The glue to team success is unity. Klamath Union High School senior captain Isabela Coffman was the glue for her cross country team this year and led her team to school history as she helped the girls’ cross country team to its third Skyline Conference District Championship in a row. Coffman was the top female long-distance runner in the Klamath Basin as she won the district title at Steen Sports Park in a 5,000-meter run with a time of 20:53.20 but it did not come easy.
Coffman has a rigorous schedule to maintain as school ASB President, a percussionist in three different bands at KU, member of National Honor Society, a Klamath County Special Olympics volunteer coach, and competing in swimming and track and field. Her hands would be even more tied as she participated in bowling after cross country practice.
Adding to her stripes, Coffman recently received the Army National Guard Most Valuable Teammate by the Oregon Schools Activities Association. She is the first winner of the award at Klamath Union in recent memory. The recognition may also turn into a scholarship. “Supporting my teammates is a big thing for me. I love running and it is the people in the sport and my teammates that makes the year for me,” Coffman said.
The KU senior has quite the legacy to follow, coming from a family with loads of running shoes in their closet.
Longtime distance running coach at Klamath Union, Rob Coffman, has coached her in her four years as a Pelican, along with being a supportive father. Her grandfather, Ken, coached at Oregon Tech and Klamath Union. Her older sister, Nicolette, ran collegiately. “It is exciting to have had that chance to win the district three years in a row,” Isabela Coffman said. “The legacy has been passed on to me, having four generations of runners.”
Coffman had the desire to be a leader from her first year of high school. Like any freshman, she was soft spoken but observed her surroundings and the leaders around her in hope of one day being like them.
Her freshman year, she ran alongside her older sister, who was a vocal leader. The following year, Linnea Gebauer was her captain. A quiet leader, Coffman said, but she knew her job and led proficiently.
This year, alongside friend, Aubrey Syrnyk, it was Isabela’s time to take the lead. Goofy and energetic is how Coffman described herself, making teammates feel loved and welcomed. “You want to be someone who helps hands on but also step back and let others fight through adversity. I won’t always be here,” Coffman said. “I would warm up with our junior varsity team and tell them to be calm ahead of races. I would give the younger female runners a ride home and talk to them about how they felt they did on a race. After practice, we would stay on the field and talk and talk.”
Coffman credits her father for her success as a runner, along with well-known Klamath Union coach, Jeanne Landrum. “She is loving and caring and listens. You have to listen as a leader. I hope to be something like them,” Coffman said.
Coffman’s final cross country run of her high school career ended sourly in 17th place in the OSAA state championships. Though disappointed in the outcome, she saw it as a learning experience.
Skyline Conference cross country coaches agreed Coffman was always supportive of her teammates and of her competition throughout the season, thus a no-brainier being named a top teammate throughout Oregon.
She has gained the respect of Henley High veteran coach, Ron Smith. “I went to his running camp when I was younger and even as I got older. You are friends even though you are competitors,” Coffman said. “I have been running since I was born. I am grateful for KU cross country and for a family who loves me. In the cross country community, you are there for each other and that is a big thing because you have someone to turn to and a community who supports you.”
