Finn Price, Water Wizard. (Photos courtesy Rachel Price-Rayner)
And here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I’ve ever known
Like a drifter, I was born to walk alone
And I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t wasting no more time
If you came of age in the ’80s, Whitesnake is part of the soundtrack of your mind forever.
And while Finn Price, Coupeville grad circa 2026, was most definitely not alive back then, the lyrics kind of fit when you tell his tale.
At least that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
The Lone Wolf prepares to chase record times.
Price is a water wizard, something rare in Cow Town, where our high school neither has a pool or an aquatic program of its own.
If you rep the red and black, and want to spend your time sucking down chlorine, you have to make twice the effort that most CHS athletes do.
So, instead of heading a few steps from classroom to practice field at his own 2B school, Price hit the road, day after day, often six times a week, for four years, chasing his swim dream by going over to train and travel with Kamiak, a 4A institution in Mukilteo.
Sometimes he had companions, in the form of South Whidbey swimmers, sometimes he truly was the Lone Wolf.
Then, after spending the regular season with Kamiak, Price would take a detour when the postseason arrived, splashing off on his own to chase state meet dreams against schools from 1A and 2A.
Because even then, swimmers from 2B schools don’t have their own championship event.
Just putting in four years of extra time and effort to train, travel, and compete on his own, while also excelling in the classroom, would be worthy of praise.
But Price was solid gold in the water, as well, earning three consecutive trips to the state meet and heading to the King County Aquatic Center for the big splashdown as a sophomore, junior, and senior.
By doing so, he keeps alive a limited, but proud tradition of Coupeville swimmers going stroke-for-stroke against big time foes, joining past standouts such as Amanda Streubel, Ethan Tack, Lily Doyle, and the sibling duo of Rachel and Cole Weinstein.
With current Wolves Alexandra Lo and Liliana Newberg slated to return to the pool this fall, there’s inspiration for other young swimmers.
Price signs his letter of intent to compete at Whitman College.
And Price? He’s off to the next level after hauling in honors before walking with the CHS Class of 2026.
He signed to swim at Whitman College, a top-level NCAA D-III program, and starts training with his new teammates in mid-September.
Price plans to study creative writing and film, is rooming with a Blues baseball player, and tentatively plans to compete in the 100 and 200 free as a collegiate swimmer.
The biggest difference between Whitman and his small-town high school?
Maybe this – there’s a pool on the premises, and he doesn’t have to endure a drive and ferry ride just to get to practice.
As he makes the transition to the next chapter in his life, while continuing his love affair with the water, we want to take a moment to honor Price for all he accomplished in his high school days.
Today we swing open the doors to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, and from this point on, he’s installed up at the top of the blog under the Legends tab.
He just had to work a little harder than most to get there.
Hanging out with fellow athletic and academic star Danica Strong. (Robin Bernardy photo)
