Jacki Ginnings | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Jacki Ginnings’

“I’m a part of something special!!”

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged CHS Wolves, Jacki Ginnings, Ken Stange, tennis, Vince Lombardi, Wynter Thorne on March 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Wolf seniors (l to r) Micky LeVine, Jacki Ginnings, Wynter Thorne and Haleigh Deasy. (John Fisken photo)

Things gets lively Thursday.

The Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad plays its first home game, while Wolf track, golf and girls’ tennis all kick off their seasons on the road.

As he prepares to launch his 20th season at the helm of the CHS tennis programs (10 seasons of boys tennis and now 10 seasons of girls tennis), Wolf net guru Ken Stange had a few thoughts to share with the world.

Take it away, Stange!

On the eve of the girls’ first match of the year, against an always-tough South Whidbey squad, I’m feeling both satisfied and excited.

In my first nine seasons at CHS, I’ve never had such a balance of experienced veterans and fast-rising newcomers.

The team is cohesive, to a level I’ve never seen.

I thought I saw it coming as the season approached; the leaders were already making plans, the veterans were out practicing in bad weather, and the newcomers were right there for every step.

The first 14 practices have produced players who are working at beating the crap out of each other, on the court.

What’s more, winners haven’t gloated while losers have seen the team’s depth and the possibility of a remarkable season.

They are holding each other accountable. They have taken a highly individualized sport and turned it into something familial.

Whatever happens tomorrow, and over the course of the rest of the season, I think I’m a part of something special, a season that the team won’t soon forget.

Go Wolves!

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Wolf netters swing for state!!

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged CHS Wolves, Jacki Ginnings, Ken Stange, Spring Sports Preview, Sydney Autio, tennis, Valen Trujillo on March 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Payton Aparicio is part of a group of fast-rising freshman tennis players. (John Fisken photos)

CHS coach Ken Stange launches a ball during practice.

“I love the game and I like sharing it with people who enjoy it.”

As he enters his 20th season of coaching tennis at Coupeville High School (10 years, with the boys in the fall and girls in the spring), Ken Stange has lost little of his boyish enthusiasm.

His passion for the game, and his ability to inspire his players, whether they are state tournament candidates or JV players on the very fringes, are keys to what has become one of the most inclusive, successful sports programs at CHS.

“Some kids hate it, but when someone gets bitten by the tennis bug, they just can’t get enough,” Stange said. “I’m lucky to get girls who are successful in other sports.

“They’ve always played soccer, volleyball, and basketball but not too many have played tennis. They show up thinking, “Oh. Tennis. This will be light and fun. I won’t have to run as much,” he added with a chuckle. “Then they see that they can apply the athleticism and tenacity that they apply in other sports to the tennis court.

“They turn it into a contact sport. I like it when they get competitive. I try to make them see that their best competition will come in practice, from the girls just in front and just behind them on the ladder.”

Regardless of the outcome, having a team that fights hard every day in practice is a bonus.

“They may win or lose big on match day, but the lessons will come in those closely contested challenges,” Stange said. “One thing about tennis is that beating up on teammates in practice never means sore players come match day.”

As he heads into his milestone season, the Wolf tennis guru would like to do something he’s never done before — qualify both boys and girls for the state tourney in the same school year.

In the fall, Aaron Curtin became the first male singles player to earn a trip to state during Stange’s tenure.

The Wolf girls, while minus now-graduated singles sensation Allie Hanigan, are talented and would like to hitch a ride with Curtin to Eastern Washington in May.

“My girls are greedy, and so am I,” Stange said. “We want to dominate the league tourney this season.

“If we can do that, our league tourney feeds four singles players and four doubles teams into the district tourney,” he added. “If we can pack the district bracket with our own players, we will increase our shot of sending kids to state.

“It’ll take a lot of effort, but I really think this group has a solid combination of talent and drive. Both are necessary.”

Senior Jacki Ginnings, who played #2 singles last year, leads a deep group of returning players that includes fellow seniors Micky LeVine, Wynter Thorne, Ivy Luvera, Ana Luvera and Haleigh Deasy.

