Coupeville Sports

   The wheels on Coupeville buses (this one was headed to state for softball) go round and round, driven by the best in the biz. (John Fisken photo)

Above and beyond the call of duty.

Spring sports, with its wild swings in weather, usually calls for athletes, coaches and fans to adapt. Normally, that just means waiting out a rain storm here or there.

Saturday, the situation was a lot more treacherous for those on the Coupeville High School track team, and their fan base, who had traveled to Eastern Washington for the 44th annual Cashmere Invitational, a 19-team super-meet.

Seven Wolves set PR’s while they were there, and junior Lathom Kelley won the 300 meter hurdles in his first-ever stab at the event.

Getting back to balmy Whidbey Island, however, wasn’t easy.

With texts coming to parents describing 18-feet of snow falling in the pass, of jackknifed semis and road conditions where the lines on the road had vanished, there was concern.

Through it all, one Coupeville bus driver stayed steady and did her job admirably, shepherding home the Wolves she was driving, and those who were following her trail.

Lincoln Kelley, who had gone to watch his son run, sent me the following email, which I’m running unedited:

Hey bro, I would like to see a tribute to our unsung hero …”The Bus Driver.”

This weekend, one Miss Yolanda Meek led a cavalry of cars and trucks over Stevens Pass in the late hours of April 11th, in which a snow/rain mix faded the vision from every driver’s seat.

She dropped chains and bared the pavement for the rest of us to bear the wretched commute in safety, even if it was 25 MPH!

In true spirit of a WOLF, she rose to the challenge and persevered!

I am impressed with her devotion to getting our athletes to these “big deal” competitions with no personal agenda.

ALL of our drivers deserve a public honoring … thanks!