“What a glorious day for a race!”
Coupeville Middle School cross country coach Elizabeth Bitting was excited Friday, and not just about the weather.
Running at the mega-epic Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational at Lakewood High School, Coupeville nailed 11 PR’s and almost won a team title in the 6th grade girls race.
The event drew almost 200 middle school runners Friday, with another 4,000 or so high school runners set to go Saturday.
To put on the two-day meet, it takes 135+ volunteers and the Wolves appreciated each one.
Running the longest course of the middle school season — a crisp 1.8 miles — CMS netted PR’s from all five male runners, and six of nine girls.
Each grade competed in a separate race, and the Wolf 6th grade girls were just four points off of team title winner Lakewood, which has a much-larger student body.
“They were overjoyed! I was overjoyed!! The families in attendance were overjoyed!!!,” Bitting said.
The huge field of runners made for an interesting experience, as well.
“It was perfectly summed up by Wyatt (Fitch-Marron),” Bitting said.
“The start was like being in the middle of a stampede, hearing hoofs pounding the ground all around, and nowhere to go but forward.”
As she and her runners headed back to Whidbey, Bitting basked in the afterglow of the day.
“Everybody ran such an amazing race, and had so many great things to say about the whole invitational afterwards,” she said.
“Definitely a memory maker race!!!!!”
Complete Friday results (1.8 miles):
GIRLS:
6th grade:
Mikayla Wagner (5th) 13:26.1
Laken Simpson (8th) 14:23.8 *PR*
Marin Winger (9th) 14:25.0 *PR*
Devon Wyman (13th) 16:22.6 *PR*
Emma McFadden (16th) 18:04.6
Mary Western (17th) 18:07.7 *PR*
7th grade:
Ivy Rudat (10th) 13:25.3
8th grade:
Noelle Western (10th) 12:42.8 *PR*
Aleksia Jump (15th) 13:50.2 *PR*
BOYS:
6th grade:
Beckett Green (5th) 11:20.4 *PR*
Wyatt Fitch-Marron (8th) 12:15.0 *PR*
7th grade:
Axel Marshall (24th) 12:23.1 *PR*
Zack Blitch (47th) 16:50.5 *PR*
8th grade:
Easton Green (15th) 11:15.1 *PR*
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