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Posts Tagged ‘Danica Strong’

Bash sisters pillage Pioneers

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , , on May 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Adeline Maynes works her magic in the pitcher’s circle. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“That was the most complete game we played this year.”

Having watched his very-young Coupeville High School softball squad dismantle visiting Nooksack Valley 11-2 Friday, Wolf diamond guru Kevin McGranahan was in a great mood.

The non-conference victory, coming against a school which won a 1A state softball title in 2022, is a huge feather in the cap for the 2B Wolves.

Now 13-4 on the season, Coupeville, which starts three 8th graders and two freshmen, has one more regular-season game left on the schedule.

That’s a home tilt next Friday, May 10 with South Whidbey, a team it beat 20-9 on the road way back in the season opener in mid-March.

After that, the Wolves wait until May 18, when they travel to Centralia to play a District 4 team to be named later in a winner-to-state, loser-out playoff rumble.

With no seniors, but a lineup which can deliver from the top of the order to the bottom, McGranahan likes what he’s seeing.

“It’s a good time to be hitting our stride,” he said, “Hopefully we can maintain it for two weeks.”

Facing off with Nooksack, the Wolves came out wearing black uniforms, and gunning to take down the Pioneers, who hail from one of the toughest sports leagues in the state.

“Don’t use up all your pitches. I need you for seven innings today,” McGranahan had told 8th grade pitcher Adeline Maynes as she warmed up with catcher Teagan Calkins.

The young ace was listening, as she came out on fire, picking up two of her seven strikeouts in the first frame.

Maynes not only pitched with passion, but she also slung smartly, letting her defense back her up.

Taylor Brotemarkle and Sydney Van Dyke, holding down the middle of the infield, snared hot liners, while third baseman Madison McMillan, crashing hard, speared a bunt out of the air to deny a Nooksack hitter.

Sydney Van Dyke encourages her pitcher. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The Wolf outfield, comprised of Jada Heaton, Mia Farris, and Capri Anter, gobbled up everything that came its way on an overcast, but warm and tranquil (at least for this sun-free spring) afternoon.

And then there was Calkins, in full “Red Dragon” mode, springing up like a jack in the box to snare a popped-up bunt for one out, before pivoting and firing a strike to sure-handed Haylee Armstrong at first to double off a straying runner.

Maynes only spot of trouble came in the third, when Nooksack briefly cut the lead from 6-0 to 6-2, but then the calm ‘n collected middle schooler bore down and escaped thanks to back-to-back strikeouts.

At the plate, the Wolves were swinging hot, cracking 14 hits, with eight different players collecting at least one base knock.

Armstrong and Brotemarkle bashed singles in the first, before McMillan and Heaton delivered the game-busters.

McMillan kept Grandpa Gordon busy on the scorebook, launching a two-run double to left field which left her bat like a laser.

Meanwhile her fellow junior perfectly placed a two-run single about five feet over the shortstop’s outstretched glove, as Heaton used her bat to paint a best-seller.

Up 4-0 after one inning of play, Coupeville tacked on two more in the second, scoring both after it already had two outs.

With Anter aboard after one of her three hits, CHS went boom-bam-boom with the middle of the order.

Brotemarkle, mashing the ball and taking names, zipped a ball off a glove, before McMillan scorched a hot grounder which burned a hole down the first-base line.

That brought Calkins into the spotlight, and she delivered for the 10,047th time, lacing a two-run single into deep left field to the delight of her fervent fan club.

Nooksack did get two runs back, then held Coupeville scoreless in the third and fourth, but the dam broke in the fifth.

Calkins and Van Dyke outhustled Nooksack to get aboard on grounders that could have been, and probably should have been, outs.

Given new life, Coupeville made sure the sting was epic.

Danica Strong plans out her day. “First, destroy Nooksack…” (Mia Farris photo)

Danica Strong, pinch-hitting for Ava Lucero, smoked a two-run double to left to make it 8-2, before Armstrong bashed her own two-run double — this one to right-center — to all but seal the deal at 10-2.

The Wolves, and their super sub, weren’t done, however.

Strong came back around in the sixth to pick up her third RBI of the day, plating Calkins, who hit the ground hard and slid in under the tag.

Down to its final outs, Nooksack swung for the cheap seats, but Maynes wasn’t having it.

She induced a liner to Van Dyke, got a fly ball to Heaton, who chased it down on the run, then closed things by firing three strikes past the final Pioneer hitter.

After that, all that was left was for the Wolves to sing their farewell song to bleachers packed with CHS fans, their voices, showcasing a mix of pride and joy, carrying across the prairie.

 

Friday stats:

Capri Anter — One double, two singles
Haylee Armstrong — One double, one single
Taylor Brotemarkle — One single, one walk
Teagan Calkins — Three singles, one walk
Jada Heaton — One single
Madison McMillan — One double, one single
Danica Strong — One double
Sydney Van Dyke — One double

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Hoops legend’s daughter writes own success story

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on July 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Danica Strong, out and about with her faithful canine companion. (Photo courtesy Danette Beckley)

It’s sort of like coming home.

Danica Strong, and younger sister Dakota grew up in Whatcom County and attended schools in Idaho last year.

But, with a family move to Whidbey Island, the sisters have landed at Coupeville High School, where their mom, Danette Beckley, was a hoops star in the ’80s.

