Call them the “A Team.”
When the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announces the state academic awards in boys 3A basketball in the next few weeks, Oak Harbor High School should be among the grade-point-average leaders.
The Oak Harbor High School volleyball and girls basketball teams are perennial academic powers. If fact, last fall’s volleyball squad finished second in GPA to Kelso for the state scholastic championship.
The Oak Harbor High School boys basketball team is now ready to join the state honor roll. The Wildcats (those players who have appeared in a varsity game) own an approximate accumulative GPA of 3.5. The official figure won’t be available until all the grades from first semester, which just ended, are recorded.
Interlake of Bellevue won the 2016 state 3A boys basketball academic title with a 3.66 GPA.
Eight of the 11 varsity players on Oak Harbor’s boys team own GPAs of 3.2 or above, led by seniors JJ Mitchell and Adam Nelson, who hold perfect 4.0s.
Juniors Ozell Jackson and Gabe Salinger and sophomore Kevin Schuldt have GPAs above 3.8; senior Ty Baker and sophomore Gavin Allen are between 3.5 and 3.7; and junior Weston Whitefoot is between 3.2 and 3.4.
“I am very fortunate to have such exceptional student athletes,” coach John Weston said. “Academics come before athletics, but we still expect these young men to commit to the program and always participate. It can be challenging to excel in the classroom throughout the grind of a varsity basketball season, yet they have proven to do so. It just shows the type of character these young men have.
“They have high expectations for themselves, and most have ambitious post-secondary academic and career goals.”
The qualities of a good student and a good athlete are similar, according to the players.
“I believe working hard leads to success, whether in the classroom or on the court,” Salinger said. “You have to be dedicated; you can’t come one day and not be there the next. School and sports have taught me to be committed.”
“To be successful in the classroom, you need to pay attention to detail,” Nelson said. “That attention to detail carries over to the basketball court.”
The physical and mental exhaustion from athletics can be challenging, according to Mitchell, and can help one learn to handle the discomfort of studying.
“It is all about attitude,” Mitchell added. “You need to decide if you want to overcome the challenge.”
“Basketball is fun and it helps you power through,” Nelson added.
The Wildcats’ commitment to academics is another thread that helps hold the team together, the players said.
“On the bus, we study together; in the classroom we help each other out,” Mitchell said.
“Having that relationship (commitment to academics) helps build a bond,” Nelson said. “We trust each other on and off the court.”
“This is the most closely knit team I have been on,” Salinger added.
The junior varsity boys basketball team mirrors the success of the varsity —
3.8-4.0: Andrew Baloy, Kanoa King, Ben Knoll and Brennan Ney.
3.5-3.7: Austin Boesch, Terrell Crumpton, Dorian Hardin and Nate Thompson.
3.2-3.4: Ashton Potts.
Oak Harbor Girls
As has been the norm, the Oak Harbor High School girls team is again dominated by stellar scholars.
Twenty-six of the 36 players among the three teams (varsity, JV and C-team) own grade point averages of 3.2 or above —
3.8-4.0: Jasmine Ford, Emily Gouge, Samantha Hines, Julie Jansen, SJ Johnson, Bryn Langrock, Halle Lemme, Madison Maxwell, Cherie Miller, Rosa Simpliciano, Olivia Waite and Jordan Wood-Pina.
3.5-3.7: MariaKristine Ballesteros, Ashley Berry, Mikhaela Cortez, Aleizah Espiritu, Rinka Lee and Samantha Olson.
3.2-3.4: Haley Abbott, Maria Dailey, Sarah Mensah, Tia Miesle, Rebekka Nielsen, Natalie Plush, Niyah Reed and Monique Stolmeire.
Coupeville Teams
The Coupeville High School boys and girls varsity and JV basketball teams have their share of academic all-stars –
4.0: Emma Mathusek, Lauren Rose, Scout Smith, Ulrik Wells, Allison Wenzel, Sarah Wright and Tia Wurzrainer.
3.5-3.99: Ariah Bepler, Maddy Hilkey, Nicole Laxton, Nikolai Lyngra, Avalon Renninger, Hunter Smith, Maya Toomey-Stout, Shawn Toomey-Stout and Gabe Wynn.
3.0-3.49: Tiffany Briscoe, Aram Leyva Elenes, Lauren Grove, Mason Grove, Dawson Houston, Joey Lippo, Kalia Littlejohn, Mia Littlejohn, Lindsey Roberts, Ashlie Shank, Ema Smith and Cameron Toomey-Stout.
