Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘tennis’

After appearing in many photos over the years, Julia Myers is now reaping a financial benefit. (John Fisken photos)

   After appearing in many photos over the years, Julia Myers (with ball) is now reaping a financial benefit. (John Fisken photos)

Aaron Trumbull works hard for his money.

Aaron Trumbull works hard for his money.

John Fisken came out from behind the camera Tuesday night.

After spending most of the school year clicking away, the Oak Harbor-based lensman swung by Coupeville High School to award his second annual scholarships.

Taking home the honors (and some cash) were Wolf seniors Julia Myers and Aaron Trumbull.

The duo follow in the footsteps of Breeanna Messner and Brandon Kelley, who won the inaugural awards in 2014.

The scholarships, which honor student/athletes who play at least two sports for all four years, are financed by families and fans purchasing photos Fisken shoots, then puts up for sale on various sites.

All those times when I dropped a plug for his work, this is where it pays off.

To be eligible, CHS seniors had to also have a GPA of 3.0 or better, not be getting any financial aid for playing sports from a college program and write an essay.

They then topped things off with a one-on-one interview with Fisken, who alone made the final call.

Myers, who played soccer, basketball and tennis, plans to attend Western Washington and study kinesiology, with a goal of becoming a physical therapist.

She developed an interest in the field after having to undergo physical therapy while rehabbing a soccer injury. Myers hopes to one day obtain a position with a professional sports team.

A fan of her leadership class (Pre-Calculus not so much…), she singled out CHS basketball coaches David and Amy King and soccer/basketball teammate Makana Stone as big inspirations.

Looking back over her busy sports career, Myers remembered a rec soccer game where she stopped every shot that came to her in an OT shootout as her personal favorite highlight.

Trumbull, who played basketball and baseball all four years, was a key player on the Central Whidbey Little League baseball team that won a state title.

Years later, that remains a treasured memory for him.

He plans to attend Olympic College, where he’ll play baseball, before eventually transferring to Central Washington University.

He hopes to earn an engineering degree and go into the military, possibly as a pilot.

Coupeville baseball guru Willie Smith was Trumbull’s favorite coach, while Aaron Curtin, a close friend who also played basketball and baseball, was his pick for most inspirational teammate.

In school he greatly enjoyed Barbara Ballard’s UW English class (a class all of the nominees mentioned), but could have done without taking Spanish.

Read Full Post »

Aaron Curtin (Photo courtesy Ken Stange)

  Aaron Curtin submits to a photo op with his state tennis medal. (Photo courtesy Ken Stange)

Curtin flies up court during basketball season. (John Fisken photos)

Curtin flies up court during basketball season. (John Fisken photo)

The joy of  a game-winning hit. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

The joy of a game-winning hit. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Let’s take a moment to honor the quiet warrior.

For four years Aaron Curtin has been as good an athlete as Coupeville High School has had.

Tennis. Basketball. Baseball.

He was talented at whatever he played, and he attacked everything he did with passion.

Aaron was his own man the whole way, as well.

He would pop up in photos, usually with a small smile, but he didn’t hunger for the camera the way some Wolves do.

A lot of what we do here at Coupeville Sports is full of exclamation points and kids goofing off for the camera and big-bigger-biggest.

Curtin chose to glide through all that, being a great athlete, a quality guy, but a low key one.

Which is totally his right.

I give him all the credit in the world for doing things his way, the way that made him comfortable.

He handled his business with class every step of the way, and his family, his coaches, and us, the fans, should be proud we got to be a small part of it.

His tennis coach, Ken Stange, reflected on Aaron in the moments after Curtin placed eighth at the state tennis tourney, fighting through four epic matches in two days of searing Yakima heat:

“It was beautiful to watch.

I’ve spent four seasons with Aaron. He played nearly 100 matches for CHS, over the course of four regular and post seasons.

I was so incredibly proud of his effort, and was happy he’d be earning a medal.

I have a hard time finding words to describe the moments he and I shared, just after the match.

It’s surprising because I’m usually not shy about descriptions.

That’s okay, though.

This one was special–it was Aaron’s and it was ours. He’s a pretty quiet and private young man, so I guess it’s appropriate that I can’t give you a description.

It was such an enjoyable experience, and I think it was even more so for Aaron.”

As he prepares to graduate this week, Curtin leaves behind visible reminders of his excellence.

Every time Wolf fans enter the CHS gym in the years to come, they will see his face on the wall of honor, forever enshrined as one of the Wolf Athlete of the Years.

But it will be the memories that will last longer.

The mental images of a young man of sterling character, who fought through tough times on the basketball court as a program rebuilt with young players.

Of a quietly confident veteran who baffled hitters with his fastball, tossing a no-hitter on his home diamond.

Of a class act who never gave in, never gave up, always, ALWAYS fought to the final moment and sacrificed himself for his teammates.

Aaron Curtin was one of the greats, and he stayed true to himself every step of the way.

It was a pleasure to cover your exploits, sir.

Read Full Post »

Makana Stone, collecting medals all year long. (John Fisken photos)

Makana Stone, collecting medals all year long. (John Fisken photos)

Aaron Curtin (left) poses with proud coach Ken Stange. (Judi Curtin photo)

Aaron Curtin (left) poses with proud coach Ken Stange. (Judi Curtin photo)

Three-quarters of the fastest 4 x 200 girls relay team in CHS history.

