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Posts Tagged ‘freshman’

Younger sister blazes own trail of success

Posted in Girls Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on June 11, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Gwen Gustafson is bringing her athletic skills to Coupeville High School in the fall, following in the footsteps of successful older siblings. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Gwen Gustafson has the pedigree.

Both of her older siblings, Amanda Fabrizi and Clay Reilly, had standout careers at Coupeville High School, and both now sit in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.

But just wait, because the lil’ sis has game too, and is already a well-established three-sport star in her own right as high school beckons.

Gustafson, who will be a freshman at CHS this fall, has been playing almost since she could walk, and has been a key part of successful teams in volleyball, basketball, and softball.

Her last two teams went a combined 22-1, in fact.

First, Gustafson was a starter on a Coupeville Middle School 8th grade hoops squad which polished off everyone on its schedule, rolling to a flawless 9-0 record.

Then she capped that by pulling double duty as a flame-throwing pitcher and a hit-happy batter for a Central Whidbey Little League Juniors softball team which outscored foes 245-101 while romping to a 13-1 mark.

While Gustafson plans to stay with all three of her sports in high school, the siren call of the hardwood is a powerful one.

“I like the competitiveness, and the teamwork,” she said. “I can compete with my teammates, stay healthy, and have fun.”

Away from the court, Gustafson enjoys gym and math class, listening to rap and pop music and spending time with friends and family.

But when she’s practicing, or playing in a game, regardless of the sport, she does so with deep commitment.

“I have confidence, trust in my teammates, I don’t give up, and I can pick skills up quickly,” Gustafson said. “(My goals are) to work hard and improve my team.”

While her older siblings have shown her the path to success, Gwen also looks to her parents, Lark and Fawn Gustafson, for support and encouragement as an athlete, student, and human being.

“My dad has inspired me and really helped me grow as a person and as an athlete,” she said. “He has been my coach and a loving father for my whole life.

“My mom has also supported me,” Gustafson added. “Helping me be aware of my health and well-being, and she has inspired me to be a better person.”

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“Soccer is my life”

Posted in Boys Basketball, Boys Soccer, Football, tagged , , , , , on May 29, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Daylon Houston, who will be a freshman at Coupeville High School in the fall, plans to play soccer, football, and possibly basketball. (Photo courtesy Houston)

Daylon Houston doesn’t hesitate.

While he plans to play two, and possibly three, sports next year as a freshman at Coupeville High School, the lure of the pitch is something he embraces.

“Soccer is my life, soccer has always been my first choice,” Houston said. “It gives me the rush of being in nonstop play; the constant movement and aggression is awesome, and it motivates me to push myself.”

Daylon plans to join older brother Dawson, Coupeville’s starting quarterback, on the Wolf football team this fall.

After that, he may lace up his shoes with the basketball program, as well.

But when next spring rolls around, Houston is most looking forward to keeping his run as a soccer player going strong.

A veteran of four seasons of select soccer, the sport has helped him grow through elementary and middle school years.

“Being an athlete helps me stay on track; it’s a big part of me,” Houston said. “I enjoy being an athlete because when I’m out of sports I have no guidance, but in sports I have a strong sense of guidance.”

He’s looking to make an immediate impact for the Wolves on the soccer pitch, and is confident in his ever-growing skill-set.

“I have a high enough skill level to be a starting freshman on our varsity soccer team,” Houston said with conviction. “My goals are to go out on the field and push myself.”

The young booter credits the many coaches he’s worked with for helping support and guide him.

“When I was about eight, I had a soccer coach named Miguel, and he has helped me because I was going into that season saying I wanted to quit due to a bad coach from before,” Houston said. “But he guided me through a great season and put my soccer life back on track.

“Also, my current coach, Ben, who has led me and taught me the deeper concepts of the game of soccer.”

Along with his coaches, Houston praises his mom, Alia, for being the ultimate sounding board and support crew.

“She told me I should try out for select and so I did,” he said. “She helped me enter select and she was there every step of the way.

“These three people (my mom and coaches) all play a crucial role in making me the player I am today,” Houston added. “Without any of them, I probably wouldn’t be playing soccer to this day.”

When he’s not on the pitch, Houston enjoys working out, listening to music and spending time with his dog.

But, like his older brother, who will be heading into his senior season, he comes alive when playing sports.

