Coupeville Sports

Marlene Grasser, seen here with husband Jim, was a district track and field champ in 1987. (Photo courtesy Grasser family)

They were on a mission to reclaim their spot atop the podium.

And they did, in blowout fashion.

Jump back to May 15, 1987, and the Coupeville High School boys track and field team was in Stanwood, intent on winning its third District 1 title in four years.

Champs in ’84 and ’85, the Wolves fell short in ’86 as Friday Harbor claimed the team title.

But ’87 was all about Cow Town once more, as CHS rolled up 123 points, finishing well ahead of its closest competitors, Concrete (90) and Watson-Groen (72).

All in all, a much more comfortable win for the Wolf boys than the Watson-Groen girls, who barely held on to claim a 108-106 battle with Friday Harbor.

Those numbers are scrawled in ink pen across the back of a relatively thick program from that year’s district meet, part of a collection of Coupeville sports memorabilia belonging to Sandy Roberts.

The cover of said program features an animated runner reproduced by the finest dot matrix printer in the land, while inside the program are numerous handwritten notes, including some of the times and finishes.

For someone like myself, who was still back in Tumwater in ’87, leafing through the program gave me something to do while waiting for the power to blink back on after a January wind storm.

And now, with electricity once again rippling through the lines, powering computers and cell phones, I pass on my findings to you.

The district meet brought together 11 “B” schools in ’87, from Coupeville (duh) to Lopez Island and La Conner.

Also included were Anderson Creek, Arlington Christian, Concrete, Friday Harbor, Mount Vernon Christian, Mountlake Christian, Snohomish County Christian, and Watson-Groen Christian.

While four of those schools — Concrete, Friday Harbor, MVC, and La Conner — remain key Coupeville rivals as the Wolves return to the Northwest 2B/1B League this year, a couple of others remain question marks for me.

I’ve never, ever heard of Anderson Creek, and can’t seem to find anything indicating it still exists. Anyone out there have a clue?

Anyways, on the day in question, Coupeville was in fine form, claiming seven titles, including five on the boys side of the ledger.

Chad Gale (110 hurdles and triple jump) and Bill Carstensen (100, 200) were the day’s big winners, each taking two individual firsts while also running a leg on a triumphant relay squad.

The zippy duo were joined by Jay Roberts and Allen Weddell on the fastest 4 x 100 unit in the stadium.

Also standing atop the podium were Tina Barker, tops in the 800, and Marlene Grasser, undisputed queen of the 100 hurdles.

But there were other Wolves competing on that spring day as well, so here’s a look back at what went down almost 34 years ago, at least according to the penciled notes on our program.

1987 district meet results:

GIRLS:

100 — Robyn Rolain (3rd) 14.02; Karen Bailey (4th) NO TIME LISTED

400 — Rolain — NO PLACE OR TIME LISTED

800 — Tina Barker (1st) NO TIME LISTED

100 Hurdles — Marlene Grasser (1st) 16.8

300 Hurdles — Grasser (2nd) 52.8

Long Jump — Barker (6th) NO DISTANCE LISTED; Bailey — NO PLACE OR DISTANCE LISTED

BOYS:

100 — Bill Carstensen (1st) 11.00; Karl Mueller (7th) 12.00

200 — Carstensen (1st) 22.6; Mueller (6th) 24.8

400 — Jay Roberts (3rd) 54.4

800 — Trevor Peterson (4th) 2:15.7; Jeff Sobieski (6th) NO TIME LISTED

1600 — Sobieski (4th) 5:05.00

110 Hurdles — Chad Gale (1st) 15.3; Ed Cook (3rd) 17.7; Tony Ford (4th) 17.9

300 Hurdles — Gale (2nd) 43.4, Cook (4th) 45.3

4 x 100 Relay — Roberts, Gale, Allen Weddell, Carstensen (1st) 45.6

4 x 400 Relay — Roberts, David Ford, Cook, Sobieski (5th) 3:52.00

Shot Put — D. Ford (4th) NO DISTANCE LISTED; Dave Cox and Morgan Roehl — NO PLACE OR DISTANCE LISTED

Discus — Joe Tessaro (2nd) 114-00; D. Ford and Roehl — NO PLACE OR DISTANCE LISTED

Javelin — D. Ford (4th) NO DISTANCE LISTED; Eric Gunter and Tessaro — NO PLACE OR DISTANCE LISTED

Pole Vault — Cook (3rd) NO HEIGHT LISTED; Gunter — NO PLACE OR HEIGHT LISTED

High Jump — T. Ford (5th) NO HEIGHT LISTED

Long Jump — Weddell (5th) NO DISTANCE LISTED; Gale — NO PLACE OR DISTANCE LISTED

Triple Jump — Gale (1st) 40-06; T. Ford (5th) NO DISTANCE LISTED