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Is diamond life calling to your daughters?

Tryouts for the Whidbey Island Vipers 12U travel softball squad are set for this Tuesday, July 21 at Rhododendron Park in Coupeville.

All the pertinent details can be found in the photo above, so you know where to scroll.

Ready to rip off some aces. (Photos courtesy Starla Seal)

The courts were jammed.

Taking advantage of pleasant summer weather, Wolf serve and volley guru Starla Seal welcomed 28 netters to the 3rd annual Coupeville Youth Tennis Camp.

The strong showing helped organizers bring in nearly $3,000 for the CHS tennis program through the fundraiser event.

Also, the 28 players was a record draw for the camp, which speaks well for the future of tennis in Cow Town.

“Our goal has always been simple: make tennis fun while introducing kids to a sport they can enjoy for a lifetime,” Seal said.

“We want campers to build confidence, stay active, make new friends, and discover a game they can continue playing with their families for years to come.”

Campers rotated through skills stations, with a focus on hand-eye coordination, footwork, forehands, backhands, serving, and teamwork.

As things progressed, match strategy, court positioning, sportsmanship, and the importance of focus and confidence on the court were added as well.

Wrapping things up with a bang, the young net crew got to play in singles and doubles tournaments.

“Campers had the opportunity to put everything they learned into action,” Seal said.

“It was incredible to watch their growth, not only in their tennis skills but also in their encouragement of one another and willingness to compete with great attitudes.”

While the CHS tennis coach was at the forefront of things, Seal benefited greatly from having a strong support group who she praised.

“This camp would not have been possible without the amazing high school and community volunteers who generously gave their time throughout the week,” Seal said.

“Their enthusiasm, encouragement, and leadership helped create a positive experience for every camper.”

Whether they continue on to play tennis for CHS one day or not, the benefits for all involved were tremendous.

“Seeing so many kids laughing, learning, and spending their summer mornings outside, active and engaged, is exactly why we continue to host this camp,” Seal said.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built over the past three years, and we’re already looking forward to making next year’s camp even bigger and better.”


Alana Mihill pops up several times on the list of the all-time fastest CHS cross country runners. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

It’s a weird, wild mix of numbers.

When you look up Coupeville High School cross country results on athletic.net, you can get the top times in 12 different race lengths.

Want meters? They have 3,000, 5,000, and 5,439.

Want miles? Up pops 1.0, 2.0, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.75, 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2.

Well, except there’s nothing listed for the girls in 2.5 or 2.75 miles, and not every race has a top three.

After that, it gets even trickier however, as it’s a true mishmash thanks to some quirks in the system.

Athletic.net launched in 2004, but results from earlier state championship meets can be found there. But only state meets, and generally not pre-2004 regular season races.

Which explains why Natasha Bamberger, Kerry McCormick and their ’80s counterparts pop up here and there, but not everywhere.

Then, of course, there’s the factor that the CHS cross country program was shut down from the mid-’90s until its return in 2018.

Though, during that exile, a Wolf here or there ran in a co-op program with Oak Harbor High School, a time period which included Tyler King winning a state title in 2010 to join Bamberger (1985) atop the mountain.

So, with that all in mind, here’s a look at what athletic.net has as the best times posted by CHS cross country runners.

Why? Cause I feel like it!

Danny Conlisk ambles down the trail.

 

GIRLS:

 

3000 meters:

Catherine Lhamon (13:17.3)
Alana Mihill (15:16.2)

 

5000 meters:

Catherine Lhamon (20:35.3)
Mikayla Wagner (21:35.4)
Noelle Western (22.44.8)

 

5439 meters:

Helen Strelow (30:21.2)
Bryley Gilbert (32:39.7)
Claire Mayne (33:38.2)

 

1 mile:

Aleera Kent (6:24.1)
Kayla Crane (6:44.4)
Mikayla Wagner (7:01.4)

 

2.0 miles:

Catherine Lhamon (14:00.0)
Aleera Kent (14:52.0)
Alana Mihill (15:07.7)

 

2.4 miles:

Alana Mihill (19:25.9)

 

2.6 miles:

Mikayla Wagner (18:18.8)
Aleksia Jump (19:15.7)
Noelle Western (19:17.9

 

3.0 miles:

Nastasha Bamberger (18:56.3)
Kerry McCormick (21:02.0)
Debbie Logan (21:09.0)

 

3.1 miles:

Catherine Lhamon (23:43.0)
Helen Strelow (24:56.0)
Cristina McGrath (25:24.0)

 

3.2 miles:

Catherine Lhamon (25:21.0)
Helen Strelow (28:15.0)
Cristina McGrath (28:41.0)

 

BOYS:

 

3000 meters:

Danny Conlisk (11:02.8)
Sam Wynn (12:15.0)
TJ Rickner (13:35.2)

 

5000 meters:

Tyler King (15:16.9)
George Spear (17:40.7)
Danny Conlisk (17:45.5)

 

5439 meters:

Mitchell Hall (22:15.8)
Carson Field (22:37.8)
Cole White (22:52.5)

 

1 mile:

Carson Field (5:07.9)
Landon Roberts (5:12.8)
George Spear (5:18.9)

 

2.0 miles:

Danny Conlisk (11:27.0)
George Spear (11:39.8)
Landon Roberts (11:50.9)

 

2.4 miles:

Danny Conlisk (13:54.2)
Henry Wynn (14:50.2)
Sam Wynn (15:34.2)

 

2.5 miles:

Jeff Fielding (13:02.0)
Bob McClement (13:19.0)
Mike Allgire (13:44.0)

 

2.6 miles:

Kenneth Jacobsen (14:51.3)
Carson Field (14:52.9)
George Spear (14:57.8)

 

2.75 miles:

Tyler King (15:13.0)

 

3.0 miles:

Tyler King (15:05.1)
Jeff Fielding (15:59.0)
Jeremy McCormick (16:38.0)

 

3.1 miles:

Mitchell Hall (19:02.0)
Cole White (19:23.0)
Carson Field (19:26.0)

 

3.2 miles:

Mitchell Hall (20:48.0)
Hank Milnes (23:17.0)
Reiley Araceley (23:39.0)

Georgie Blaine (center) and family.

A fundraiser has been launched to help a Whidbey family whose 14-year-old son is battling a brain tumor.

Georgie Blaine, a key member of a league title-winning Oak Harbor youth football team which included several Coupeville players this past fall, suffered a seizure while in Florida on vacation.

Doctors performed emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, and the family’s five-day trip turned into a 25-day stay in the Sunshine State filled “with hospital visits, hotel expenses, rental-car charges, fear, and uncertainty.”

Because Georgie was not medically permitted to fly, the family had to return to Washington state by driving.

He is undergoing chemotherapy and treatment at Children’s Hospital in Seattle, requiring the family to rent an apartment in the city for three to four months while “dealing with missed work, food, fuel, parking, transportation, medical expenses, and the cost of maintaining their home in Oak Harbor.”

Georgie’s parents Sara and George have deep roots locally, with mom having worked as a labor and delivery nurse for 20+ years, while dad has been a coach for football, basketball, soccer, and baseball teams.

Friends of the family have launched a GoFundMe with a goal of $10,000 to help Georgie, his two younger brothers, and his parents, and you can read more and donate by hopping over to:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-georgie-fight-his-brain-tumor-and-return-to-football

Savina Wells was a homer-bashin’ hotshot as a freshman back in 2022. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

She was The Natural.

The One Born to Lead the Wolves to the Promised Land.

Why, she was, dare I say it, The Chosen One.

Oh, I did, and I was chastised by some for doing so, which I understand. Not that it stopped me.

Savina Wells was that rarity in Coupeville — a naturally gifted athlete who excelled at each and every sport she tried, who made things seem effortless at times, and was a genuine star from day one.

And by day one, I mean birth, as she followed in the footsteps of her older siblings, Ulrik and Izzy, following them around, one cartwheel at a time, before stepping up to stake her own claim to fame.

From her earliest days in little league and rec basketball, to her days at Coupeville Middle School and High School, Savina was arguably the second-most talented athlete I have written about here on the blog.

Makana Stone lives in a world of her own, and the battle for #2 during the Coupeville Sports era is a fierce one, with a group headlined by Maya Toomey-Stout, Madeline Strasburg, Lindsey Roberts, Teagan Calkins, and a few others.

Savina brought height, grace, speed, tenacity, confidence, and star quality to the stage, and left a sizable impact while we still had her in Cow Town.

Different state, same superstar. (Photo courtesy Katy Wells)

A family move to Florida after her freshman year left Wolf fans wondering what could have been, while she went on to have a super-successful run at Fernandina Beach High School as a volleyball, basketball, and track star.

Before graduating in 2025, Savina advanced to the state track meet twice in the sunshine state, while setting a school record in the high jump.

And yes, her top mark of five feet, three inches would also be a CHS girls record, if the world moved in a different way.

Before she left Coupeville, Savina played two years of varsity basketball for the Wolves, joining Lyla Stuurmans as the first 8th graders to ever start for the high school program.

She and Izzy were the #2 and #3 scorers in 2021 for a CHS hoops squad limited to a partial schedule by the pandemic, then was the #4 scorer for the Wolves as a fab frosh.

And do you need to ask? Yes, she went on to pour in nearly 700 points and snatch 500+ rebounds across her three seasons playing God’s Chosen Sport in Florida.

Pardon me while I go cry in the corner…

Rampaging on the hardwood during Covid days. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

While Savina turned to track and field to fill her spring days in her new home, she played softball for CHS as a freshman, often operating as the team’s catcher while Izzy stalked the pitcher’s circle.

They made for a dynamic duo, helping lead the Wolves to a 16-3 mark in their one season together, with Savina crackin’ extra base hits and flying around the basepaths like a wild woman unleashed.

That included a three-hit game early in the season on the road against state powerhouse Lynden Christian, capping things with a two-out home run which set Lync fans back in their pricy chairs.

The youngest Wells was also a varsity volleyball player for CHS as a freshman, piling up 70 kills, 47 digs, five block assists, and 42 service aces in her debut.

Savina hangs out with mom and big sis Izzy. (Photo courtesy Katy Wells)

Regardless of which state she was living in, Savina excelled. Pure and simple. She had great potential, and she lived up to the promise.

Selfishly I wish she had made her full run in Coupeville, like Ulrik and Izzy.

But she didn’t, and I don’t fault families for finding what works for them. Her parents, Lyle and Katy, were two of my favorite customers in the Videoville days, and they raised three really stellar children.

Seeing Savina soar to new heights, even from across the country, has given me great joy the last couple of years.

But I want her to know, that like her brother and sister and parents, she’s not forgotten about where it all began.

So today Savina joins her big sis in the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, inducted for all she accomplished in Cow Town, and all she has done since departing The Rock.

She was always special, not just as an athlete, and from now on you’ll find her up at the top of the blog under the Legends tab.

Right where she belongs.

Born to be a superstar. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)