“My strength as an athlete is that I never give up,” Houston said. “Even in the hardest of times I keep pushing myself.

“I can be in the last game of a season with absolutely no wins and go out there and give it my all,” he added. “The only thing I can think of to improve is be a part of a team and build strong chemistry with my teammates.”

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Wood a winner, on court and off!!

Posted in Volleyball, tagged , , , , , , on September 1, 2018| Leave a Comment »

CHS freshman Eryn Wood runs during volleyball practice. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

So many sports, so little time.

Coupeville High School freshman Eryn Wood springs from an athletic family, and the middle child of three has dabbled in numerous sports over the years.

As a middle school star, she impressed on the volleyball court and shone while competing in both track and field events.

Now, as a newcomer to the world of high school sports, Wood plans to flip track for tennis, giving longtime net coach Ken Stange another talented young player to take under his wing.

This fall, she’s ignoring the possible anguish of her soccer-obsessed family and staying with volleyball.

At least for the moment.

“I have not decided if I will play soccer next fall instead of volleyball,” Wood said. “I am definitely torn between soccer and volleyball because I’ve grown up around a family that worships soccer.

“But I also really enjoy playing volleyball as an outside hitter,” she added. “I enjoy how competitive and exhilarating it can be. I also love when you receive the perfect set to just kill the ball.”

Wood, whose goal for high school is to eventually earn an athletic letter (“I think that’s a good start, given that I’m a freshman”), considers herself a work in progress on the volleyball court.

Cue hard work and constant effort to refine her skills.

“I would say that I’m a good passer and hitter,” Wood said. “Although this is a very crucial part of the game and it really helps to have this as a strong area, serving is definitely one of my weaknesses.”

When she’s away from practices and games, the young Wolf enjoys a wide range of leisure activities.

“I really enjoy reading,” Wood said. “I think it’s just a fun way to disconnect from reality and get your mind off of whatever is stressing you out.

“I also LOVE to travel. I love to experience new cultures and see new places.”

Whether she’s pounding the ball on the court or off exploring, Wood is part of a tight-knit family, and she hails her parents, Robert and Jill, as well as older brother James and lil’ sis Aby, for the joy they bring to her life.

Even when she’s not playing soccer.

“My dad is a soccer coach, so I’m pretty sure he wants me to play soccer,” Wood said. “But he also encourages me to do something different and play volleyball.

“My mom just tells me that she will support me no matter what.”

Her appreciation for family support also carries over to her siblings.

“My brother James, a junior, knows everyone on the volleyball and soccer team,” Wood said. “So he just gives me the insider information.

“I love my sister Aby; it can be tough sometimes having a little sister with such an incredible personality but she really just keeps me on my toes and she supports me just as much.”

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“I like being part of a team!!”

Posted in Boys Basketball, Football, Track, tagged , , , , , , on August 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Sean Toomey-Stout (John Fisken photos)

   Sean Toomey-Stout elevates and electrifies on the hardwood. (John Fisken photos)

Toomey-Stout hauls in a punt.

Toomey-Stout hauls in a punt.

The future of Wolf sports is here and it just came flying in the door.

Coupeville High School freshman Sean Toomey-Stout, much like twin sister Maya and older brother Cameron, is fleet of feet.

That speed, a love for competition and a willingness to work hard and mesh well with his teammates bodes well for his athletic future.

Like his siblings, Toomey-Stout plans to be a three-sport athlete for the Wolves, continuing a trend from middle school.

He’s currently out on the gridiron putting in practice time with the CHS football squad, then plans to follow that up with basketball and track.

While Toomey-Stout enjoys all of his athletic pursuits, it’s a close battle for which one is nearest and dearest to his heart.

“It is between football and basketball,” he said. “They are both sports I’ve loved to play and watch since I was little.”

Embracing sports, both as a fan and a player, is something which comes naturally.

From moms Lisa Toomey and Beth Stout on down, the clan loves the arena.

“My entire family, they are sports nuts,” Sean said. “I have learned to love watching and playing sports.”

He’s also learned to work well with others, blossoming as a rock-solid teammate while toiling for CMS squads.

“I like being a part of a team and learning new things,” Toomey-Stout said. “I like meeting new people when I play.

