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Posts Tagged ‘iron men’

In praise of year-round athletes

Posted in Baseball, Girls Tennis, Softball, Track, tagged , , , , , , on March 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Jada Heaton (jumping), Mia Farris (12), and Skylar Parker (right) are all three-sport athletes. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

No rest for the truly dedicated.

A look at spring rosters shows that 22 Coupeville High School students — 10 girls and 12 boys — are finishing the job as three-sport athletes for the 2022-2023 school year.

At schools with small student bodies, having a strong showing in year-round athletes is huge, so it’s great to see so many Wolves complete the trifecta.

There are plenty of reasons why some CHS athletes choose to play just one or two sports, starting with the fact basketball is their only option during winter.

Don’t play God’s chosen sport? Can’t be a three-sport athlete in Cow Town.

Unless you make the move to wrestle or swim with another school during the snowy months, but that has been an infrequent occurrence.

Injuries, a need to concentrate on academics, home life requirements, or simply a desire to have a job or get your license — all reasons which sometimes come into play when sports-related decisions are made.

To each, their own choice.

But today we praise the 22 who made the commitment, in time and effort, to be an athlete for all seasons.

The blog is called Coupeville Sports, after all, and not Coupeville Teens Washing Dishes.

Anyways, those who gave all:

 

GIRLS:

Teagan Calkins (Volleyball, Basketball, Softball)
Mia Farris (Volleyball, Basketball, Softball)
Jada Heaton (Volleyball, Basketball, Softball)
Ryanne Knoblich (Volleyball, Basketball, Track)
Carolyn Lhamon (Soccer, Basketball, Track)
Katie Marti (Volleyball, Basketball, Track)
Madison McMillan (Volleyball, Basketball, Softball)
Brynn Parker (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis)
Skylar Parker (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis)
Lyla Stuurmans (Volleyball, Basketball, Track)

 

BOYS:

Chase Anderson (Football, Basketball, Baseball)
Dominic Coffman (Football, Basketball, Track)
Nick Guay (Soccer, Basketball, Track)
Zane Oldenstadt (Football, Basketball, Track)
Aiden O’Neill (Football, Basketball, Baseball)
Jack Porter (Football, Basketball, Baseball)
Johnny Porter (Football, Basketball, Baseball)
Landon Roberts (Cross Country, Basketball, Baseball)
Yohannon Sandles (Football, Basketball, Baseball)
Malachi Somes (Football, Basketball, Track)
Jonathan Valenzuela (Football, Basketball, Baseball)
Cole White (Soccer, Basketball, Baseball)

Aiden O’Neill is a man for all seasons. (Davin Houston photo)

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Three-sport athletes provide foundation for Wolf athletics

Posted in A freakin' American hero, tagged , , , , on March 7, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Lindsey Roberts is one track season away from lettering 12 times as a high school athlete. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They were there, every season, without fail.

As we head into spring sports, 22 Coupeville High School athletes – 13 girls and nine boys – are set to complete a run as three-sport athletes during the 2018-2019 school year.

The list is headlined by Lindsey Roberts, the only Wolf senior to complete a perfect 12 for 12 career, with four seasons of soccer, basketball and track to her credit.

That’s down from last year, when Allison Wenzel, Hunter Downes, Cameron Toomey-Stout, and Hunter Smith graduated after playing a sport in every possible season of their high school days.

Roberts, though, can accomplish something none of those four did.

Barring a major injury or a sudden desire to go on a walkabout mid-season, Forrest Gump-style, she’ll finish as a 12-time letter winner, as well.

The last Wolf to do that was Hailey Hammer, who graduated in 2015.

At a small school like CHS, putting bodies in uniforms is a major need.

Those who are brave, determined, able to avoid serious injury, and willing to play basketball, Coupeville’s lone winter sport, are the backbone of the school’s athletic program.

In the seven years of writing Coupeville Sports, I’ve monitored the numbers, and we’re currently on our best streak, having hit 22 or more three-sport athletes for the third straight year.

