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Posts Tagged ‘Kirsten Pelroy’

Kirsten Pelroy, a talented athlete and better human being.

Kirsten Pelroy is a special human being.

Utterly unique, her soaring spirit eclipsing even her often-amazing athletic talent, the 2016 Coupeville High School grad forever lives large in the memory of Wolf fans.

Kirsten’s name still graces the CHS track record board in the entrance to the school’s gym.

She was just a fab frosh in 2013 when she ran a leg on a 4 x 400 relay team which set a mark which has now stood for more than a decade.

One of the silkiest, deadliest runners to ever step to the line while reppin’ the red and black, Kirsten was a multi-event threat.

She ran on all three relay teams during her high school days, and actually also still holds part of a Coupeville Middle School record for the 4 x 200.

When not perfecting her baton handoff, then coming up big in crunch time moments during the postseason, Kirsten ran in the 100, 200, and 400, while also competing in both the 100 and 300 hurdles events.

Racking up 10 wins, multiple PR’s, and a lot of dropped jaws from rivals, she was a key part of a generation of superb female athletes who held their own against athletes from much-bigger schools as Coupeville proved it didn’t matter how many students a school had, as long as the ones they did possess were kick-ass warriors.

That carried over to the soccer field, where Kirsten used her quicksilver speed to zoom away, or sometimes right over, any fool who tried to make a play for the ball while it was on her toe.

Staring down the best booters the world could send her way, she was a rock-em, sock-em superstar who often sacrificed her own stats for the good of the team.

Kirsten played for the girls on her squad, and her happiest moment as a CHS soccer player seemingly came on Senior Night, when she asked for a group hug and got promptly mobbed by her pitch sisters.

“Can’t catch me, can’t stop me!!” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Toss in a run as a Wolf cheerleader, and Mitch’s lil’ sis was the real deal as a well-balanced athletic success.

But like all of the truly memorable ones, Kirsten’s impact went far beyond sports.

She was, and is, a bright, shining light piercing a world of greys.

Back in her high school days I described Kirsten thusly:

“A whip-smart, truck-drivin’, multi-hair-colored-rockin’ whirlwind of fun ‘n sun, she has style for days and her epic smile reaches the field a good two feet before she does.”

A radiant star, hanging out with two of her biggest fans. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Nothing has changed since her exit into the adult world, as she remains one of the most-vibrant human beings you will ever meet.

Which is part of why today, after too long a wait, we warmly welcome Kirsten into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame as our newest inductee.

After this you’ll find her hanging out under the Legends tab at the top of the blog, joining big bro.

Entrance to our digital shrine may make it “official” that Kirsten is one of the true big-timers of Wolf Nation, but you don’t need me to tell you how special she is.

If you’ve ever met her, spoken to her, or watched her gracefully navigate the world, you already know.

Look up “transcendent” in the dictionary, and there Kirsten Pelroy will be, rockin’ the joint as always.

Dr. Jim Shank gets to shake the hand of a legend. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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Birthday mates Amy King (left) and Kirsten Pelroy.

Birthday mates Amy King (left) and Kirsten Pelroy.

They are legends in their fields.

One’s a quicksilver track and soccer star who, at least according to the buzz from her fan club, may want to dip into some mixed martial arts action.

The other is half of a husband-and-wife coaching dynasty that is revolutionizing the biz, the gold standard when it comes to reporting game and behind-the-scenes action.

Heck, she’s even promised to give me a game recap in poem form at some point.

And now, today, the duo share a birthday, separated by a few years but united by a town, a school and the sheer radiance of their awesomeness.

Kirsten Pelroy (the possible future Ronda Rousey) and Amy King (the Robert Frost of Cow Town) are two of the best Coupeville can claim, and we want to wish both of them the happiest of cake days.

Pelroy, lil’ sis to former CHS supernova Mitch Pelroy, has been a bright, shining star in her own right.

One of the quickest Wolves on two feet, she has sparkled on the soccer pitch, the track oval and as a cheerleader, forever living up to her own description of herself — as an “Energizer Rabbit.”

Her skills go way beyond mere athletics, however.

A whip-smart, truck-drivin’, multi-hair-colored-rockin’ whirlwind of fun ‘n sun, she has style for days and her epic smile reaches the field a good two feet before she does.

Wherever she goes in life, whatever she does, I have no doubt Kirsten will kick some fanny along the way, making friends with everyone she meets.

If you want to know who she really is, all you have to do is listen to this second-hand tale from her soccer Senior Night.

Dawn Hesselgrave, mom to Wolf booters Kalia and Mia Littlejohn, and one of the loudest bleacher supporters of Pelroy, smiled and said, “You know what Kirsten wanted for Senior Night? To get a hug from everyone on her team.”

Cue a mob scene down below, as Pelroy’s entire 20-woman team mobbed her in a group hug, Kirsten disappearing into the middle of the giggling, grinning mass before emerging looking like she had won the lottery.