“I am able to rely on other people, and, if I mess up, I know they will have my back,” he added. “I try my hardest in everything I do and give my maximum effort.”

When he’s not playing organized team sports, Toomey-Stout can often be found on a paddle board or snowboard, while still carving out time to finish homework.

“I want to get good grades,” he said. “And enjoy my time playing sports and doing well at sports.”

While he comes equipped with strong athletic skills, Toomey-Stout is not content to coast on his natural abilities alone.

“I need to work on my overall speed and agility, as well as my physical strength,” he said.

And while sports are a big part of his life, they aren’t the only thing driving him.

He’s a drummer who “likes all kinds of movies” and has musical tastes which run from opera to rap.

In the classroom, he gravitates towards math, which is “pretty fun,” and band, which allows him to be creative.

“I enjoy playing the drums and I drum a lot at home,” Toomey-Stout said. “I love to try to figure out new pieces of music in band.”

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Sandahl strikes balance between sports, academics!!

Posted in Track, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on June 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Lucy Sandahl

Lucy Sandahl

The future is bright for Lucy Sandahl.

As a two-sport athlete who’s also proudly a self-proclaimed “math nerd,” she heads into her freshman year at Coupeville High School this fall expecting the best.

“I am looking forward to high school and what is in store for my life,” Sandahl said. “I look forward to making new friends and making more memories with old ones.

“I just want to live my high school experience filled with amazing teachers and people I love,” she added. “I’m ready to finally enter the world known as high school.

“I look forward to being a part of class 2020 and can’t wait for hopefully the best four years of my life.”

The South Carolina native, whose older sister Sophie plays for the Wolf soccer squad, plans to take on volleyball and track at CHS.

She enjoys the challenges offered by both sports and doesn’t play favorites.

“I don’t really have a favorite. I love them both because I experience two different feelings with both sports,” Sandahl said. “In volleyball I feel like I will learn something new every day, I will always work 110%, and I am always ready to work hard and learn something new.

“With track I feel all those things too, but I feel when I’m running no one can touch me,” she added. “I feel like the race isn’t about the people that are to my right and left, but the battle is between me and the track. And I love that feeling.”

More than anything, Sandahl enjoys the chance sports offers to find common ground with her friends and classmates.

“I love the teammates the most and I love getting to learn new skills and being passionate about something,” she said. “It’s always a great feeling when you’re in shape and you always feel good about what you’re doing.”

While she has natural talent, Sandahl also appreciates the time and effort one needs to put in to keep rising to new levels in their sport. Practice does not faze her.

“My biggest strength is probably the fact that I will take any task that the coaches or teammates throw at me and yes, I may fail sometimes, but I’m always willing to learn and fix my mistakes,” she said.

Maintaining a positive outlook, through good times and bad times alike, is hugely important, as well.

“I would really like to work on my mentality when it comes to competing and practice,” Sandahl said. “I always get in my head and become really hard on myself and I beat myself up about everything I do.

“So I just need to become more hardy and believe more in myself and I will be set for high school athletically and academically.”

Those academics are a huge part of her life, and a part she plans to put an emphasis on at the high school level.

“I want to start figuring out what I want to do with my life beyond school,” Sandahl said. “I want to really focus on school work.

“I am one of those strange math nerds though,” she added with a laugh. “Math is my absolute favorite subject.

“I don’t know why, it’s just I always go into the math room ready to see what scary, funky, cool lesson I’m gonna do that day.”

When she’s not plowing through class lessons or competing in the athletic arena, Sandahl loves hanging out with family and friends and exploring nature, going on trail runs with her dad.

Country music (“not like the banjo music!”) is her favorite, and she enjoys Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw and many more.

“I know most people are against country, but hey, I got to stick to my South Carolina roots.”

Through it all, Sandahl has always been able to rely on those closest to her for encouragement and support, something she deeply appreciates.

“My parents have been by my side every step of the way (mainly because they have to be, but that’s the little stuff),” Sandahl said. “They have came to all of my games, awards ceremonies, performances, concerts and they will continue to no matter what crazy things I want to pursue or whatever/wherever I go in life.

“They were the people there when I rode my bike for the first time and fell over, they were there for my first sports game, they were there before every sports season helping me get ready and sometimes back into shape.

“They are the people that I have looked up to and the people that have helped me be the person I am today. And I love them.”

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