Coupeville Sports

   Lauren Bayne hangs out with Danny Conlisk, and the pool toy he earned for winning his 400 prelim heat. (Photos courtesy CHS track supporters)

   The Wolves get ready to march in the parade of schools before day two of the 1A state track and field championships.

Wolf coach Chad Felgar gets strafed by Eileen Stone (left) and Lindsey Roberts.

   Sherry Roberts and Bob Martin argue over what brand of sunscreen is preferable in the Cheney heat.

   Wolf relay runners (l to r) Lindsey Roberts, Mallory Kortuem, Maya Toomey-Stout and Lauren Grove celebrate medaling in the 4 x 200.

A healthy breakfast is crucial to track success.

   Ariah Bepler soared in the high jump 31 years after dad Mark claimed 4th at the state meet in the discus.

   Kortuem flexes in the early morning sun as she waits for the sound of the starter’s pistol.

   Big poppas Tim Grove (left) and Jon Roberts, up to shenanigans most likely. Security was alerted.

   Conlisk (and his buddy) are back for a photo op with relay mates Mitchell Carroll (936), Jacob Smith (938) and Henry Wynn (940).

   Smith and proud (and now hoarse) mom Deb after he shattered his school mark in the 200.

Don’t get into a leaning contest with Jacob Smith.

The Coupeville High School junior showed off his ability to stretch every last centimeter of his body while in motion Saturday, holding off a rival runner by .01 of a second to claim 3rd in the 200 at the 1A state track and field championships.

Running under scorching skies in Cheney, Smith shattered his own school record in the event, hitting the line in 22.41 seconds.

It was the second straight year he medaled in the event, and, with the lean, he improved a slot after finishing fourth in 2016.

Caleb Perry of King’s topped Keyhon Ross of Medical Lake to claim the title, reversing their finish from last season.

With both of those runners seniors, that moves Smith into the role of favorite heading into his senior campaign.

Smith’s sizzling finish was one of three medals the Wolves claimed Saturday, along with 5th place finishes in the 400 from sophomore Danny Conlisk and by the girls 4 x 200 relay squad.

It was the first state medal for Conlisk, whose time of 50.59 seconds was just .04 off of his PR set Friday in the prelims.

The CHS relay unit, made up of freshmen Maya Toomey-Stout and Mallory Kortuem, sophomore Lindsey Roberts and senior Lauren Grove, put together a 1:46.58 run.

That was just off the school mark of 1:46.41 set last year by Roberts, Grove, Sylvia Hurlburt and Makana Stone.

It earned the two freshmen their first medals, while the veteran duo each ran away with the fourth of their career.

That ties them for the fourth-most state medals won by a CHS girl, trailing just Makana Stone (7), Natasha Bamberger (6) and Yashmeen Knox (5).

With the three medals earned Saturday, added to Mitchell Carroll’s 5th place showing in the triple jump Friday, Coupeville exited Cheney with four medals.

The Wolf boys finished 19th in the team standings, second-best showing of any 1A Olympic League schools.

Port Townsend, which was led by Seren Dances winning state titles in the 110 and 300 hurdles as well as the long jump, finished third, while King’s won the team title.

Coupeville’s fellow Olympic League school, Chimacum, was 37th while Island rival South Whidbey finished 40th.

In the girls battle, Lakeside rolled to a team win, with South Whidbey (19th), Port Townsend (25th) and Coupeville (34th) well back.

Chimacum’s girls, and both Klahowya squads, failed to score any points this time around.

The Wolves had two other shots at adding to their team point totals, but Carroll and Ariah Bepler missed out on medals Saturday by the slimmest of margins.

Carroll, a senior, hit a PR of 20 feet, 5.25 inches in the long jump, finishing 10th, while Bepler, a junior, tied his PR of 5-10 in the high jump and claimed 9th.

Bepler’s final try at 6-00 (a height which would have earned him a medal) was super-close, but the pole refused to stay up after he brushed it slightly with his foot on the way over.

Still, it was an impressive state meet debut for the lanky one, who was competing in front of family including dad Mark, who claimed 4th in the discus for CHS back in 1986.