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Archive for the ‘Cross Country’ Category

Fog busters, trail conquerors

Posted in Cross Country, tagged , , , , on October 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Wolves (left to right) Zach Blitch, Kenneth Jacobsen, and Ivy Rudat take a break from running to create a Senior Night moment. (Julie Wheat photo)

The boat was slow; the feet were fast.

Hampered by persistent fog, the ferry crossing Wednesday afternoon to Friday Harbor wasn’t the quickest in history.

But even though the Coupeville High School cross country squad arrived after the planned 4:00 PM start time, their hosts waited for the Wolves before hitting the trail.

Then spent the rest of the day chasing the fleet-footed invaders, as CHS claimed four of the top six slots.

Cyrus Sparacio and Henry Purdue went 1-2 in the boy’s race, while Anna Powers and Ivy Rudat finished second and third, respectively, in the girls’ rumble.

Top three finishers bask in the limelight. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Even with the late start, Coupeville coach Elizabeth Bitting came away happy with the performance of her team on the 5,000-meter course at the San Juan Golf and Country Club.

“Everyone ran AMAZING!” she said. “I am imagining LOTS of PR’s.”

The Wolves get back at it in a couple of days, traveling to Granite Falls Saturday for the 6th annual Mountain Loop Invitational, which will feature 13 high school teams, five middle school squads, and a running club.

 

Wednesday results:

 

GIRLS:

Anna Powers (2nd) 22:38.0
Ivy Rudat (3rd) 24:15.0
Claire Lachnit (5th) 25:49.0
Allie Powers (6th) 26:43.0
Laken Simpson (7th) 26:44.0
Devon Wyman (8th) 27:01.0
Emma Green (10th) 28:22.0
Ava Lucero (12th) 29:32.0

 

BOYS:

Cyrus Sparacio (1st) 17:19.0
Henry Purdue (2nd) 18:19.0
Beckett Green (7th) 19:23.0
Archer Schwarz (8th) 19:29.0
Kenneth Jacobsen (11th) 19:49.0
Ossian Merkel (14th) 20:27.0
Leo Davis (17th) 21:35.0
Isaiah Allen (18th) 21:37.0
Hunter Atteberry (22nd) 23:34.0
Johnathan Jacobsen (24th) 25:55.0
Nolan Hunt (25th) 28:25.0
Zach Blitch (26th) 34:37.0

No fog on land, just clear skies and open trails. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

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Trail tested, camera ready

Posted in Cross Country, tagged , , , , on October 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Zach Blitch heads for home. (Jackie Saia photos)

The trail calls to them.

Coupeville High School’s cross country runners are among the hardest-working Wolf athletes in the game, feet pounding across surfaces of all shapes and sizes, their own thoughts often their only companions.

Well, except for the click of a camera as Jackie Saia pops up from behind a shrub to capture Cow Town’s speediest at work.

Claire Lachnit

Cyrus Sparacio

Allie Powers

Johnathan Jacobsen

Ivy Rudat

The Wolves cheer on their teammates.

Mikayla Wagner

Emma Green

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Wild day, strong finish

Posted in Cross Country, Middle School, tagged , , , , , on October 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Jesse Kehoe, seen here last spring during track season, was Coupeville’s top cross country finisher Saturday. (Kelly Powers photo)

It was a day…

Coupeville Middle School cross country coach Amber Wyman and her young runners had to jump through endless hoops Saturday, but came out the other side stronger for it.

The Wolves were slated to compete at the 30th annual John Payne XC Invite at University Place, one of 19 middle school squads and 102 high school teams descending upon Pierce County.

With the middle school race set to kickoff at 9:50 AM, and the day’s final high school heat not finishing until 4:30 PM, not every CMS harrier made the trip, but the 12 who did then ran into a molasses-slow ferry which got them to the event dangerously close to start time.

Toss in “two lost bibs, a missing bag, bathroom needs, and exceptionally long lines in all areas” and Wyman more than earned her coaching stipend getting 10 of the 12 to the start line and flying down the 1.5-mile course.

And they had to fly, as the Wolves began the race — which was a free-for all with girls and boys running together — a good 30-40 seconds behind the pack, with the starter’s gun already having gone off.

Yet Coupeville’s competitors hauled tail, managed to pull off a 7th place showing in the team standings, and made their coach beam.

“Despite all that, the runners that ran caught up and passed so many others!!” Wyman said. “I was so proud of them for overcoming the chaos of the morning.”

After a couple days to recover, the Wolves will get back at it with a full team and a less-tense environment when they travel to Granite Falls next Saturday, October 10 for the Mountain Loop Invitational.

 

Saturday results:

Jesse Kehoe (18th) 9:54.2
Nicholas Strong (42nd) 10:38.1
Cole Van Dyke (48th) 10:54.4
Mica McCloskey (50th) 11:00.6
Ava Clark (51st) 11:02.9
Gavin Goldman (85th) 12:17.0
Luna Strong (103rd) 13:51.2
Dresden Rusch (112th) 14:50.4
Lillian Lachnit (115th) 15:25.6
Quinton Freeman (118th) 16:00.5

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Long day, large race

Posted in Cross Country, tagged , , , , on October 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Ava Lucero, singing the nation anthem at a football game, competed with the cross country squad Saturday. (Jacob Lujan photo)

Are you really a cross country runner if you weren’t lined up to compete Saturday in Pierce County?

