Seniors Makana Stone and Wiley Hesselgrave concluded their Coupeville athletic careers by receiving the high school’s Athletes of the Year honor for 2015-16.

Makana Stone

Stone, who also won the award last year, excelled in basketball and track.

On the court, she received the Olympic League’s Most Valuable Player award for the second consecutive year as she led the Wolves to their second straight unbeaten conference season and championship. Last school year’s title run was the first for Coupeville in girls basketball since 2002.

Stone helped this year’s team reach the regional tournament for the first time in 10 years, and she played on the 1A all-state team.

Once in each of the past two seasons, she was named the 1A Player of the Week by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

Stone, remarkably, recorded a double-double in every game this winter and finished her career with more than 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 200 steals.

In addition to being the MVP in 2015 and 2016, she was first-team, All-Cascade League as a sophomore and honorable mention as a freshman.

She will play basketball for Whitman College next year.

Coupeville head girl basketball coach David King said, “She showed how important it is to be dedicated to a team and never settle as a player. She was driven as a player and made sure each player from top to bottom felt important.”

King also praised her leadership: “(She) encouraged and pushed her teammates to realize that if you put the work in, good things will happen.

“This doesn’t go unrecognized by the other players and the youth of Coupeville. Her effort, skill set and positive influence will be felt for many years. (Makana is) a true role model on and off the court and someone others respect and look up to.”

Stone is also a four-year letter winner in track, and she holds school records in the 200 and 400 meters as well as three relays. Stone’s best times in the 100 and 800 are a half second off the school records.

She qualified for state all four years. As a freshman, she was the league champion in the 100 and 200 and on the 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams. The relay teams went on to finish fifth and 11th in the state meet.

Stone placed second in the state 400 as a sophomore and senior.

Last spring she claimed the Olympic League 200, 400, 4×100 and 4×200 titles and was fourth in the state 400 and third in the state 4×200 relay.

At this year’s state meet, she helped the Wolves take third in the 4×200 relay and sixth in the 4×100 and set school records in both events.

Stone played soccer her freshman and sophomore years before dropping the sport to concentrate on basketball and track. She was a second-team, All-Cascade League selection as a sophomore.

“It’s pretty cool,” Stone said in regard to receiving the Athlete of the Year. “I’m really honored in a big way, it awards more than athletics, and I am very proud to say I received it twice.”

Of all her accomplishments, she puts the Most Inspirational Award she received in basketball at the top of the list.

“I appreciate it,” she said of the award. “The key was getting it from my teammates.”

Wiley Hesselgrave

Hesselgrave, who lettered four years in football and three in basketball, left a stamp on his opponents, coaches and teammates with his intensity and talent.

He earned first-team, All-Olympic League honors the past two years in both sports.

“Wiley was a constant,” Coupeville head football coach Brett Smedley said. “On game day you couldn’t find a player more dialed in and focused on doing his job correctly each and every play.

“I have had multiple conversations with coaches in the Olympic League who told me that they game-planned offensively and defensively for Wiley. Wiley’s playing ability will be missed next year, and he was a great model for our young players to aspire to.”

In football, he was all-conference as a linebacker as a junior when he led the team in sacks and was second in total tackles. On offense, he was second rushing and third in receiving.

This past fall, he was named to the all-league first team as a running back when he led the Wolves in rushing and all-purpose yards.

In basketball, he paced Coupeville in scoring in each of the past two seasons.

“He was committed to the program, worked hard and was willing to take the extra steps to make things happen,” head basketball coach Anthony Smith said. “We developed a great friendship. He will be successful due to his work ethic.”

Hesselgrave said he was “mostly surprised and little bit confused” when he was announced as the winner of the Athlete of the Year award.

He cited leading the basketball in scoring the past two years as the athletic accomplishment he is most proud of.

Now that his Coupeville career is over, he will miss basketball the most.

“There is nothing like playing for your home fans,” he said, “and Coupeville basketball fans are the best on the island.”

Hesselgrave, who will attend Western Washington University in the fall, says his competitive playing days are over.

“I want to focus on academics that will prepare me for my future and I will not have time to play sports.”

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Makana Stone, Coiupeville’s female Athlete of the Year for 2015-16. Photo by John Fisken.