Nine freshmen accomplished the feat in 2018-2019, while seven juniors and four sophomores matched them.

After a year in which four seniors capped a 12 for 12 career run, it was a little odd that only two 12th graders, Roberts and Dane Lucero, went 3 for 3 this school year.

 

The yearly numbers:

2012-2013 — (18 three-sport athletes)
2013-2014 — (23)
2014-2015 — (20)
2015-2016 — (17)
2016-2017 — (23)
2017-2018 — (22)
2018-2019 — (22)

 

Coupeville’s three-sport athletes for 2018-2019, with grade and sports: 

Andrew Aparicio – 9 – tennis, basketball, soccer
Mollie Bailey – 10 – soccer, basketball, softball
Miles Davidson – 9 – football, basketball, soccer
Mason Grove – 11 – tennis, basketball, baseball
Gavin Knoblich – 11 – football, basketball, baseball
Ivy Leedy – 10 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Lily Leedy – 9 – soccer, basketball, softball
Dane Lucero – 12 – football, basketball, baseball
Alana Mihill – 9 – cross country, basketball, track
Abby Mulholland – 9 – volleyball, basketball, tennis
Xavier Murdy – 9 – football, basketball, soccer
Chelsea Prescott – 10 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Avalon Renninger – 11 – soccer, basketball, tennis
Lindsey Roberts – 12 – soccer, basketball, track
Chris Ruck – 11 – cross country, basketball, track
Audrianna Shaw – 9 – soccer, basketball, softball
Ben Smith – 10 – football, basketball, soccer
Scout Smith – 11 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Sean Toomey-Stout – 11 – football, basketball, track
Kylie Van Velkinburgh – 9 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Izzy Wells – 9 – volleyball, basketball, softball
Tia Wurzrainer – 11 – soccer, basketball, tennis

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Stick the landing!!

Posted in A freakin' American hero, tagged , , , , , on March 6, 2018| Leave a Comment »

   Allison Wenzel is one of four Wolf seniors who played a sport in all 12 seasons of high school. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Missed it … by that much.

As we head towards the first official games of spring, preliminary reports have 22 of the 29 Coupeville High School athletes who played a fall and winter sport completing the trifecta and earning status as three-sport athletes.

While that’s an impressive number for a very small student body, it narrowly misses tying the best performance in the six-year history of Coupeville Sports.

The numbers:

2012-2013 — (18 three-sport athletes)
2013-2014 — (23)
2014-2015 — (20)
2015-2016 — (17)
2016-2017 — (23)
2017-2018 — (22)

That includes four Wolf seniors — Allison Wenzel, Hunter Downes, Cameron Toomey-Stout and Hunter Smith — who made it a flawless 12-for-12, playing a sport in every season of their prep careers.

Certainly nothing to sneeze at, as only three CHS athletes — Lauren Grove, Jared Helmstadter and Tiffany Briscoe — accomplished the feat in the last two years combined.

It was almost more than four, as well, as Lauren Rose and Joey Lippo each missed perfection by just a single season, opting to sit out their senior and sophomore basketball seasons respectively.

Of the 22 who are minting themselves as three-sport athletes in 2017-2018, there’s a good balance.

The breakdown shows 12 boys and 10 girls, with seven seniors, six sophomores, five juniors and four freshmen.

Wolf girls were ahead going into spring, but five of the seven who are declining to play this season, for various reasons, are female athletes.

The spotlight will swing back on the girls next year, though, as the only CHS juniors who have a shot to pull off a 12-for-12 career are Lindsey Roberts and Sarah Wright.