For Danica, who plays basketball and softball — when she’s not revving her dirt bike or hiking with her Cardigan Corgi, Ori — the change has been successful.

“The transition to Coupeville is going great,” she said.

“The girls on the summer basketball team welcomed me and made me feel comfortable and confident in our team environment.

“The sense of community here is very warming and welcoming to new people, which helped me fit in.”

Danica played several seasons of softball, let it go for a while, then picked her mitt back up last season as a high school freshman in Caldwell, Idaho.

Basketball, however, has been her constant go-to.

She first stepped on court in kindergarten, started playing club ball in 6th grade, and was the lone freshman on a JV team at a 4A high school last year.

“Basketball is my favorite sport because I have been playing it the longest,” Danica said. “And I succeed the most in it.

“I love the constant action of the game and the mental and physical challenges it proposes.”

As she progresses with her hoops career, Danica aims for success, and puts in the work to make her dreams a possibility.

“I enjoy being an athlete because it keeps me in shape and gives me something that I can always get better in and will never be able to perfect,” she said.

“I love the teammates you make and the leadership that being an athlete brings you.”

Danica ranks “leadership, commitment, and persistence” as her strengths, while continuing to work to find the right mix of being passionate and intense, without playing out of control.

“One thing I need to work on is keeping my temper down and not getting too heated in a game,” she said with a laugh.

Having strong coaches has helped her chase that balance, both on and off the court.

“My number one mentor was my freshman year basketball coach,” Danica said. “Coach Caron was someone who always pushed me to be my best and always knew I could handle any task he would give me.

“He never doubted me once and always had faith that I could do whatever I put my mind to.

“Off the court he really mentored me and helped me through some of the toughest months of my life by just making me laugh.”

Equally as important to her growth, as a player and a young woman, have been the friends she has made through basketball.

“The second person that has stood out to me is my teammate from last year, Rissa,” Danica said. “Rissa was an upperclassman that I looked up to since day one.

“She always made sure I never hung my head and always put a smile on my face,” she added.

“She saw how stressed I was while being the only freshman on a 4A JV basketball team and always reminded me I wasn’t alone, and I always had her and my other teammates to count on.

“Ever since tryouts I have always looked up to Rissa and have always tried to play with as much fire as she plays with.”

Now, Danica and her sister are in a new town, but one where mom and aunt Jana (Beckley) Bouzek connect them to the past.

The future is bright, and, while her family members have a strong sports legacy in Cow Town, Danica gets to write her own story.

That’s something she’s looking forward to.

“My goal for my high school career is to contribute to the girls’ basketball team and hopefully make a state appearance,” Danica said.

“My more personal goal for my high school career is to get a college scholarship so I am able to play the sport I love as well as further my education.”

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“Good attitudes lead to good games”

Posted in Basketball, Softball, tagged , , , , , on July 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Wolf freshman Dakota Strong is bringing her hoops game to her mom’s hometown. (Photo courtesy Danette Beckley)

The circle is complete.

Dakota Strong (and big sis Danica) have returned to the stomping grounds of their mother and aunt, ready to add their own chapters of success to the family’s story of athletic achievement.

Mom is Danette Beckley, who formed a potent one-two combo on the hardwood with Judy Marti in the ’80s, and she currently sits #44 on the Coupeville High School girls’ basketball career scoring chart.

Aunt Jana (Beckley) Bouzek joined her big sis on the softball diamond, playing for Libbey’s Little Ladies, which was coached by Dakota and Danica’s grandfather, Joe.

But the year is 2023 and the spotlight turns to focus on a new generation.

After stints in Lynden and Idaho, Dakota Strong will be a freshman at CHS this fall, and one with an eye on making an impact for the Wolf basketball program.

She has played for both school and club teams, and she and her sister have already suited up for Coupeville’s summer squad.

“My favorite sport is basketball because it’s been a significant sport that has been in my family for many years,” Dakota said. “And it’s brought me and my sister closer together over the years.”

Having an older sibling willing to provide her with support has been invaluable.

“She has more experience in the sport than I do, and instead of putting me down she always offers to take me to the gym,” Dakota said.

“At practice she encourages me to work harder and gives me pointers on things she notices.”

While basketball is the frontrunner, Dakota has also played softball and “loves riding horses.”

She was a barrel racer previously but has largely transitioned to riding for fun these days.

Dakota and Danica both possess an exploring nature, one which fits with the various locations in which they’ve lived.

“I enjoyed going to the lake a lot with my sister when we lived in Idaho,” Dakota said. “Since we moved (to Whidbey), we have been going to beaches together and seeing new places.”

The rising young star is quick to encourage her teammates, which pays benefits in many ways.

“I see that as a huge part of the sport,” Dakota said. “Having confidence in your teammates and yourself benefits the whole team.

“Good attitudes lead to good games.”

Playing sports is often an ideal way to make new friends, and build a strong support crew, something she appreciates.

“What I enjoy about being an athlete is the new people it brings into my life,” Dakota said. “I also enjoy the structure it brings and accountability that it teaches.”

As she prepares for the start of her run at a new school, the future is wide open.

“My goals for my high school sports career are to try new things and hopefully find new experiences and opportunities through sports,” Dakota said.

“I also would like to step out of my comfort zone in certain skills areas throughout the years.”

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