In reality, it’s us, her fans and those who have watched her compete and light up the universe on a daily basis, who really won.

And I could say the same about King.

One of the best coaches I have worked with, she accomplishes amazing things by being a mom to her players — firm and instructive when need be, nurturing and a good listener when required and warm and caring always.

Regardless of the sport (volleyball, basketball or softball) Amy rides that fine line between making sure every one of her girls enjoys — truly, deeply enjoys — their season, while also making sure they emerge as better players and more confident young women.

She takes talented players and helps to shape them into stars, and she takes bench players and gives them memories which will last forever.

There is joy in seeing one young woman take over a game, torching their opponents from buzzer to buzzer, but there is also joy in seeing a different young woman finally put everything together and score the only basket of their high school career.

King knows that both moments are huge milestones, and she treats both with respect and joy, and her players respond in kind.

As these two very talented women mark their big day on the calendar, we just want to take a moment to make sure both know how appreciated they are.

Coupeville is a better place for having Amy King and Kirsten Pelroy as two of our own, and I hope both of you have the birthday celebration you deserve.

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Kali Barrio (John Fisken photos)

   Proud mom Kali Barrio waves her support for her daughter, Wolf senior Jenn Spark. (John Fisken photos)

Jovanah Foote

Jovanah Foote bows out alongside her mom.

Kirsten Pelroy

Kirsten Pelroy and the parental units.

Jenn Spark

Spark and a fraction of her fan club.

sign

Someone gets an A for sign craftsmanship.

Dawn Hesselgrave

   Wolf mom Dawn Hesselgrave, on her way to surprise the seniors with framed mementos of their time on the soccer pitch.

Meanwhile on the bench, the underclassmen amuse themselves.

Meanwhile on the bench, the underclassmen amuse themselves.

seniors

Your Class of 2016 booters and a few of their closest supporters.

Senior Nights are about the players, but it’s also about their families.

It’s a chance for moms and dads and relatives of all kinds to put a cap on years of watching daughters and sons play a sport.

It’s about speeches, like Kirsten Pelroy telling her teammates “I’ll miss being your energizer bunny,” and Jenn Spark thanking her longtime select coach, Sean LeVine, for “teaching me everything about the sport I love.”

And, it’s about the photos.

It’s always about the photos.

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Mia Littlejohn (John Fisken photos)

  Mia Littlejohn has a close encounter with a foreign object. (John Fisken photos)

Lauren Grove

   Wolf goalie Lauren Grove carries some battle scars, or at least a fair amount of paint from diving on the recently-sprayed end zone.

Lindsey Roberts

   Lindsey Roberts achieves a moment of Zen while clearing the ball from in front of her goal.

Kirsten Pelroy

Kirsten Pelroy, an explosion of color and nimble footwork.

"I got moves, son!"

“I got moves, son!”

Bayne

Dancing with the ball, Lauren Bayne is ever on the attack.

Taichen Rose

Taichen Rose works the sidelines like a pro.

"Sweep the leg! Sweep the leg!!!"

Littlejohn gets all “Karate Kid” on an Eagle. “Sweep the leg! Sweep the leg!!!”

They sacrificed.

Whether they were taking a hit to the noggin, marking up their uniform with field paint or merely agreeing to play a game on the day of the Homecoming dance, the Wolf booters gave it their all Saturday.

While they didn’t upset defending 1A champ Klahowya — falling 2-0 in a tense affair — they did make a run at the Eagles, and caught the eye of lens-toting photo man John Fisken.

To see more (and possibly purchase some, thereby helping to fund college scholarships for CHS student/athletes) pop over to:

http://www.olympicleague.com/index.php?act=view_gallery&gallery=9412&league=21&page=1&page_name=photo_store&school=24&sport=0

P.S. — Use coupon code EB94124962 before Oct. 31, 2015 and you’ll get a crisp 15% discount.

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(JOhn Fisken photos)

   CHS soccer players head out for a run, led by Ashley Smith (pink shorts) and Kirsten Pelroy (Coupeville Wolves shirt). (John Fisken photos)

Bree

   Bree Daigneault (right), Lindsey Roberts (red shirt) and coach Troy Cowan share a moment, while Pelroy tries to launch a photo bomb in the background.

Bree

  Daigneault, Jovanah Foote (Seahawks shirt), Pelroy and Roberts are old pros at this.

run

   The biggest news seen here? The return of Jenn Spark (far right) who missed most of last year after a terrible injury.

girls

Like I said, not their first photo shoot…

Eventually, they played some soccer. And were pretty dang good at it.

But first things first for the Coupeville High School girls’ soccer squad on Day #1 of practice for a new season.

Running? Well, yeah, eventually…

But take one team blessed with athletes who enjoy posing for the camera, and one rovin’ photo man in John Fisken, and the first day of practice was all about the photo ops.

Then CHS coach Troy Cowan got control of his team again and they went back to work, content in the knowledge that they had, once again, won the internet.

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