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The King has left the oval

Posted in Track, tagged , , , , on December 8, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Randy King celebrates as the Coupeville High School track team wins another title. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

This is the end, my friends.

For really real this time.

First he departed as a teacher, and now longtime Coupeville High School track and field guru Randy King is calling it a career as a coach.

The longest-tenured coach at the school retired as a teacher in April, 2020.

King spent 42 years in the classroom, the final 29 at CHS.

At the time, the school board agenda indicated he was also bringing his coaching career to an end, but, to the joy of many, he agreed to stick around the track oval for a bit longer.

This time his departure is official, however, as CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith confirmed King’s resignation.

King has been involved with the Wolf track program since the mid-2000’s.

His run as coach produced 11 of the 17 individual state meet titles in program history.

Wolf state champs he coached include:

2006 — Jon Chittim (200, 400); Kyle King (3200); boys 4 x 400 (Chris Hutchinson, Chittim, K. King, Steven McDonald)

2007 — K. King (1600, 3200)

2008 — K. King (3200)

2010 — Tyler King (1600, 3200)

2019 — Danny Conlisk (200, 400)

Under Randy King’s tutelage, Coupeville track regularly proved quality could beat quantity, with his teams piling up strong league, district, and state finishes despite often having far fewer athletes than many of its rivals.

The high-water mark for CHS track came in 2006 and 2008, when the Wolf boys finished 4th in the team standings at the state meet.

His girls teams were some of the strongest in school history, and 11 of 18 Wolf girls track school records came on his watch.

On the boys side, 12 of 17 current school records belong to King-coached athletes.

King also led the CHS varsity boys basketball program for 20 seasons, ruling the sidelines between 1991-2011.

He led both his 1998 and 2002 squads to Northwest League titles, coaching four of the top 10 scorers in program history.

Mike Bagby (tied for #1 with 1,137 points), Pete Petrov (#7 with 917), current Wolf boys hoops coach Brad Sherman (#8 with 874), and Arik Garthwaite (#10 with 867) all called King their coach.

King also pulled a stint as a CHS assistant football coach, and, later in his career, led middle school programs for both boys basketball and volleyball.

The spikers who he taught as young women went on to provide the core of the most-recent CHS volleyball squad to earn a trip to state.

“It’s good to be the king, baby!”

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Wolf thrower signs with Central

Posted in Track, tagged , , , , on November 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Logan Martin signs to compete in track and field for Central Washington University. (Eileen Stone photos)

A family portrait, of sorts.

“You da man!”

Track season never ended.

Coupeville High School senior Logan Martin has been hard at work perfecting his throws, showing up and showing out in one-man workouts.

And all that work has paid off.

In advance of his final season with the Wolves, Martin signed paperwork to commit to competing at Central Washington University.

He’s expected to throw the discus and shot put, as he does at CHS, while adding the hammer and weight throw.

Martin, who has also played basketball, tennis, and soccer during his time as a Wolf, set PR’s in the shot put, discus, and javelin during his junior season of track.

His best discus throw in a high school meet has been 153 feet, 10 inches, putting him hot on the heels of older brother Dalton, who owns the CHS career record with a heave of 161-07 from 2016.

With a PR of 44-03 in the shot put, Martin is also chasing Hunter Hammer’s school-best mark of 51-03.75 from 2011.

This spring will offer Logan and teammates their first chance in three seasons to qualify for the state meet.

The ongoing pandemic erased spring sports during Martin’s sophomore season.

While CHS and its foes returned to competition last year, there were no postseason events.

That’s expected to change this time around, with Martin and Co. aiming to make the trip to Cheney for the big dance.

After that, Coupeville’s top thrower will return to the eastern side of the state, but this time with Ellensburg and CWU his destination.

That’s the same NCAA D-II school where former Wolf football star Nick Streubel pulled on the pads during a stellar collegiate career.

 

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Bayne a class act, always

Posted in Girls Soccer, Hall o' Fame, Track, tagged , , , , on August 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Lauren Bayne, a Hall o’ Famer in every way. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

She is class, personified.

Owner of a big brain, a strong work ethic, and a killer instinct when engaged in athletic battle, Lauren Bayne never asked for the spotlight, never screamed for recognition.

She just went out, kicked some fanny (almost always while radiating great joy), then ambled off to support her teammates, friends, and classmates.

Lauren was a pro’s pro, and, like older brother Josh, let the results largely speak for themselves.

She carried herself with calmness, grace, a quiet strength … and great class, always.

Three years after Lauren’s graduation from Coupeville High School, a look back at her Wolf athletic career reveals she accomplished much.

As a middle schooler, she played volleyball and basketball with panache, while also competing in gymnastics.

Once she stepped through the doors of CHS, Lauren locked on to soccer and track, however, playing four years in both sports.

On the soccer pitch, she was a calming influence on her squad, rising to captain status, and earning that distinction multiple times over.

Bayne and fellow Wolf soccer captain Sage Renninger enjoy Senior Night festivities. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Lauren did the dirty work, and did it with a spring in her step, anchoring the Wolf defense — a unit which gelled around her.

She would not be pushed around on the field, fighting for every 50/50 ball, constantly encouraging her back line mates to fight with the same conviction she always showed.

Through it all, what lingered longest was the class she showed, as when she hailed her teammates in her Senior Night speech.

“Our little soccer family is the best, and I’m so glad to have become friends with everyone and to get to play with you,” Lauren said in the moment.

“Most of all, my defenders, we have worked our butts off and the new defensive line this year has been killer.

“So, kisses to my back line!”

Lauren’s strength, her inner fire, and her class were all on display during her days in Coupeville’s track and field program, as well.

Bayne and Danny Conlisk, state track meet veterans. (Dawnelle Conlisk photo)

Never afraid to try something new, she competed in 11 different events over the course of four seasons — jumping, throwing, and running with wild abandon.

There was little Lauren wouldn’t try, as she ran on relay teams, tried distance running, did a sprint or two, and hurled throwing implements into the great wide open.

And she was good, often really good, in whatever she tried.

During her CHS track career, Lauren registered wins in the high jump, 3200, triple jump, and 4 x 400.

Twice she qualified for state, making it to the big dance in the high jump as a junior, before making a return trip to Cheney as a javelin thrower during her senior season.

In her final moments as a high school athlete, Lauren went out with a bang, setting a PR in the javelin and putting an emphatic stamp on her prep days.

Her throw, which smashed down onto the Eastern Washington University turf after traveling 109 feet, two inches, was almost 10 feet better than the best throw by any other Wolf girl over the past decade.

The queen of the booster club’s crab feed fundraiser. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Then, she moved on, off to see what adventures awaited off-Island, ready to amaze and inspire while chasing real-life dreams.

Whatever path Lauren follows in her post-CHS days, I am confident she will find great success.

She is smart, kind, very strong, and always willing to put in the work. Plus super-classy, if we haven’t already mentioned that multiple times.

Back here in Cow Town Lauren will be remembered for all she accomplished, and the manner in which she reached her goals.

Today, she joins her brother, Josh, in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, welcomed into our lil’ digital shrine.

From now on, when you pop up to the top of the blog and look under the Legends tab, you’ll find her hanging out there.

A class act who deserves everything good which comes her way.

Always reaching for the stars. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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9 for 9: Track titans tower

Posted in Track, tagged , , , , on August 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Jacob Smith hits warp speed. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

This blog turns nine years old August 15, and to mark the occasion, I’m picking what I view as the best nine Wolf athletes from each active CHS sport.

To be eligible, you had to play for the Wolves between Aug. 2012-Aug. 2021, AKA the “Coupeville Sports” years.

So here we go. Each day between Aug. 1-15, a different sport and (probably) a different argument.

 

We’re getting twice the picks on this one.

I went back and forth on track and field, debating between picking the best nine girls and the best nine boys, or squishing everyone together and picking the best nine overall.

In the end, I decided 18 fit better than nine, since boys and girls don’t go head to head in high school meets.

Other sports, from basketball to soccer, got 18 picks — just with different stories, one for girls and one for boys.

