Ready and rarin’ to run in the rain. (Elizabeth Bitting photos)
“Bring on the liquid sunshine!”
Rain and mud never stopped a Wolf.
Attacking a soaking-wet course which came complete with “two-inch deep puddles” and “one big, muddy, slippery hill,” the Coupeville Middle School cross country team shined brightly in the gloom Thursday afternoon.
The Wolves were competing at a multi-team event in Granite Falls which attracted 118 runners and probably needed a different name this time around.
“Granite Gallop? You mean Granite Galoshing!,” CMS coach Elizabeth Bitting said with a laugh.
“Historically this is our wettest and flattest course of the season! As soon as we arrived the rain began! As soon as the last race finished the rain stopped and rainbows started appearing.
“It was a fun, muddy mess of a run, and all had a great time.”
Despite being soaked, many of the Wolf runners set PR’s, and the girls team finished second in the team race out of six squads, trailing just powerhouse King’s.
Coupeville also made a very positive impression on rival coaches.
“There were athletes smiling as they ran through the puddles,” Bitting said. “A coach from another school even commented to me, ‘Your team ran so well today, coach! Their smiles when you cheer for them is everything!!’
“Compliments like that make a coach proud.”
Complete Thursday results (1.7 miles):
GIRLS:
Noelle Western (7th) 12:51 *PR*
Ivy Rudat (14th) 14:30
Aleksia Jump (16th) 14:32
Mikayla Wagner (19th) 14:46
Laken Simpson (20th) 14:50 *PR*
Marin Winger (25th) 15:56
Emma McFadden (33rd) 17:50 *PR*
Devon Wyman (35th) 17:57
Mary Western (42nd) 19:58 *PR*
BOYS:
Easton Green (13th) 11:39 *PR*
Beckett Green (19th) 12:27
Wyatt Fitch-Marron (23rd) 13:01
Axel Marshall (35th) 14:01
Zack Blitch (52nd) 16:52 *PR*
Coupeville Sports 
Good gob wolves