Avalon Renninger, Hall o’ Famer. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
I believe in Avalon Renninger.
There is something special about her.
She’s tough. She’s resilient. She’s scrappy. She’s undeniably brilliant.
But, maybe most of all, she is a bright, shining beacon for all Coupeville athletes – an example of someone who seemed to enjoy every moment she had in a Wolf uniform, and someone who did everything she could to make sure all of her teammates got to experience that same joy.
Avalon, one of the true headliners in the CHS Class of 2020, has been a class act every step of the way.
Put her on a soccer pitch, on the basketball hardwood, or on a tennis court, and she gave her all, every single time out.
Raining down buckets all day long.
I never saw Avalon go at half-speed, never witnessed her cheat herself or her team, never noticed her playing with anything other than full effort and wild abandon, no matter the score.
And I saw her play a lot of games over the past six years.
Once she pulled the uniform on, Avalon, one of the most genuinely kind people you will meet, became a crackling ball of energy unleashed.
On the soccer pitch, she led the Wolf girls program to its first-ever playoff win this past fall, a captain willing her squad to glory through words and actions.
But, to get there, Coupeville had to come up big late in the regular season, such as in a 1-0 win at home against Sultan.
Mollie Bailey was untouchable in goal that day, while Mallory Kortuem beat the howling wind and a hyped-up Turk defense to score the lone goal.
But it was Avalon, right there in the middle of the action on every play, who lit the fuse.
Her refusal to ever give in is captured in these paragraphs from the story I wrote that day:
Much like Renninger, the pluckiest of plucky players, the calm, cool, and eternally serene captain who got crunched in the face (fairly accidentally it seemed), and added her blood to the mix of fluids to decorate the Coupeville pitch over the years.
“I thought it was snot,” she told her dad after the game, as she moved her nose gingerly. “It was NOT!!”
Still, Renninger proved why she is among the most-revered of all Wolf athletes, anchoring her squad through the facial pain.
Afterwards, as she headed for the parking lot, her voice a mix of tiredness, pain, and pride, she remarked, “Yep, going home and doing some homework and getting some sleep. Maybe just some sleep … sleep sounds good.”
Avalon always led the celebration when teammates, such as big sis Sage, scored.
When we talk about Avalon and her prep sports career, we can talk stats.
She departs as the #5 scorer in Wolf girls soccer history, having rattled home 12 goals while raising her scoring totals across each of her four seasons.
On the basketball court, she followed a similar path, raising her scoring totals each of the three years she saw varsity action, while operating as the kind of “glue” player who contributes in so many more ways than just making the nets pop.
Swing out to the tennis court, where she teamed with Tia Wurzrainer, and Avalon was a consistent threat, a left-handed assassin with sweet groundstrokes, a serve which had some nicely nasty zing, and a willingness to play all day long.
The duo came up behind Payton Aparicio and Sage Renninger, who were a #1 tandem across four seasons, then inherited the top slot as juniors.
This spring was supposed to offer Avalon and Tia a final shot at glory, a chance to make a run at duplicating the trip to state once enjoyed by big sis and her playing partner.
But while the COVID-19 pandemic has denied them a final season in the spotlight, it does nothing to erase the legacy they will leave behind.
Sisters from different misters – forming a deadly doubles duo with Tia Wurzrainer.
When we remember Avalon, it won’t be for her stats anyway, as solid as they are.
We will remember her for how she was always the first to throw an arm around a younger teammate, pull them in to her, and ease their nerves or quietly light a fire under them.
She gave away penalty kicks late in her soccer career, handing them to freshman girls.
The choice didn’t come from a coach, but from Avalon herself, as she handed responsibility to those who would follow her, and built their confidence, one “You got this!” at a time.
A lot of people want to be leaders.
Avalon just was one, in the manner she conducted herself, in the way she stoked an always-burning fire in her own soul, which made everyone around her want to do the same.
As you probably figured out way back at the beginning of this story, we’re here today to induct Miss Renninger into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, where she will join her sister.
After this, if you pop up to the Legends tab at the top of the blog, you’ll find her there, camped out with other big-timers.
This is hardly going to be the last award the multi-talented phenom will win, as she prepares for college and all the big-time accomplishments to come.
Avalon will head off into the outside world, but she will remain an enduring part of Cow Town’s heritage and history.
Gone, but never forgotten, flying down the pitch, scrambling on the hardwood, sliding across the tennis court.
Fighting with every last ounce of effort, beaming with joy (even when being rapped in the face with wayward elbows), a grin creasing her face, always looking for the best in everything.
“WE GOT THIS!!!!” she would tell anyone who would listen, and I never doubted her.
Why?
Because I believe in Avalon Renninger.