  Three-quarters of the fastest 4 x 200 girls relay team in CHS history — Lauren Grove (glasses), Marisa Etzell (top) and Sylvia Hurlburt. (Fisken photo)

Whidbey representing.

The final day of the spring high school sports season is awash in big-time performances from athletes who call The Rock home.

For Cow Town fans, the biggest news is Coupeville’s 4 x 200 girls’ relay team, which smashed the school record and claimed 3rd at the 1A state track meet in Cheney.

With sophomore Lauren Grove, senior Marisa Etzell and juniors Sylvia Hurlburt and Makana Stone running as one smoothly-oiled machine, the Wolves held off King’s at the end, coming in right on the heels of Meridian and Hoquiam.

Coupeville hit the tape at 1:46.64, while Meridian won in 1:45.95.

“It was so great!!!,” said a jubilant Hurlburt as she and teammates celebrated.

Stone then returned to solo action and finished fourth in the 400.

Her time of 59.01 trailed repeat champ Maya Jackson of Northwest (57.37) Janessa Murphy of Meridian (58.32) and Morgan Schepke of Cascade Christian (58.57).

Stone now has four state meet medals in three years, having finished 2nd in the 400 as a sophomore and 5th in the 4 x 200 as a freshman.

That unit included Hurlburt and then-seniors Madison Tisa McPhee and Jai’Lysa Hoskins.

Around the same time the relay squad went to its starting blocks, CHS netter Aaron Curtin took the court in Yakima for his fourth and final match at the 1A state boys’ tennis tourney.

After playing three intensive matches Friday, he fell 6-1, 6-3 to Mark Hay of St. George’s and claimed 8th place.

It was an impressive feat for a player from the smallest 1A school in the state who spent his spring playing baseball, then bounced back to tennis at the last second to face private school players who train year-round.

A look at the other medalists reveals school names like University Prep, Seattle Academy and Charles Wright Academy.

Then, boom, baby! Cow Town crashes the posh party.

Well played, Mr. Curtin, well played.

And, before we go, let’s take a moment to honor our brethren to the North.

Oak Harbor senior Dejon Devroe, a superb football player for the Wildcats, is also now the 3A state champ in the 800.

After finishing second in the prelims, he kicked it into gear in the main event, winning with a time of 1:52.61.

Read Full Post »

Aaron Curtin is headed back to Yakima for the 1A state tourney.

Aaron Curtin, an ace every day. (John Fisken photo)

Iron Man is bringing home a medal.

Coupeville High School senior Aaron Curtin won two of three matches Friday in Yakima at the 1A boys’ tennis state tournament, with the final win coming after a two-hour war, assuring he will place.

Curtin will face Mark Hay of St. George’s at 10 AM Saturday, with the winner taking 5th and the loser claiming 8th.

To get there, the Wolf ace had to rebound after an opening round loss.

While he fell 6-2, 6-1 to Eli Jenkins of Chelan, Curtin never flinched.

And, while Jenkins promptly lost his next two matches and left without a medal, Coupeville’s finest came roaring back to knock off Jacob Martin of St. George’s 6-3, 6-1.

After a brief break, he capped a long day in the heat by topping Eduardo Ceballo of Cle Elum/Rosalyn 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

The make-or-break match was a brutal war of attrition that mom Judi Curtin described as “So many deuces. Crazy!”

This is the second straight trip to state for Curtin.

As a junior, he qualified as a doubles player, but he and partner Ben Etzell did not place.

Read Full Post »

Freshmen Sage Renninger (left) and Payton Aparicio played #1 doubles for the Wolves all season.

   Freshmen Sage Renninger (left) and Payton Aparicio played #1 doubles for the Wolves all season.

McKenzie Bailey

McKenzie Bailey won the Coach’s Award for a very successful junior campaign.

Haleigh Deasy

Haleigh Deasy was named Most Inspirational.

Jacki went out on top.

After leading the Coupeville High School girl’s tennis squad all season with grace and quiet fire, senior Jacki Ginnings was tabbed as the team’s MVP Thursday during the season-ending awards shindig.

She also shared captain honors with fellow senior Wynter Thorne, junior McKenzie Bailey and sophomore Valen Trujillo.

Bailey, who copped the Coach’s Award, will reunite with Trujillo as captains in 2016, with Jazmine Franklin and Sydney Autio set to join them.

Franklin (Most Improved), Haleigh Deasy (Most Inspirational) and Ana and Ivy Luvera (4-Year Awards) also walked away with hardware.

CHS coach Ken Stange, in his 10th year at the helm, guided the Wolves to an 11-3 record and an Olympic League title.

Varsity Letters:

Payton Aparicio
Sydney Autio
McKenzie Bailey
Bree Daigneault
Haleigh Deasy
Jazmine Franklin
Jacki Ginnings
Micky LeVine
Ana Luvera
Ivy Luvera
Mckenzie Meyer
Sage Renninger
Wynter Thorne
Valen Trujillo

JV certificates:

Maggie Crimmins
Kenzi LaRue
Hanna Seiffert
Ashley Smith
Kameryn St Onge

Managers:

John McClarin
Joseph Wedekind

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »