Madison McMillan, one of the best to ever grace the diamond for CHS. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Her at-bats? Legendary.
Few Coupeville High School softball players have caused pitchers to break into a cold sweat on a regular basis like Madison McMillan did.
The Wolf third baseman, a key player during a supremely successful era of CHS diamond excellence, hefted a heavy bat and often used it to destroy the hopes and dreams of her rivals.
Madison would amble to the plate, composed and quiet, not a screamer, not prone to needlessly bouncing around, but a young woman fully intent on completing her mission.
And that mission?
To launch as many balls down the left field line as possible, where they could clear the fence and bounce off down the road to be found later hiding out in the Prairie Center parking lot.
Though, truth be told, she was open to using all parts of the field, with her towering shots often heading to center or right, depending on what the pitcher offered.
She possessed prodigious, game-changing power, the kind consistently displayed by only a few Wolves over the years — Sarah Mouw, Hailey Hammer, Veronica Crownover, Sarah Wright — but Madison could also take a well-hit single and turn it into an extra-base hit, letting the wheels do some of the work.
Put her in the field and she was an equal-opportunity destroyer, flying in like a missile to snuff out would-be bunters, or launching laser throws from the corner, the ball burying itself in the first-baseman’s glove a half-second before the runner’s toe tapped the bag.
A key part of a highly successful group. (Grant Van Dyke photo)
Madison grew up on Central Whidbey diamonds, first at Rhododendron and then at CHS, going from promising to talented to truly irreplaceable.
Along the way she and her teammates hit some amazing highs, with last year’s seniors capping their four-year run with 64 varsity wins, including two at state.
Win or lose, Madison was the heart and soul of those teams, a fierce competitor who enjoyed victory with class and endured defeat stoically, embracing her teammates as her sisters and always finding time to honor her grandparents, Gordon and Nancy.
Now wearing a different softball uniform as a member of an Edmonds College squad about to kick off its season, Madison is not merely a one-sport wonder, however.
She was a woman for all seasons during her Cow Town days, making a considerable impact for Wolf volleyball and basketball teams as well.
Winnin’ matches and takin’ names. (Ashley Menges photo)
As a spiker, Madison was an integral part of a program which went to state in back-to-back years during her junior and senior campaigns, with the finale especially sweet.
Those Wolves finished 18-2, won league and bi-district titles, were undefeated until the final day of the season, and finished 4th at the 2B championships.
Across her varsity volleyball career, which began with some appearances in games as a mere fab frosh, Madison compiled 121 kills, 537 digs, four block assists, 59 assists, and 132 service aces, leading her squad in digs as a junior and senior.
Her willingness to scrape balls off the floor, to keep plays alive long after they should have died, is a testament to the fire which burns in her.
The girls nailing winners at the net often get the big headlines, but they don’t get those opportunities if a player like Madison isn’t there to anchor the back line, double pumping her fists after once again thwarting the other team’s best efforts to land a winner.
Doing the dirty work, match in, match out. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
That team-first mentality carried over to the hardwood as well, where she pumped in a strong 176 points as a varsity player, but made her biggest impact on the defensive end of the floor, snagging rebounds and body-blocking fools into the bleachers if they tried to get into the paint.
Madison is proof you can be a woman for all seasons, a standout athlete and student and a better human being.
As she chases her next-level dreams, we want to take a moment today to honor her for all she achieved while repping the red and black for the Wolves.
We’re swinging open the doors of the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame to induct her into our lil’ digital shrine, a well-deserved tribute to one of the classiest athletes I have written about over the years.
After this you’ll find her up at the top of the blog under the Legends tab.
Out in the real world? Out there I hope she gets everything she strives for, and I hope she knows how highly we regard her.
The queen surveys her kingdom. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
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