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Posts Tagged ‘CMS Wolves’

Sports spark friendship for Contreras!!

Posted in Basketball, Track, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on May 30, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Hardwood hot shot Kiara Contreras. (Photo courtesy Angella Contreras)

The future is bright for Kiara Contreras.

Not only is the Coupeville Middle School 7th grader a fast-rising star in multiple sports, but, soon, she’ll be able to see her favorite film.

For the first time.

Contreras is beyond thrilled that one of her favorite books, the teen lit tearjerker “Everything, Everything” has been turned into a film which is hitting theaters across America.

She hails the trailer (you can see it at the end of this story) as her favorite thing to watch, saying “the book was awesome!”

When she’s not mainlining her #1 coming attraction, Contreras loves listening to country and hip hop, swimming and working in her wood shop class.

As an athlete, she’s a woman for all seasons, playing volleyball and basketball and running track.

Contreras doubles up as a hoops player, taking the court as a SWISH player in addition to her court time at CMS.

She enjoys the different challenges all of the sports present (“I love them all”) and may branch out further once she hits high school.

“Maybe I’ll add another sport,” Contreras said. “Not sure which one yet!”

She continues to work hard, regardless of the season, and wants to build her strengths in each of her sports.

“In volleyball, my strength is no fear of diving for the ball,” Contreras said. “I need to work on my serving.

“In basketball, my strength is being a point guard and having the ability to get the ball to the other players,” she added. “I need to work on my baskets.”

Contreras is coming off of a debut track season in which she competed for the Wolves across a broad range of events.

“In track, my strength is being able to push myself to the limit,” she said. “I need to work on focusing forward instead of looking at the other racer.”

As she moves forward in her athletic career, Contreras has firm goals (“I want to get to state with my girls!!!”), while getting a great deal of enjoyment from her time as a competitor.

Her family, friends and coaches inspire her, and push the always-in-motion fireball to keep on working and improving with every practice, every game, every meet.

“My mom Angella, pushing me to try a new sport like track and me loving it,” Contreras said. “My cousins, Raven and Willow Vick, for giving me pointers and support with volleyball and track!

“Ja’Kenya Hoskins and Zach Murtha for believing in me and supporting me. Plus pushing me to do better!,” she added. “Mrs. (Elizabeth) Bitting for making me work my hardest everyday!

“Even though we didn’t get McDonald’s…”

Contreras also got a strong emotional boost from a former CHS track star (and state meet veteran) who joined the CMS staff as an assistant coach this spring.

“Larry (Hurlburt) for giving me the courage to do the 200 by your awesome high fives!”

The outgoing Contreras gets many benefits from playing sports, but one special strong point for her has been the chance to get to know others, and not just on her own team.

“It’s a great way to learn to work together with others,” she said. “Meeting new friends on the other teams, like Aspen, who plays sports for Forks.

“Through sports I made a great friend!”

 

The trailer for “Everything, Everything”:

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Every fling, spike carries Chernikoff closer to stardom!!

Posted in Track, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on May 30, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Fast-rising track/volleyball sensation Kylie Chernikoff. (Submitted photo)

Kylie Chernikoff is exiting middle school on top of the athletic world.

The Coupeville Middle School 8th grader capped her track season by winning a title in the discus at the Olympic League Championships last week, an event in which she shattered her PR by 13 feet.

As she continues to surge in the event, her future is a bright one.

Chernikoff’s final discus throw as a middle schooler — 78 feet — was just eight feet shy of what it took for a thrower from Coupeville High School’s district to make it to state this season.

One day earning that trip to Cheney for the 1A championships is something already on her mind.

“I would like to work on my spin, to get the disc further,” Chernikoff said. “To keep on improving on my PR and maybe make it to state.”

Track is not her only sport, as she also loves volleyball and has an interest in tennis, though admits it’s “a bummer that track and tennis are at the same time (in the spring).”

While she’s excelling in track, volleyball is where her heart resides.

“My favorite sport would have to be volleyball,” Chernikoff said. “Because you can always get better and you can always count on your teammates when you need them.”

Away from the athletic stage, she enjoys wood shop, spending time with family and friends and going to the beach.

But when she’s competing, or hard at work in practice, Chernikoff remains focused on the job at hand.

“My best memories playing would be being on the court with my team or in the ring warming up to throw the disc,” she said. “The thing I enjoy the most of being an athlete would be when I get that adrenaline rush when you get a spike or you improve your PR.

“I think my strengths would be always wanting to improve more,” Chernikoff added. “Something I would like to work on is my digging for volleyball, and to make my jump serves and, overall, improve my game.”

Like most successful athletes, she draws support from a wide range of people who are there to help and encourage her.

“I would have to thank my mom, Joanne, and dad Bob, and my sisters and brothers,” Chernikoff said. “They have always supported me with everything I have done.

“And my friends have always been there if I have a bad game,” she added. “My friend Genna (Wright) has always helped me to not be nervous and shake off the mistakes in the game.”

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Never bored, always improving!!

Posted in Basketball, soccer, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on May 30, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Name a sport and CMS 7th grader Audrianna Shaw has played it. (Submitted photo)

Boredom is not part of Audrianna Shaw’s daily routine.

The ever-busy Coupeville Middle School 7th grader jumps between four sports (she plans to trim it down to three by high school) and enjoys them all.

