Jazmine Franklin (front) and McKenzie Bailey, during their days as high school tennis aces. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
They were awesome together. They were awesome apart.
And now, three-plus years after graduation from Coupeville High School, Jazmine Franklin and McKenzie Bailey continue to grow in their awesomeness.
The former is an accomplished artist who’s a step away from breaking big, while the latter is on her way to being the coolest teacher a new generation of little kids could hope to meet in the classroom.
While both continue to soar on a daily basis as they chase their dreams, today we’re here to primarily talk about what they accomplished as Wolf athletes.
It is a sports blog, after all, and we’re way overdue on inducting the dazzling duo into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.
So, let’s rectify that oversight and crack open the door on our digital hall of wonders, sending them into hallowed company as a team.
After this, when you wander up to the top of the blog and peek under the Legends tab, you’ll find Franklin and Bailey exactly where they’ve always deserved to be.
Both did it all, and did it extremely well, during their time in the red and black.
Franklin was an accomplished cheerleader and a class leader, while Bailey bopped her way through volleyball and basketball, while also being at the forefront of everything the Class of 2016 student leaders accomplished.
But, it was when they came together, picking up tennis rackets and laying waste to anyone foolhardy enough to wander into their path, where they sparkled like never before.
“Killer Kenny” attacks.
“Girl’s crazy … but I kind of dig it.”
CHS tennis coach Ken Stange referred to the fun-loving, hard-hitting duo as Salt ‘n Pepa, and they were his go-to whenever he needed a crucial win.
It might have been easy for their play to be overlooked, as their hard-court careers virtually mirrored those of Payton Aparicio and Sage Renninger, who were a #1 doubles team for four straight seasons, culminating in a long run at the state tourney their senior season.
Playing in the #2 slot never dinged their shine, however, as they methodically raked their way through other teams, while helping their teammates raise their own games.
When he looked back at the first 15 years of his career as leader of the Wolf tennis programs, Stange tabbed Franklin and Bailey as one of the best doubles duos he had coached.
He appreciated their ability to blister foes from big and small schools alike, and how they went about accomplishing the feat.
Over the course of their prep careers, the duo went an eye-popping 28-4 when teamed up together.
That’s a brain-melting .875 winning percentage, a number few, if any, Wolf athletes have come remotely close to hitting.
Always game for a photo op…
But deadly efficient on the court. (Ken Stange photo)
Franklin and Bailey were leaders on and off the court, a combined second voice for their coach, and they capped their prep careers by being “excellent team captains.”
Stange has seen (and coached) hundreds of young women and men during his decade-and-a-half-plus at CHS, but Salt ‘n Pepa remain among his favorites, for their skill, their fight, and their attitudes.
“They were about winning and fun, in that order,” he said. “They lived out loud and I loved it!”
To see (and possibly purchase) Franklin’s artwork, pop over to:
https://jzmn-originals.myshopify.com/
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