Coupeville Sports

      “I’m so fast, son, I caught this fish, cleaned it, cooked it and ate it in the time it would have taken you all to catch me.”

I blame it on X-Box.

It has sucked the life out of a nation, producing slower and slower runners as the years go by. When the zombies come, the couch potato teens will be the first to go.

This is the only conclusion I can draw from today’s 1A boys’ state cross country meet, where Dillon Quintana of Mount Baker just won the race in 15 minutes, 51 seconds, edging out Tom Bradley of Blaine.

Which is nice, until you realize that, just two years ago, a strapping young harrier from Coupeville, one Tyler “I Will Crush Your Soul and Laugh!” King won the same event, over the same distance, on the same course, in 15:16.9.

Those 35 seconds are an eternity in cross country.

Tyler would have already cooled down, had a sandwich, sent a few emails and maybe, possibly looked at his homework from Mrs. Ballard, just for fun, before Quintana and the rest of the stragglers showed up at the finish line.

Simply put, no zombies are catching Mr. King, who now runs at the University of Washington, any time soon. That’s just not the Coupeville way.

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Tyler King — faster than you, and a better dresser to boot. (Angelo Comeaux photo)

This time, little brother was faster.

With his health restored and running in (presumably) sunny Los Angeles Saturday, University of Washington freshman Tyler King finished 22nd (his best showing as a Dawg) at the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships. The former Coupeville High School star was the second-fastest Husky in the event, trailing just senior All-American Joey Bywater, finishing in 24 minutes, 12 seconds.

Across the country, running in the (presumed) heat of Austin, Texas, big bro Kyle King, a senior at the University of Oklahoma, claimed 36th at the Big-12 Cross Country Championships in a time of 25:00.1.

Lawi Lalang of Arizona (22:49) and Kennedy Kithuka of Texas Tech won the races.

Next up for the Kings is regionals Saturday, Nov. 9, with Tyler running in the West Regional in Seattle and Kyle participating in the Midwest Regional in Springfield, Mo. From there, both hope to make the jump to the NCAA championships.

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Kyle King: “You know the only thing better than this sandwich? Sweet, sweet King family supremacy!! I would share some with Tyler, but he hasn’t caught up yet…”

Kyle King is 17 seconds faster than Tyler King, and rumors he tripped his little brother going down the backstretch while screaming “There can only be one!” are just that — sweet, sweet unsubstantiated rumors.

The University of Oklahoma redshirt senior beat his University of Washington redshirt freshman brother to the line Friday at the premier regular season college cross country meet, the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational. Kyle clocked in at 24 minutes and twenty seconds, while Tyler broke the tape at 24:37.

Lawi Lalang and Stephen Sambu of Arizona battled for the individual title, with Lalang edging out Sambu 23:03 to 23:07.

The event, which featured 46 mens’ teams and 49 womens’ squads, was thrown into chaos twice — once when the meet’s timing system malfunctioned, and once when, again according to unsubstantiated rumors, the King brothers tried to give each other wedgies while waiting for the starting gun.

It was the first time the former Coupeville High School studs, who amassed eight state track and cross country titles during their days as Wolves, faced off in a college cross country race.

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“Tie your laces tight, old man, because I’m about to blow you out of your shoes.”

“I will spank you like the little boy you are, son!”

“Boys, boys, boys…”

There can only be one King in the King Family!

It’s all been building up to this moment, as former Coupeville High School running gods Kyle and Tyler King prepare to face off for the first, last and only time as college cross country runners.

Well, unless they meet at the NCAA championships, but I’m trying to hype this up, so let’s just ignore that fact…

Sure, there may be close to 500 runners at today’s 4th annual Wisconsin Adidas Invitational in Madison, with 46 mens’ teams and 49 womens’ squads competing in the biggest cross country race of the regular season, but only one thing truly matters — which King wins the battle of brothers.

Run at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course, the 8K battle royal will feature just about every ranked team in the land, with Kyle King’s 4th ranked University of Oklahoma squad looking to take out defending NCAA champ Wisconsin. The redshirt senior will be joined by his redshirt freshman lil’ brother, who wears the purple and gold of the University of Washington.

In one corner, Kyle King! In the other, Tyler King! Come out running and may the best man win and forever claim the title of King of the King family … and second best athlete in the family!!

Yeah, you heard me right. Older sister Brianne King is still the the best athlete in the family, hands down. Accept it and move on, boys. You have a race to run.

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A picture so intense you can never use it too many times.

Slowed down by a nasty cold that had prevented him from training the past two days, Tyler King was not at his best Saturday.

Running at the Bill Dellinger Cross Country Invitational in Springfield, Oregon, the University of Washington red-shirt freshman finished 72nd out of 101 runners in a time of 25 minutes, 39 seconds.

The former Wolf star had been questionable before the start of the race due to his health issues, and he had little gas with which to chase the race leaders. Senior Trevor Dunbar of Oregon won the race in 23:38.

King’s next race won’t be until Friday, Oct. 12, when he and his Husky teammates will travel to Madison, Wisconsin for the Adidas Invitational. Also expected to show at that meet, the 4th ranked team in the nation — the University of Oklahoma — which features Tyler’s older brother, red-shirt senior Kyle King.

It will be the first time the Kings have faced off at the college level. Time for … MORTAL KOMBAT!!!!!

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