“I like being an athlete because with practices and games you can never be bored and you can always stay fit,” Shaw said.

She plays volleyball and basketball through CMS, as well as youth soccer and little league softball, with plans to shed volleyball once she hits CHS (since it would conflict with soccer in the fall).

Put her on the softball diamond, where she swings a strong bat and wields a slick glove at third for the Central Whidbey Adrenaline juniors squad, and she comes into her own.

“My favorite sport has always been softball,” Shaw said. “It’s my favorite because of the competitive nature and how you must rely on teammates for success.”

As she assesses her skill-set, she’s realistic but firmly set on becoming the best she can be.

Most of all, she wants to be part of a group which leaves behind its own solid piece of the Wolf legacy.

“As of right now I don’t think I have strengths,” Shaw said. “I would like to work on all areas so I can be a very well-rounded athlete.

“You know the banners hanging in the gym for all the sports?,” she asked. “I want my team and I to have one hanging up there someday.”

Away from the field or court, Shaw “loves listening to music, relaxing and hanging out with my friends in my spare time,” while also staying focused on “keeping my grades up.” Math and history are her favorite classes.

Whether in the classroom or playing a sport, she draws support from friends and family, something for which she’s very grateful.

“My mom has always been there to drive me to games and practices. She has always been there to cheer me up if we lost and motivate me,” Shaw said. “Also my teammates, because they are always very supportive.”

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“I enjoy the challenge of competition!!”

Posted in Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , , on May 30, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Abby Mulholland (left) with cousin, and Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Famer, Kendra O’Keefe. (Renae Mulholland photo)

Abby Mulholland is part of Coupeville sports royalty.

Her relatives, whether they played as an O’Keefe (or, back in the day, simply as a Keefe), are stocked full of Wolf legends, many of whom are enshrined in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

It’s a big legacy, but one the eternally-upbeat Mulholland is eager to live up to as she prepares to start her 8th grade year at Coupeville Middle School in the fall.

A three-sport star (volleyball, basketball and little league softball), Abby is a young woman for all seasons, but hoops will always have a slightly larger piece of her heart.

“My favorite sport is basketball because of the fast pace, teamwork and adrenaline,” Mulholland said.

“I enjoy the challenge of competition and I believe in teamwork.”

She has “a decent basketball shot,” which uncle Ryan O’Keefe, noted hardwood sage, is helping her perfect, and Mulholland is always eager to fine-tune her skills, regardless of the sport.

“Areas to work on are jump spiking, serving, my speed … my goals are to make it on varsity (in high school) and continue these sports,” she said. “To cheer on my teammates and just have fun.”

Mulholland has a strong support crew and she’s grateful for the many different ways in which they help.

“My dad, who shoots around with me and helped with my basketball shot; Miss (Casie) Dunleavey helped me with serving,” Mulholland said. “Izzy Wells and Genna Wright helped with my confidence, and my mom is my biggest cheerleader.

“(Little League) coach Mimi Johnson inspired me to do better.”

When she’s not playing a sport, Mulholland enjoys her history class and playing trumpet, as well as drawing, photography and trips to Disneyland.

Favorite movies include The Sandlot, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and the Pirates of the Caribbean series and she makes her parents, radio station veterans, proud by enjoying a wide variety of music, from Queen to The Chainsmokers.

While she’s still young and her athletic career stretches far ahead of her, one thing is for sure — on the playing field or off, Mulholland is solid gold.

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Love of volleyball inspires young spiker!!

Posted in Swim, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on May 29, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville Middle School volleyball star Maddie Vondrak. (Submitted photo)

The future is now. Stop by Coupeville Middle School and meet the next generation of Wolf stars before they make the jump to high school.

Maddie Vondrak is deeply committed.

As she wraps up her final days of middle school, the CMS 8th grader looks into the future and sees her love affair with volleyball going on for quite some time.

“I will be sticking with volleyball my whole high school career,” Vondrak said. “It’s my favorite sport because I love the feeling you get just whenever you are on the court.

“Being able to bond with the team and the passion that everyone has is so embracing and intimate; it’s just all around hands-down amazing.”

Vondrak, whose older sister Peytin is a sophomore at CHS, also enjoys swimming and hanging out with best friend Morgan Pease, a fellow volleyball spiker.

“Whenever we are together we always know how to make it fun and have a good time and how to make the best of memories,” Vondrak said.

Spending time with fellow athletes, both on and off the court, is special to the rising star.

“I enjoy being physically active,” Vondrak said. “And being able to have fun with a team you love and the sport you love.”

She draws inspiration from her family (“we always have the best times with each other and always know how to make each other laugh at all times”), and gives a big shout-out to parents David and Terri.

“My dad has always helped me learn new things and taught me to never give up on myself,” Vondrak said. “Whenever a door closes there’s always another one that opens up.

“My mom has taught me to always keep myself going,” she added. “Whenever I’m stuck with something, she always knows how to answer it and help me out with whatever it is.”

As she prepares for the jump to high school play, Vondrak is excited to “work on learning new things involving volleyball.”

She will do so already having strong core principals in place to help guide her.

“I think my strengths are, as an athlete, being able to keep my confidence, keep myself going, being able to lift others up, and never giving up on myself.”

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