Juniors Sydney Autio, McKenzie Bailey and Jazmine Franklin and sophomores Valen Trujillo and Bree Daigneault are also back, while three freshmen — Payton Aparicio, Sage Renninger and Mckenzie Meyer — have a strong shot to crack the varsity squad.

“Our strength has to be our depth,” Stange said. “For league matches, I’ll need three singles players. In non-league matches, we will sometimes use two to four singles players. I need some versatility there. I think I have it.

“My top doubles teams struggled a bit last season. Most of them are back, and they are joined by a feisty group of young players who came ready to compete, on day one,” he added. “I think we may have the cure for what ailed us at the top of the lineup last season.

“That cure would be experience mixed with new talent.”

The Wolves will be making their debut in the 1A Olympic League, with Klahowya expected to be the biggest rival.

With his boys’ squad having upended the Eagles in the postseason, Stange sees no reason his female netters can’t keep the trend going.

“I always have the expectation that the players will grow their games while enjoying a lifelong sport that they can play for decades,” he said. “This season, I’m adding the expectation of a league title.

“I’m not sure what Klahowya has to offer, but I don’t see why we can’t do what the girls hoops squad did (winning a league title at 9-0), although it would be difficult to win by such wide margins.

“This could be my best girls team ever!”

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You want goals? We got goals!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, tagged 1A Olympic League, CHS Wolves, concussion, Jacki Ginnings, Micky LeVine, Soccer on October 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Freshman Lauren Bayne scored the first goal of her high school career Thursday. (John Fisken photos)

Micky LeVine has now scored in five straight games.

She is unflappable, untouchable, unstoppable.

Keeping her hot streak going, Coupeville High School senior Micky LeVine punched in a goal for the fifth straight game Thursday, sparking the Wolves to a 6-0 romp over visiting Chimacum in their first-ever Olympic League game.

Now 4-3-1 overall, 1-0 in league play, CHS is tied atop the four-team league with Klahowya (9-1, 1-0).

Chimacum (2-7, 1-1) and Port Townsend (1-9, 0-2) bring up the rear.

The Wolves will get an immediate chance to see how they compare to the league’s heaviest hitter when they face the Eagles on the road Saturday.

“We will learn where we are when we play Klahowya,” said a tired Coupeville coach Troy Cowan.

Cowan, who should have been celebrating the win, spent several hours post-game in the ER at Whidbey General and may have lost a second defensive leader.

Senior Jacki Ginnings is believed to have a concussion, which would be a repeat of an injury that knocked her out of action last season.

With junior Jenn Spark already lost due to a blown-out knee, the Wolf defensive unit is shrinking before Cowan’s eyes.

“Need to wait and see, but doesn’t look too promising,” he said. “Next Wolf up!”

Take away Ginnings injury and the rest of the game was a thrill ride for Coupeville.

Senior goaltender Julia Myers put Chimacum’s offense into the deep freeze, while her teammates up front went wild with their offense.

LeVine banged home her team-leading fifth goal on a penalty kick that was set up when Erin Rosenkranz had a shot knocked down by a Cowboy’s hand.

Rosenkranz found the back of the net herself, collecting her second goal of the season, while Marisa Etzell scored her first two.

Freshman Sage Renninger and Lauren Bayne rounded out the Wolf scoring attack, with each converting on the first goals of their high school careers.

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“I told you, Jesus kissed my ankle!!”

Posted in Girls Soccer, tagged CHS Wolves, Crosspoint Academy, Emma Laurion, Jacki Ginnings, Soccer on October 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Jacki Ginnings scored the first goal of her high school career Saturday. (John Fisken photo)

Emma Laurion began her soccer career in Coupeville and has gone on to be one of the state’s top scorers for Crosspoint Academy. (Tara Templeton photo)

Jacki scored!

That was the headline Saturday, as Coupeville High School senior Jacki Ginnings, one of the hardest workers in the biz, overcame a hurt ankle to net the first goal of her stellar high school career.

Playing in Bremerton against defending 2B state champ Crosspoint Academy, the goal wasn’t enough to turn the tide, however, as the Wolves were rolled 7-1 by their hosts.

Playing without five key players, including its top scorer (Micky LeVine), top defender (Jenn Spark) and starting goaltender (Julia Myers), and with several other key players limited to short stints on the pitch, Coupeville couldn’t match Crosspoint’s high-powered offense.

