or a race.”
Older brothers Ezekiel and Isaiah and lil’ sis Jasmine are all strong athletes and students as well, and like them, Zariyah has stayed busy.
A fan of “being outdoors, listening to music, and sketching,” she has played school and club volleyball, basketball, track and field, and softball, and plans to continue with most of them as she makes the official jump from CMS to CHS starting this fall.
An assassin with the bat in hand. (Jackie Saia photo)
The hardest choice will come next spring, when she will likely have to choose between track, where she won 10 times across three middle school seasons, and softball, where she hit at a .500 clip in her debut, rapping out nine hits, scoring 10 runs, and playing rock-solid defense in the outfield as the Wolves went 19-4.
Allen smashed the CMS girls record in the discus, flinging it 95 feet, 10 inches, and was a league champ in the event as both a 6th and 8th grader.
But on the diamond, she often astonished her coaches with how fast she picked up the intricacies of the game.
Maybe softball mastermind Aaron Lucero and track and field gurus Elizabeth Bitting and Bob Martin work out a co-op agreement and share her? Come on people, let’s do this!
For Allen, the easiest choice comes in the fall, when she plays volleyball, which she picks as her favorite of her athletic pursuits, and one she might like to pursue after high school.
“Volleyball is my favorite sport,” she said. “I have learned so much from every season whether it was school or club volleyball.
“I learned how to be coachable and how to be confident in myself, which has helped me in every sport on and off the court or field.
“It’s also just the sport that I am most passionate about.”
Exploring nature’s wonders. (Kelly Powers photo)
Allen, who is also involved in scouting along with her many sports, has proven to be very adaptable, someone who listens to her coaches and takes their input to heart.
“I think my main strength as an athlete is being coachable and willing to adjust, which has really helped me grow,” she said.
“I definitely need to work on coming out of my shell and being loud and confident with new teams and coaches that I’m not entirely familiar with.”
Taking advantage of all her opportunities, Allen has a bright future ahead of her and is committed to reaching her full potential.
“I want to work hard to make as many teams as I can and improve as much as possible,” she said.
“My family, coaches, and teammates throughout my sports career have had such a large impact on me, encouraging me when times were tough.
“Every one of them has helped me to become the person I am today.”
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