Helen Strelow, a master of many worlds. (Photo courtesy Brian Strelow)
“She is an amazing person. Artist, scholar, athlete, and one of the kindest people anyone could ever know.”
During her days in Coupeville, Helen Strelow soared, scoring big in multiple worlds, as evidenced by the words of her tennis coach, Ken Stange.
Was there anything Strelow couldn’t do? I doubt it.
She finished her CHS run with a 4.0 GPA, was one of two valedictorians for the Class of 2023, and was already wowing folks with her artwork and photography.
A glimpse at one of her many artistic pieces. (Photo courtesy Brian Strelow)
That embrace of her artistic side continues to show during her college days at Montana State University, where Strelow is pursuing a BFA in painting and a minor in art history.
During her time in Bozeman, the former Wolf has been involved in multiple projects, including creating storyboards for a student film, working on two children’s books, and designing and producing puppet lanterns for the Gallatin Valley Winter Bloom parade.
While she’s conquering new worlds and impressing a whole new crowd these days, Strelow’s first big impact came back when she was repping the red and black.
A gifted cross country runner and tennis player, she advanced to the state championships three times during her CHS playing days, two as a harrier and one as a netter.
No tennis ball shall escape her. (Jackie Saia photo)
During her senior season on the courts, Strelow went 11-3 for a 2B program, with her only loss during the regular season coming against a 3A rival.
Once she hit the postseason, everything just clicked for the quietly efficient serve and volleyer, as she earned a Tri-District singles crown, sparking the Wolves to a team title as well.
Off to Eastern Washington for state, she played three matches at the big dance across two days and is one of the few Wolf netters to capture a state win, bouncing a rival from Lake Roosevelt in straight sets.
It was the sixth and final time Stange took players to state during a two decade-plus coaching career, as he and Strelow departed together, but not before Coupeville tennis collected an academic state title for having the highest team GPA among all 2B schools.
As he reflected on his final season, and the serene ace at the core of the team, Stange delivered one final note of approval.
“She improved from week to week, day to day, on a consistent basis. Helen certainly has a spot on my all-time CHS team!”
Running at the front of the pack. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Tennis wasn’t Strelow’s only game, though, as she was also played a key part in the revival of Coupeville’s cross country program, running all four years during her high school days.
Over the course of four campaigns, she racked up 11 top ten finishes, including winning an individual title at the Northwest 2B/1B League Championships as a junior.
Strelow advanced to state in her final two seasons, with the latter of those efforts coming as CHS sent its entire girls’ trail team to state for the first time since the 1980’s.
Her times remain some of the best in program history, as well, as she currently sits #1 among all Wolf girls in 5,439-meter races and #2 all-time in both 3.1 and 3.2-mile events.
When I look back on the history of CHS athletics, especially on the last 14 years as I’ve written this blog, she stands tall as one of the shining examples of everything you love to see from a student/athlete.
So today, way past time, we take a moment to induct Helen Strelow into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, honoring her for her work as an athlete, but also as an artist and student.
After this you’ll find her hanging out at the top of the blog under the Legends tab, an ideal spot for a young woman of such rare quality.
PS — If you want to see what Strelow is up to these days, check out her work at:
