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Finn Price made it to state three times in four years. (Photo courtesy Rachel Price-Rayner)

The “Lone Wolves” have reached the final weekend.

While Coupeville High School doesn’t have swim or wrestling programs of its own, several students have spent the winter training, traveling, and competing with other schools.

Having broken free for the postseason, splasher Finn Price and grapplers Marquette Cunningham and Deven Ogden all qualified for the state championships, which sent them on one more trip.

Price tapped the wall for the final time in a CHS uniform Friday, capping his third trip to state in four years with an appearance in the 50 free prelims.

The Wolf senior, competing in Seattle with swimmers from 2A and 1A schools while repping a 2B institution, finished 22nd with a time of 24.63 seconds.

After a stellar run as a prep athlete, Price is slated to compete for Whitman College, a top-level NCAA D-III program, beginning next school year.

Marquette Cunningham

Meanwhile, Cunningham and Ogden hit the mat at the crack of dawn Friday in Tacoma, taking part in day one of the two-day Mat Classic XXXVII.

Both Wolves won their opening matches, absorbed losses in their second bouts, and return Saturday to continue their big city adventures.

Cunningham, who is seeded #6 in the 132-pound class, beat Diego Gutierrez of Columbia (Burbank) 10-2, before falling 15-0 to Trevin Stauffer of Jenkins (Chewelah) his second time on the mat.

He’s scheduled to square off with Owen McAuliffe of Liberty Bell Saturday morning.

Ogden, the #4 seed at 165 pounds, thumped Guztavo Cortez of Tonasket 20-4, then came up short in a 7-0 bout with Thorne Tissue of Liberty (Spangle).

Awaiting him Saturday is Trenton Mulvaney of Highland.

Deven Ogden (right)

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Finn Price visualizes success. (Photo courtesy Rachel Price-Rayner)

The news came late but was just what everyone wanted to hear.

After originally thinking he had barely missed out on qualifying for state, Coupeville High School swimmer Finn Price earned a wild card berth in the 50 free Sunday night and will head to next weekend’s season-capping event in Seattle.

The boys swim/dive championships go down Feb. 20-21 at the King County Aquatic Center.

Price, a CHS senior, is making his third trip to state and will compete in the 1A/2A portion of the meet.

Nabbing the wild card berth at the last moment capped a wild weekend in which the Wolf water ace competed in both the 50 and 100 free at the District 1 meet in Anacortes.

Price won his heat in the 100 Friday but was narrowly edged out Saturday in both of his events while swimming against a very-fast field of competitors.

Coupeville, a 2B school, doesn’t have a pool or swim program of its own, so for the last four years Price has made frequent trips off-Island to train and compete with 4A Mukilteo.

He then goes his own way during the postseason, qualifying for state in both the 100 and 200 as both a sophomore and junior.

Once he wraps his prep pool career next weekend, Price will turn his sights towards making the leap to the next level.

He will join the swim program at Whitman College next year, having been recruited by one of the top athletic schools in NCAA D-III.

Jennifer Blomme, who leads Whitman’s men’s and women’s aquatic programs, is a 15-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year and was very impressed with Price’s times, plus the effort required to even get in the pool while living in the middle of nowhere.

As the Lone Wolf preps for one final visit to the King County Aquatic Center, his future couldn’t be brighter.

“He’s proud of his high school swim career as he should be,” said mom Rachel Price-Rayner.

“He’s looking forward to seeing how he can improve in college with year-round coaching and a ten-minute commute,” she added with a laugh.

Price and Wolf wrestler Marquette Cunningham are celebrated on Senior Night. (Julie Wheat photo)

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Finn Price continues to excel as a Lone Wolf swimmer. (Photo courtesy Rachel Price-Rayner)

He continues to churn through the water at a rapid pace.

Coupeville High School senior Finn Price, the lone Wolf boy competing as a swimmer, is putting together a strong final campaign while training and traveling with Kamiak.

A two-time state meet qualifier, who’ll be gunning for a third trip to the big dance in February, Coupeville’s aquatic ace was back at it Thursday in Mukilteo.

Competing at a meet which included Kamiak and Mariner, Price won the 50 free, while also qualifying for districts in the 100 backstroke.

Last week he punched his ticket to the postseason in the 200 IM as well.

Price, who will swim for Whitman College next year, is in his fourth season repping the Wolves in the water.

Since CHS, a 2B school, doesn’t have its own pool or swim program, he meets up with South Whidbey athletes and then the group hops across to join the mainlanders in the pool.

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Finn Price ponders the mysteries of the deep. (Photo courtesy Rachel Price-Rayner)

The Lone Wolf is splashing to Walla Walla.

Coupeville High School senior Finn Price, who is chasing a third trip to the state meet this winter, will follow in the footsteps of former Wolf hoops legend Makana Stone and pursue college sports excellence at Whitman College.

After graduating with the CHS Class of 2026, Price will join a highly successful Blues swim program headed up by Jennifer Blomme, who has been named Northwest Conference Coach of the Year 15 times while leading both the men’s and women’s aquatic programs.

Price made the decision to choose Whitman, one of the top NCAA D-III athletic schools in the country, after visiting the school and meeting the current team.

“He’s beyond thrilled!” said mom Rachel Price-Rayner. “He’s very happy and has worked hard.”

While attending Coupeville, which doesn’t have a swim program of its own, Finn Price has commuted daily to Mukilteo to train and travel with Kamiak, a 4A high school.

He then goes his own way each postseason, earning a ticket to state as both a sophomore and junior.

While he’s only a few meets into his senior campaign, Price has already clinched entry to the district meet in multiple events.

Being willing to put in the extra time and effort is part of what caught Blomme’s eye.

“She was extremely impressed with how far he actually travels to even get in the pool and how he commits to 5.5 hours a day so that he can swim,” said Price-Rayner.

“She was impressed with his GPA considering he routinely misses three classes a day for three months, the fact that he is the only male swimmer at his school, that he isn’t in a year-round swim team, or has no way to practice off blocks on the Island.

“She’s looking forward to getting her hands on him.”

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Finn Price, Master of the Water. (Photo courtesy Rachel Price-Rayner)

Splish, splash, another couple wins for the Lone Wolf.

Competing at the Snohomish Aquatic Center Tuesday, Coupeville High School senior Finn Price set the pool on fire, capturing a win in the 200 free and another as part of a 400-meter relay team.

He also hit the wall fourth in the 100 free, qualifying for districts in both of his individual events.

Price, who has competed at the state meet the past two seasons, is in his fourth go-round of being the only male swimmer at CHS.

Since his 2B-sized school doesn’t have a swim program, he trains and travels with 4A Kamiak in Mukilteo.

Tuesday’s meet, the second of the season, also featured Glacier Peak and Snohomish.

Kamiak’s regular season runs through the end of January, and then Price will go his own way for the postseason.

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