CHS names Aparicio, Smith Athletes of the Year

While Payton Aparicio was quietly assembling an outstanding career at Coupeville High School, Hunter Smith was becoming one of the most decorated athletes in school history.

The two seniors followed different paths, but both ended up in the same place — receiving the school’s Athlete of the Year Award last week.

Payton Aparicio

Most of the hardware Aparicio collected in her career came from her efforts on the tennis court, where she earned four varsity letters with doubles partner Sage Renninger.

The two were paired up since their freshman year and won three Olympic League championships after placing third as ninth-graders.

In addition, they placed second at the district tournament their junior and senior seasons; they were fifth as sophomores.

Aparicio and Renninger capped their careers by taking fourth in the 1A state tournament last month, losing only to the eventual state champions.

In the past two seasons, Aparicio was named Coupeville’s Most Valuable Player and was a team captain. Additionally, she was selected as the team’s Most Inspirational Player this spring.

In volleyball, Aparicio earned three varsity letters. This past fall she was named the Wolves’ Most Valuable Player, was a team captain and was the recipient of the Spirit of the Wolf Award while leading Coupeville to its first state appearance since 2004. She also helped the Wolves win league titles in 2016 and 2017, their first in 12 years.

Coaches’ Comments

Volleyball coach Cory Whitmore: “I’m so proud and happy for Payton. To be recognized as the Female Athlete of the Year for Coupeville in a class as athletic as hers is quite the testament, and she deserves every bit of it. She has been an unfailingly reliable member of the volleyball team and an exact example of what I hope younger players emulate as they push to better themselves as she did.

“Payton grew not only as a player, she also worked hard to develop her leadership ability, and, as a captain, she represented the program extremely well.

“Much of our success was due to having Payton on the team, and I’m excited to see her recognized for her incredible effort and character.”

Tennis coach Ken Stange: “Payton occupied the No. 1 doubles spot in our lineup from the first match of her ninth-grade season through her final match at state this year.

“Quiet and humble, Payton chose to lead by example. As she grew from underclassman to upperclassman, her leadership became more vocal. She and her partner Sage took charge of the team this year, instilling a solid work ethic that will last well beyond her years at CHS.

“Payton always had the killer instinct on the court. Whether crushing a service ace or hitting her opponent with the ball, Payton’s intimidation ranks near the top in terms of the CHS players I’ve coached.

“She left a lasting mark on our program, and I’ll miss her dearly.”

Hunter Smith

Smith, who also picked up the Athlete of the Year honor last year, put the finishing touches on his incredible career by winning the Olympic League’s Most Valuable Player honor in baseball this spring while leading the Wolves to the conference championship.

His achievements are many:

•Four-year starter in football and baseball; three-year starter in basketball.

•Three-time, first-team all-league in baseball; two-time in basketball and football. (Most likely would have been a three-time selection in football but missed five games his senior season because of an injury.) Also, he was honorable mention in football as a freshman.

•Seven school records in football (despite missing those five games) — receiving touchdowns in a game (3, 2016), receiving yards in a season (916, 2016), receiving touchdowns in a season (11, 2016), interceptions in a season (7, 2015), receiving touchdowns in a career (17), receiving yards in a career (1,761), interceptions in a career (16).

•847 career points in basketball (12th-most in school history).

•Seven team awards — football, Most Improved (2014), Most Valuable Defensive Player (2015), Most Valuable Player (2016); basketball, Mr. Hustle (2017), Most Valuable Player (2018); baseball, Most Valuable Player (2018), Captain (2018).

Coaches’ Comments

Football coach Jon Atkins: “Hunter meant everything to our program, not just from a production standpoint, but from a leadership standpoint. Our team went as he did. When he went down with an injury at Vashon, I can still remember the players rallying behind him; then when learning he couldn’t go the following week, I saw how they looked to play on the field without him.

“If he was not injured I am sure we would have had one to two more wins. When he was on the field it made other teams create a plan to stop him, which opened up plays for other players.

“Hunter was one of the most talented athletes I have ever had the pleasure to coach.”

Basketball coach Brad Sherman: “What Hunter accomplished on the football field, basketball court, baseball field and in the classroom at Coupeville High School are something he can be very proud of.

“Hunter is what you want in a leader on your team. He shows up every day and gives it all he has, he sets an example you want young guys to follow both on and off the court and he makes those around him better.”

Baseball coach (and father) Chris Smith: “I am very proud of this achievement because it came through hard work, commitment and discipline. Hunter is a very focused individual who is driven to strive for excellence in everything that he does. I think this is reflected in the fact that he also received the Student of the Year Award and graduated salutatorian.

“The thing I appreciate about Hunter’s commitment to excellence is that although the individual awards are nice, they are not his goal. He is committed to the team and the game no matter which sport he is playing. Hunter has always been very coachable in sports and in all aspects of life. He is the same person on the field, on the court, in the classroom and at home. He is always striving to be the best he can be. For that I could not be any prouder as a parent or a coach.”