Desere’e Doty netted a hat trick and former Whidbey resident Emma Laurion added a goal and two assists to pace Crosspoint.

The loss dropped Coupeville to 3-3-1 heading into the start of the six-game 1A Olympic League schedule.

CHS coach Troy Cowan was content to look at the positives on the trip home.

His younger bench players got a chance to experience substantial playing time, and Ginnings seized her moment.

Literally.

Cowan had moved Ginnings and her sore ankle up front to avoid contact as much as possible and was about to pull her from the game.

Her replacement was actually on the sideline, ready to come in, when she made her goal-scoring run.

“She was begging me on the bench to play,” Cowan said. “Jacki must have seen she was about to get subbed and decided to make one last push to score a goal.

“Before the match, when I told Jacki I wasn’t going to play her much because I wanted her to rest her ankle, she told me Jesus had kissed her ankle,” he added. “Well, it must have been true, because in those next few moments before she came out for the day, Jacki put one in the back of the net.

“After a few minutes on the bench Jacki told me, “see coach, I told you Jesus kissed my ankle!”

Coupeville entered the non-conference game, which had been set up to give Laurion a chance to reunite with some of the girls she played with during her rec league days on Whidbey, down a chunk of players.

Spark is lost for the season with a blown-out knee, while LeVine, Myers and defender Christine Fields were taking the SATs. Bree Daigneault was called away by a family emergency.

“When you take that kind of firepower off a team, you won’t see too many sparks,” Cowan said.

Their absence, and Cowan’s decision to limit the playing time of seniors Ginnings, Erin Rosenkranz and Marisa Etzell to preserve their health for league play, gave the Wolf bench its biggest chunk of playing time this season.

Freshmen Mckenzie Meyer and Mia Littlejohn stepped in for Myers, splitting time in goal, while Lauren Bayne, Kirsten Pelroy, Ashley Smith, Hanna Seiffert and Tai Rose all saw substantial action.

“A lot of these girls haven’t played much this year, but when opportunity came a knocking, they were there to open the door and took full advantage of their opportunities,” Cowan said. “All these girls played hard and learned a lot about the game and themselves today; they will be better players tomorrow because of today.”

Cowan also took a few moments to praise older players who shined.

“May Rose was awesome today. Playing nearly the whole match as an outside mid-fielder, she was terrific at winning balls and battled hard all day,” Cowan said. “Very happy with May’s play, her future has never looked brighter.

“Ivy and Ana Luvera are just terrific young ladies that are great at playing soccer. Both play hard, never quit and excel in sportsmanship,” he added. “The Luvera girls played really well today; Ivy, still learning her new position, continues to put in work and is getting better every day. Ana is just driven!!! I mean this player doesn’t have a first or even second gear, she has one speed, fast!!!

“Just a pleasure to train, watch, and coach.”

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Jacki G. shoots, scores!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, Happy birthday, tagged CHS Wolves, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, Happy birthday, Jacki Ginnings, Soccer on September 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Jacki Ginnings (John Fisken photos)

Ginnings unleashes “The Crippler.”

Jacki Ginnings is a superstar.

Whether wielding a racket on the tennis court or booting a soccer ball on the pitch, the Coupeville High School senior is electrifying, enthralling, exciting and a lot of other words that don’t necessarily start with an E.

Though she can be as intense as needed, the first thing you always notice about Miss Ginnings is the joy that radiates off of her.

She genuinely seems to enjoy her sports, especially soccer, which is enough of a passion that she plays virtually year-round with high school and select squads.

Huge smile on her face, she dives into the fray and reminds everyone in the stands that, no matter how seriously people take sports, it’s still just a game.

Jacki gets it.

She’s talented, she excels, but she always has fun along the way.

Even when the weather is brutally cold and no reasonably sane person should be playing soccer under the conditions — a fate that often befalls her Whidbey Islanders select soccer squad when they play deep into the fall.

Ginnings makes it look effortless. And she makes it look fun.

She may not scream and holler and try to get a lot of attention, but she doesn’t need to. We notice what she’s doing and we respect her for the way she plays.

As she celebrates her birthday today, we wish Jacki the best. Cause she is the best.

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