And, anyway, tomorrow’s big finale, when I choose the best nine athletes, regardless of sport, will pit male vs. female with just nine picks standing at the end.

But today, you get 18.

Maya Toomey-Stout (left) and Mallory Kortuem celebrate at the state meet in Cheney. (Konni Smith photo)

GIRLS:

Lauren Bayne — Qualified for state in both the javelin and the high jump. Competed in 11 events across four seasons. Her best javelin throw (109 feet, two inches) was almost 10 feet better than the second-best throw by a Wolf girl during the blog era.

Lauren Grove — Qualified for state seven times — three times each in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200, and once in the 200 — winning four medals. Key part of record-busting relay units.

Sylvia Hurlburt — Qualified for state six times, claiming four medals. Strong sprinter who was a major part of relay teams which shattered school records during her time at CHS.

Mallory Kortuem — Four state meet medals, highlighted by a 2nd in the 400 as a junior. Holds school records in four events (400, pole vault, 4 x 100, 4 x 200). Denied a senior season by the pandemic, but now running for Western Washington University.

Lindsey Roberts — Won eight state meet medals, most of any girl in CHS history. Holds a share of three school records (100 hurdles, 4 x 100, 4 x 200).

Emma Smith — Arguably the most-successful Wolf female thrower of the blog era, she qualified for state in both the discus and shot put. Her best heave in the shot put — 34-05 — was 28 inches shy of tying a school record which has stood since 1990.

Makana Stone — Her seven state meet medals are second-best by a Wolf girl, fourth-best in school history. Qualified for state nine times. Holds school records in the 200 and 4 x 400. As a freshman, won her first 28 events, best start in school history by an individual athlete. That streak covered the 100 (six races), 200 (five), 400 (four), 4 x 100 (three), 4 x 200 (five), and 4 x 400 (five). Won 84 races in four seasons.

Madison Tisa McPhee — Holds school record in the 300 hurdles, and owns three state meet medals. A superb relay runner who was key to several teams which set school records during her time at CHS.

Maya Toomey-Stout — Holds a share of four school records (100, long jump, 4 x 100, 4 x 200) and claimed three state meet medals. Qualified for state 10 times across three seasons — advancing in five different events. Only Wolf girl to qualify for state in four events in one year, and did it twice. Denied a senior season by the pandemic.

A young Danny Conlisk, who would go on to win two state titles as a senior, takes the baton. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

BOYS:

Mitchell Carroll — Holds school record in the triple jump, and finished 5th at state in the event.

Danny Conlisk — Two-time state champ (200, 400) as a senior, the first Wolf to claim a title in a decade. Holds school records in 100, 200, and 400, and has six state meet medals, tied for third-best by a CHS boy.

Jordan Ford — Owns school record in the pole vault, and finished 8th at state in the event.

Lathom Kelley — Injuries prevented him from qualifying for state, but remains one of the most electrifying athletes to ever compete for CHS. Competed in 14 different events during his four years.

Jean Lund-Olsen — Qualified for state in three events across two seasons, winning a medal all three times. Denied a senior season by the pandemic.

Dalton Martin — Only Wolf thrower to win three medals at the same state track meet, finishing 2nd in the discus and 8th in both the shot put and javelin. Holds school record in the discus.

Jacob Smith — Has six state meet medals, tying him with Conlisk for third-most by a Wolf boy. Two of those medals were for 2nd place finishes.

Nick Streubel — Second-best male thrower of the blog days, he qualified for districts multiple times in both the shot put and discus.

Sean Toomey-Stout — Qualified five times for state across two seasons, claiming two medals. Denied a senior season by the pandemic.

Lauren Bayne soars. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

 

Up next: We wrap things up with the best overall athletes of the past nine years.

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Welcome to the Year of Ja’Kenya!

Posted in A freakin' American hero, tagged , , , , on August 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Ja’Kenya Hoskins, Superstar. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Ja’Kenya Hoskins. Say her name, and write it down for good measure.

I’m calling it right now – this is her year.