Probably not, as 102 high school teams, plus a bunch of middle school and club squads, jammed into University Place for the 30th annual John Payne XC Invite.

One of those teams was Coupeville, with Wolf coach Elizabeth Bitting sending 18 runners out across the 5,000-meter course in multiple heats as the day went from cloudy to sunny.

With the day’s first race set for 8:45 AM and the last one for 4:00 PM, it made for a big-time commitment for all involved.

“It was an amazing LONG day!” Bitting said. “I am so proud of all the runners!

“They supported one another and cheered for one another. It was awesome!”

Coupeville’s varsity boys, led by freshman Henry Purdue, claimed 10th in their race, while the top Wolf girls finished 19th as fellow frosh Anna Powers set the pace.

Overall, 4A Issaquah and 3A Mount Spokane claimed the team titles in the girls and boys battles, respectively.

Coupeville returns to action with two meets next weekend, though neither will have 100+ teams on site.

The Wolves travel to Friday Harbor on Wednesday for a Northwest 2B/1B League meet, then head to Granite Falls Saturday for the sixth edition of the Mountain Loop Invitational.

Mikayla Wagner basks in the sun. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

 

Saturday results:

 

GIRLS:

 

Varsity:

Anna Powers (35th) 21:54.1
Ivy Rudat (82nd) 23:25.4
Claire Lachnit (140th) 24:55.6
Allie Powers (141st) 24:55.6
Laken Simpson (171st) 25:42.3
Devon Wyman (198th) 27:31.5

 

JV:

Mikayla Wagner (11th) 24:49.2
Emma Green (47th) 26:59.1
Ava Lucero (149th) 29:57.0

Henry Purdue hit a top time under grey skies. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

 

BOYS:

 

Varsity:

Henry Purdue (14th) 17:56.4
Kenneth Jacobsen (62nd) 18:51.6
Beckett Green (64th) 18:54.7
Archer Schwarz (66th) 18:55.4
Isaiah Allen (139th) 20:14.4

 

JV-Silver:

Hunter Atteberry (75th) 20:54.6
Johnathan Jacobsen (90th) 21:10.4

 

JV-Bronze:

Nolan Hunt (91st) 26:24.1
Zach Blitch (148th) 33:05.9

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Scenic views, quick feet

Posted in Cross Country, Middle School, tagged , , , , on October 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The Wolves get fired up before heading to the starting line. (Kelly Powers photos)

It was time for the young guns to run in the sun.

A day after Fort Casey State Park was the site of a high school cross country race, the middle school harriers stepped up and took over the joint Thursday afternoon.

Hosting six other teams, with 167 runners hitting the line, Coupeville placed four runners in the top 10, headlined by 7th grader Juniper Dotson, who clocked in with a 2nd place performance.

She was joined by Sarai Dangerfield (5th) and Ava Clark (8th), while Jesse Kehoe finished 8th in the boys race.

South Whidbey swept both individual titles, with Kaylin Gutzmer and Emery Kline the fastest across the 1.7-mile course, while also collecting the team crowns.

Sarai Dangerfield

The girl’s battle was a nailbiter, with the Cougars edging Coupeville 53-61, while Granite Falls (82), Lakewood (93), and Northshore Christian (98) rounded out the top five squads.

Things were a bit more lopsided when it came to the boys, with South Whidbey (25) well ahead of King’s (74), Coupeville (75), Lakewood (87), and Northshore (89).

Coupeville returns to action when it travels to University Place Saturday for the John Payne XC Invite, a mega-event slated to have 19 middle school teams and 103 high school squads in action.

Dresden Rusch

 

Thursday results:

 

GIRLS:

Juniper Dotson (2nd) 11:03.3
Sarai Dangerfield (5th) 11:25.5
Ava Clark (8th) 11:43.0
Abi Dangerfield (14th) 12:12.7
Luna Strong (33rd) 14:12.1
Alayla Schwarz (34th) 14:23.8
Leah Hernandez (38th) 14:40.9
Dresden Rusch (48th) 15:38.9
Lillian Lachnit (50th) 15:56.0
Gracie Gonzalez (56th) 17:45.6

 

Mica McCloskey

 

BOYS:

Jesse Kehoe (8th) 10:03.8
Nicholas Strong (13th) 10:17.5
Cole Van Dyke (17th) 10:36.7
John Davis (18th) 10:41.0
Mica McCloskey (23rd) 11:05.1
Leo Hernandez-Gomez (29th) 11:25.1
Antonio Echeverria Bryant (30th) 11:25.2
Gavin Goldman (39th) 11:58.2
Hayden Maynes (51st) 12:40.0
Brody Griffith (53rd) 12:59.0
Stone Simpson (61st) 13:38.9
Quinton Freeman (81st) 16:29.1
Danny Powers (85th) 17:34.8
Henry Engel (96th) 22:09.0

 

John Davis

Lillian Lachnit

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