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Posts Tagged ‘Happy birthday’

Amanda Fabrizi

Amanda Fabrizi

She was electric.

Capping a stellar athletic career at Coupeville High School, Amanda Fabrizi took a quantum leap during her final season in the red and black.

Fabrizi, who celebrates her 18th birthday today, was always a good basketball player. But as a senior, something new surfaced.

Running along side fellow captain Breeanna Messner, Fabrizi brought the grit, toughness and quiet leadership you knew she would. Then she added some sizzle.

She relentlessly attacked the basket, forcing opponents to backpedal and often foul her, and had no fear, regardless of whether it was the opening minute of the game or the final ten seconds.

Of course, Fabrizi was also her team’s best three-point bomber, which meant you had to guard her everywhere on the court.

With her sudden emergence as a player who was willing to take the scoring load on her shoulders, that opened up the floor for sophomore teammate Makana Stone to run wild and blossom into one of the league’s best players.

With a playoff win at home and a chance to play in a post-season all-star game with Messner, Fabrizi got the sort of ending you always hope for when a player works as hard, overcomes as much, as Fabrizi did.

Poke her in the eye? Slam her to the floor? She never missed a game or a beat, coming right back at you.

Off the floor, she couldn’t have been more different. Friendly, outgoing, extremely loyal to her family and friends, a young woman of amazing grace in everything she did.

Her graduation will leave a huge hole for both the Wolf basketball and volleyball squads. Inevitably, someone else will step up and take the spotlight. Circle of life and all.

But Fabrizi won’t be forgotten.

She accomplished much, and she did it the right way. She is an example to show to future Wolf athletes as they come up.

Here walked Amanda Fabrizi. She was a legend, because she never, ever stopped working.

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McKenzie Bailey

McKenzie Bailey

McKenzie Bailey may be the second sister, but she’s a star in her own right.

The Coupeville High School junior-to-be, who celebrates her birthday today, makes a dandy duo with big sis McKayla, the Photo Bomb Queen of Cow Town.

Together, and with lil’ sis Mollie, they’re keeping family tradition alive by kickin’ fanny in as many sports as possible.

And, in the brief moment when they’re not actually playing themselves, each of the Bailey girls can usually be found at one of their sister’s games, being loud and proud in support.

In her two years at CHS, McKenzie has been a true throw-back, one of the few Wolves to play year-round.

Bouncing from volleyball to basketball to tennis, where her star might be the brightest, Miss Bailey lives up to the reputation that comes with her last name.

She works hard. She plays hard. She’ll crack a girl in half and leave her on the hardwood (if necessary).

And, she’ll always, kinda, sorta, know where the camera is during every game. Cause no one has EVER accused a Bailey of being camera shy.

Which is why McKenzie and her family are the very definition of awesome.

They give me a lot to write about, and they provide me with billions of photo opportunities — which means less actual work for me. Win-win.

As long as there’s a Bailey doin’ their business in a Wolf uniform, we’re solid gold.

So thank you, McKenzie, for being a great athlete, an amazing sister and a pretty terrific person, all wrapped in one.

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Maddie Big Time celebrates an epic home run. (John Fisken photos)

Maddie Big Time celebrates an epic home run. (John Fisken photos)

Maia Sparkman sticks the landing.

Maia Sparkman sticks the landing.

Nick Streubel is happy to see you.

Nick Streubel is happy to see you.

is proud of her handiwork.

Granite Falls’ Emily FitzGerald is proud of her handiwork.

Even Amanda Fabrizi (left) knows to clear out when Julia "Elbows" Myers is in rebounding mode.

Even Amanda Fabrizi (left) knows to clear out when Julia “Elbows” Myers is in rebounding mode.

Kacie Kiel (left) and Madeline Strasburg get pumped up before their volleyball match.

   Kacie Kiel (left) and Madeline Strasburg get pumped up before their volleyball match.

CHS super fan Aimee Bishop is thrilled to be photographed.

CHS super fan Aimee Bishop is thrilled to be photographed.

Colin Belliveau gets rowdy.

Colin Belliveau gets rowdy.

John Fisken is the lifeblood of Coupeville Sports.

Along with Shelli Trumbull, Fisken, who celebrates his birthday today on Father’s Day, is one of the two photographers whose work appears the most often on this blog.

I could say a lot of words about how he’s very good at what he does and how much I appreciate that he does what he does and never charges me a dime.

Which would be all well and good.

I could gush on and on, and probably embarrass him, or I could just let his work speak for itself.

So, enjoy.

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Aura Corredor

Aura Corredor

Once a Wolf, always a Wolf.

Aura Corredor was a part of Coupeville High School for only a year as a foreign exchange student, but she took full advantage of her year in Cow Town.

The native of Cali, Colombia played three sports for CHS, taking part in volleyball, basketball and tennis, and her quiet smile will be remembered long after she has returned home.

As she celebrates her birthday today, we send her best wishes.

You may have returned to the big city, but you will always have a second home here, Aura. Thank you for sharing part of your life with us.

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Jae LeVine: Heart size doesn't come any bigger.

Jae LeVine: Heart size doesn’t come any bigger.

LeVine dances across home plate. (John Fisken photo)

LeVine dances across home plate. (John Fisken photo)

LeVine gets unzipped at Halloween. (Joline LeVine photo)

LeVine gets unzipped at Halloween. (Joline LeVine photo)

Today is a big day for a lil’ girl.

Coupeville High School sophomore-to-be Jae LeVine, who celebrates her birthday today, is the mightiest of mighty mites.

Bouncing madly around like a pinball at times, she grabs teammates twice her size and hugs the life out of them.

Chattering, fist-wavin’ and fist-bumpin’, her smile — which takes up nine-tenths of her body — makes everyone around her respond in kind.

Jae is that rarity — a young woman who has faced down great medical turmoil in her life after being born with a major heart issue, yet refuses to be bowed, refuses to do anything less than full tilt.

She may never win a league MVP award, but her best moments are the ones we will remember.

Jae hitting a three-point bucket from way out in the weeds as a middle schooler — her first basket — then dancing down the court, waving her arms in the air, “Rocky”-style, while her bench and the bleachers went bonkers.

Jae flying in and out of the gym at breakneck speed between sets of a volleyball match this season, changing her shirt each time depending on whether she was the libero or not.

Each time she giddily flung her discarded jersey at dad Sean’s head as she sprinted by the stands, giggling all the way.

Jae, the shortest volleyball player, sitting (well, bouncing in her seat) next to Allie Hanigan, the team’s tallest player, on the bench.

The look of pure adoration on Hanigan’s face for her younger teammate, who was poking the senior good-naturedly, was as beautiful a moment between teammates as I have ever witnessed.

What do I wish for Jae’s birthday?

I hope that she knows how much she means to this community, to Wolf Nation. What a joy she is to be around, what value she brings every day.

I hope when things are good for her, she gets back the love and good vibes she sends out.

And I hope, when things are bad, in the darker moments when things may seem too much and pile up on her, she gets it back even more.

Be brave, Jae. Be strong.

I use the word amazing often, maybe too often, but you, Jae LeVine, are truly amazing.

Never bowed. Always fighting. A blessing to both of your families, your blood relatives and the community that will always consider you its irrepressible adopted daughter.

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