Coupeville’s three-sport athletes in 2017-2018:

Mollie Bailey (frosh) (soccer, basketball, softball)
Kylie Chernikoff (frosh) (volleyball, basketball, track)
Hunter Downes (sr) (football, basketball, soccer)
Mason Grove (soph) (tennis, basketball, baseball)
Gavin Knoblich (soph) (football, basketball, baseball)
Ryan Labrador (jr) (football, basketball, track)
Joey Lippo (sr) (tennis, basketball, baseball)
Dane Lucero (jr) (football, basketball, baseball)
Jean Lund-Olsen (soph) (football, basketball, track)
Jake Pease (jr) (football, basketball, baseball)
Chelsea Prescott (frosh) (volleyball, basketball, softball)
Avalon Renninger (soph) (soccer, basketball, tennis)
Lindsey Roberts (jr) (soccer, basketball, track)
Kyle Rockwell (sr) (football, basketball, baseball)
Hunter Smith (sr) (football, basketball, baseball)
Scout Smith (soph) (volleyball, basketball, softball)
Cameron Toomey-Stout (sr) (football, basketball, track)
James Vidoni (sr) (football, basketball, baseball)
Allison Wenzel (sr) (volleyball, basketball, track)
Genna Wright (frosh) (soccer, basketball, tennis)
Sarah Wright (jr) (soccer, basketball, softball)
Tia Wurzrainer (soph) (soccer, basketball, tennis)

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Two legs down, one to go!!

Posted in A freakin' American hero, tagged , , , , on February 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »

   Avalon Renninger is one of 29 Wolves who could stick the landing and be three-sport athletes in 2017-2018. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Commitment seems to be at an all-time high.

Two-thirds of the way through the 2017-2018 school year, we are on target for the most three-sport athletes in one year at Coupeville High School in the six years of this blog.

From 2012-2013 until 2016-2017, CHS twice topped out at 23 iron men (and women), but this year the Wolves could hit as high as 29.

Now, that comes with a very big “if.”

If everyone on this list turns out for a spring sport. If no one gets lured away by school work, or a job, or driver’s education or spring fever or injuries.

And, because of that last word, we know, barring a miracle, the target number is really 28 and not 29.

Mikayla Elfrank’s badly-injured ankle, which shut her down midway through basketball season, is all but certain to keep her out of action through the spring, which is too bad.

But, if softball, baseball, girls tennis, boys soccer and track provide enough of a lure to keep most of the rest of this list in action, CHS will be blessed.

Three-sport athletes are huge, especially at a small school, where every body counts.

I would also add this — if you want to play college sports, at any level, playing multiple sports is a huge plus.

If you look at former Wolves who have competed for collegiate programs in recent years, or are currently active, almost every single one was a three-sport athlete during their days in Coupeville.

Tyler King, Makana Stone, Nick Streubel, Hailey Hammer, Ben Etzell, Monica Vidoni, Mitch Pelroy, and the list goes on and on.

Among the athletes on that list, King soared the highest, achieving NCAA D-1 All-American status as a cross country and track runner while on scholarship at the University of Washington.

Running was his forte, but he didn’t obsessively limit himself, playing basketball as well, where he was a starter and key contributor on the last great Wolf boys team, the 2009-2010 team which went 16-5.

Playing other sports provided King a chance to grow as an athlete and competitor.

College coaches, at every level, from D-1 to community college, are vocal about their preference for athletes who stretched themselves and tried multiple sports, over those who obsess (and often burn out) as a one-sport specialist.

And if you’re not going to play college sports? Take full advantage of your high school days.

Don’t look back and say “dang, I wish I had played…”

So, with all that in mind, here’s a look at how CHS has finished in previous years:

2012-2013 — (18 three-sport athletes)
2013-2014 — (23)
2014-2015 — (20)
2015-2016 — (17)
2016-2017 — (23)

The 29 who could achieve the feat this year (still hoping Mikayla wakes up tomorrow and her leg is miraculously healed…) and what they’ve played so far:

Mollie Bailey (frosh) (soccer, basketball)
Trevor Bell (soph) (football, BB)
Kyla Briscoe (sr) (volleyball, BB) 
Kylie Chernikoff (frosh) (VB, BB)
Koa Davison (soph) (FB, BB)
Hunter Downes (sr) (FB, BB)
Mikayla Elfrank (sr) (VB, BB)
Mason Grove (soph) (tennis, BB)
Maddy Hilkey (jr) (socc, BB)
Gavin Knoblich (soph) (FB, BB)
Kalia Littlejohn (jr) (socc, BB)
Ryan Labrador (jr) (FB, BB)
Joey Lippo (sr) (tenn, BB)
Dane Lucero (jr) (FB, BB)
Jean Lund-Olsen (soph) (FB, BB)
Jake Pease (jr) (FB, BB)
Chelsea Prescott (frosh) (VB, BB)
Avalon Renninger (soph) (socc, BB)
Lindsey Roberts (jr) (socc, BB)
Kyle Rockwell (sr) (FB, BB)
Ema Smith (jr) (socc, BB)
Hunter Smith (sr) (FB, BB)
Scout Smith (soph) (VB, BB)
Cameron Toomey-Stout (sr) (FB, BB)
James Vidoni (sr) (FB, BB)
Allison Wenzel (sr) (VB, BB)
Genna Wright (frosh) (socc, BB)
Sarah Wright (jr) (socc, BB)
Tia Wurzrainer (soph) (socc, BB)

That breaks down to four freshmen, eight sophomores, eight juniors and nine seniors. 15 girls and 14 boys.

Four of those 12th graders — Wenzel, Downes, Toomey-Stout and Hunter Smith — can stick the landing on not just being three-sport athletes, but going a perfect 12-for-12 during their high school days.

If they do, the quartet would beat the last two years combined, when Jared Helmstadter (2015-2016), Tiffany Briscoe (2016-2017) and Lauren Grove (2016-2017) pulled off the perfecto.

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No quit in these Wolves!!

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , , , on November 13, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Allison Wenzel juggles academics, music and athletics, and is the one CHS senior girl still on target to play a sport in all 12 seasons. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

   Keeping limber helps Hunter Downes as he joins Wenzel in the chase of perfection.

Season after season, the Wolves have been able to rely on Hunter Smith.

   Setting a strong example for lil’ sis Maya, Cameron Toomey-Stout has tackled every challenge which has come his way. (Beth Stout photo)

The Class of 2018 is committed.

As of the first day of basketball season Monday, four Coupeville High School seniors remain on target to complete the ultimate athletic mission – play a sport in all 12 seasons of their prep careers.

If Allison Wenzel, Hunter Downes, Cameron Toomey-Stout and Hunter Smith are able to stick the landing, the Class of 2018 would beat the Class of 2016 and 2017, combined.

Last year, Tiffany Briscoe and Lauren Grove were the only Wolves to complete the journey, while, two years ago, Jared Helmstadter was a lone hero.

Now, of course, pulling off the 12-for-12 run at CHS is a mix of skill, commitment, a love of basketball and a bit of luck.

If it wasn’t for an off-season leg injury which erased her entire junior volleyball campaign, Kyla Briscoe would also be on this list.

Downes, for one, has hurt himself numerous times, but, unlike Briscoe, he has always done it DURING the season, keeping his streak alive.

And you can’t underestimate the role basketball plays in any Wolf hitting the 12-for-12 run, as that’s the only sport the school offers in the winter.

Just off the top of my head, I can name at least two current CHS seniors who miss the list only because of a decision to skip a basketball season. One did it as a sophomore, while the other is electing not to play as a senior.

For now, though, the focus is firmly on the four-pack chasing perfection.

At a small school like CHS, you need athletes to play more than one sport. It’s a matter of bodies.

Wenzel, Camtastic and the Hunters have been at the forefront, giving their time and sweat season after season while also juggling academics and extracurricular activities.

They are upholding tradition, while setting the bar for young athletes coming up behind them.

Call them iron men or iron women, they have earned our praise.

 

The breakdown for each athlete, through winter 2017:

Hunter Downes – Football (4 seasons); basketball (4 seasons); track (2 seasons); soccer (1 season)

Hunter Smith – Football (4 seasons); basketball (4 seasons); baseball (3 seasons)

Cameron Toomey-Stout – Football (4 seasons); basketball (4 seasons); baseball (2 seasons); track (1 season)

Allison Wenzel – Volleyball (4 seasons); basketball (4 seasons); track (3 seasons)

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