When the students who form the Coupeville High School Class of 2022 head back to school for their senior year, there will be multiple athletic storylines waiting to play out.

From Hawthorne Wolfe chasing the all-time CHS boys basketball scoring record to Izzy Wells trying to become the first pitcher to lead the Wolf softball squad to state twice, potential glory is everywhere.

But, with no slight meant to any girl or boy in the Class of ’22, I’m anointing Ja’Kenya as the North star for this pack of Wolves.

It’s a testament to what she could accomplish athletically, as a key basketball and track star.

On the hardwood, Ja’Kenya is a high-energy, rebound-snatching, let’s-roll-in-the-open-court wrecking machine.

And, when next spring rolls around and brings with it the hope of a state meet for the first time in three pandemic-altered seasons, Miss Hoskins will brandish a major distinction.

She’s the only active CHS track athlete to own a state meet medal, as she was part of a 4 x 200 relay squad which finished 3rd at the big dance during her freshman season.

That also put Ja’Kenya up on the CHS track record board, where she joined older sisters Ja’Tarya and Jai’Lysa, part of record-owning 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 teams, respectively.

It was a great start, but then the pandemic took a chomp out of Ja’Kenya’s prep track career.

Covid completely wiped out her sophomore campaign, then track returned with a limited number of meets, but no postseason, during her junior year.

While nothing is guaranteed, the rise of vaccination numbers hopefully promises a more traditional final track campaign for Ja’Kenya and Co.

Breakin’ records, every day.

But the reason we’re tabbing this “The Year of Ja’Kenya” goes beyond sports.

The youngest of four children in her family (brother Will joins his three sisters), Miss Hoskins is everything you could hope for if you want someone to be the representative of your town, and its school.

Anyone who has met her can tell you she is a vibrant ray of sunshine disguised as a human being, someone whose mere presence makes everyone in the immediate area happier.

From middle school on, when rival teams arrive in Coupeville, it’s not been unusual to see most of the opposing players immediately crowd around Ja’Kenya, with her peals of laughter rising up to the ceiling as she greets everyone she knows and loves.

Which is just about everyone.

It’s the same when she hangs out with her fellow Wolves, such as close friends like Izzy Wells.

Want to find Ja’Kenya? Listen for the laughter, and look for the part of the crowd having the best time of anyone in the gym.

Ja’Kenya and Izzy Wells, possibly up to shenanigans.

Last year, during soccer season, I saw her on a fairly-regular basis in the press box, as she ran the clock and did announcements, and I pretended like I understood soccer.

I came away impressed.

Ja’Kenya is whip-smart, but not in a show-off way, very funny, remarkably-poised, and as genuinely kind and caring as any teen you’re likely to meet.

She was deeply-concerned when she thought she might have stumbled over a rival soccer player’s name during pre-game introductions (trust me: she nailed it), and had something nice to say about every single one of her classmates.

Every … single … one.

And she wasn’t being a smart-ass. Ja’Kenya is just that nice.

Now, she may have no memory of Videoville, a sad confirmation that we’ve gone far enough past my lazy, hazy video store days for that time to mean anything to the Netflix ‘n Instagram generation.

But even then, Ja’Kenya’s kindness shone through.

“Oh, I’m sure I would have liked the video store if I was there! Especially the gumball machine!!,” she assured me.

Meanwhile, I’ll just go sit over here in the corner, babbling like Grandpa Simpson, about the olden days…

But enough about me. Back to Ja’Kenya.

She impresses me, and has every day and in every way, since she was just a wee lass. The more I learn about her, the more my admiration grows.

I hope Ja’Kenya knows how highly others think of her – from the adults she interacts with to her fellow student/athletes.

The hope is for the 2021-2022 school year to play out as normal as possible, and to see a lot of really great Coupeville teens end their CHS days on a high note, athletically, scholastically, and socially.

But I’ll admit it.

I really want to see Miss Hoskins be rewarded. I want this to be “The Year of Ja’Kenya.”

She’s earned it; she deserves it.

Way back in 2013, Ja’Kenya (pink shirt) was already lovin’ the spotlight.

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