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Daring duo replace The King

Posted in Track, tagged Bob Martin, CHS Wolves, Elizabeth Bitting, Randy King, track and field on February 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Bob Martin will coach Coupeville High School’s male track and field athletes. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Elizabeth Bitting will join him, working with the Wolf girls. (Morgan White photo)

How do you replace a living legend?

By staying in-house and handing the reigns to two coaches who have worked closely with the departing guru over the years.

Randy King’s retirement means this spring’s track and field season will be the first one without him at the helm of the Coupeville High School program in almost two decades.

His replacements?

Elizabeth Bitting, who will lead the Wolf girls, and Bob Martin, who will guide the CHS boys.

Their hires, confirmed by Coupeville Athletic Director Willie Smith, will be official after approval from the school board at its next meeting.

Both coaches are putting together their own stellar runs in Cow Town, having led multiple teams.

Bitting has been a Coupeville Middle School track coach, as well as leading both middle school and high school cross country programs.

Martin, whose youngest son Logan is a senior on this year’s CHS team, has coached track, football, and basketball in Coupeville.

Spring sports practice kicks off Monday, Feb. 28, with the first track meet set to go down in La Conner Mar. 17.

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Bitting a true “fountain of joy”

Posted in Cross Country, Hall o' Fame, Track, tagged CMS Wolves, cross country, Elizabeth Bitting, Hall of Fame, track and field on December 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Elizabeth Bitting, the newest inductee into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame. (Jackie Saia photo)

There are many different types of coaches.

The screamer. The silent leader. Captain gung-ho. The passive-aggressive prodder.

It goes on and on, but the rarest of the bunch may be the fountain of joy.

That’s a coach who really, truly loves their athletes, one who seeks out superstars and marginal role players alike, making each and every one feel important and treasured.

With no disrespect meant to other Coupeville coaches, past or present, one woman stands alone in best exemplifying those traits for Wolf Nation.

Whether working with middle school athletes, or high school competitors, whether guiding track teams or cross country squads, Elizabeth Bitting is our fountain of joy.

Having worked with her for several years now, I can attest to the level of her commitment, which is extraordinary.

Bitting has helped guide champions to their destiny, and exulted in her athlete’s achievement.

But she is also always there when the last runner crawls across the finish line — genuinely thrilled in a two-second improvement for that young girl or boy.

A stellar athlete in high school and college, Bitting continues to compete in running events, from 5K’s to endurance-level tests of the human soul.

She loves running, and it shows in her words and action.

Never more so than when she takes the lessons she’s learned while pounding away on backwoods trails, finds that 12-year-old kid who has never been an athlete, and lights a fire inside of them that they never expected to find.

When you look at Bitting during races, she is a tsunami of joy, and it touches her own athletes and rivals from other schools.

The running guru nimbly installs confidence and joy into each of her young athletes. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

And that explosion of joy soon filters across the faces of virtually all of her young charges.

Trace the line of photos during a Coupeville Middle School track or cross country season, and you see the growth.

Athletes who looked shy and anxious in the early going have a new confidence as the season plays out.

Half-smiles widen into huge grins, and the interplay between the young Wolves and their exuberant coach becomes a two-way street.

Cross country is often a lonely sport, with runners navigating trails and underbrush off on their own, but it is also a perfect launching pad.

You don’t have to learn intricate team plays, or find your spot in a five or 11-player lineup. You just have to put one foot in front of the other, then celebrate each “win” against your personal clock.

It’s a beautiful entry sport for girls and boys of all sizes, shapes, and athletic backgrounds (or lack thereof).

And how blessed then are the young Wolves, who find the coach awaiting them to be a hardy mix of sunshine and love — a woman who makes their time on the trails a truly positive experience?

Bitting is a joy to work with as a writer, as well.

She’s quick to send info, goes into great detail, and often shoots photos of her young stars which provide a behind-the-scenes look rarely captured by those clicking away from the outside.

Toss in the fact she birthed what we now know as Race the Reserve, and her positive impact on our schools and our community just continues to grow.

Celebrating at Race the Reserve. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

So, while we could wait until retirement to induct her into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, the answer to that would be a simple, why?

For one thing, we all hope Bitting keeps at it for years (decades?) to come.

And secondly, inducting her now gives us a chance to reflect a bit of that shine back on to her, to let her know how much we all respect her.

So, after this, when you look up at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, that’s where you’ll find Bitting hanging out.

Over the years we’ve had a lot of good coaches in Coupeville, and we’ve had a few bad ones. It would be the same in any town.

But no other community has Elizabeth Bitting, which truly sets us apart from the pack.

She is joy unleashed, and we all benefit from being a part of her universe.

A freakin’ fountain of joy, I said. (Morgan White photo)

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The King has left the oval

Posted in Track, tagged CHS Wolves, coaching change, Randy King, retirement, track and field on December 8, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Randy King celebrates as the Coupeville High School track team wins another title. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

This is the end, my friends.

For really real this time.

First he departed as a teacher, and now longtime Coupeville High School track and field guru Randy King is calling it a career as a coach.

The longest-tenured coach at the school retired as a teacher in April, 2020.

King spent 42 years in the classroom, the final 29 at CHS.

At the time, the school board agenda indicated he was also bringing his coaching career to an end, but, to the joy of many, he agreed to stick around the track oval for a bit longer.

This time his departure is official, however, as CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith confirmed King’s resignation.

King has been involved with the Wolf track program since the mid-2000’s.

His run as coach produced 11 of the 17 individual state meet titles in program history.

Wolf state champs he coached include:

2006 — Jon Chittim (200, 400); Kyle King (3200); boys 4 x 400 (Chris Hutchinson, Chittim, K. King, Steven McDonald)

2007 — K. King (1600, 3200)

2008 — K. King (3200)

2010 — Tyler King (1600, 3200)

2019 — Danny Conlisk (200, 400)

Under Randy King’s tutelage, Coupeville track regularly proved quality could beat quantity, with his teams piling up strong league, district, and state finishes despite often having far fewer athletes than many of its rivals.

The high-water mark for CHS track came in 2006 and 2008, when the Wolf boys finished 4th in the team standings at the state meet.

His girls teams were some of the strongest in school history, and 11 of 18 Wolf girls track school records came on his watch.

On the boys side, 12 of 17 current school records belong to King-coached athletes.

King also led the CHS varsity boys basketball program for 20 seasons, ruling the sidelines between 1991-2011.

He led both his 1998 and 2002 squads to Northwest League titles, coaching four of the top 10 scorers in program history.

Mike Bagby (tied for #1 with 1,137 points), Pete Petrov (#7 with 917), current Wolf boys hoops coach Brad Sherman (#8 with 874), and Arik Garthwaite (#10 with 867) all called King their coach.

King also pulled a stint as a CHS assistant football coach, and, later in his career, led middle school programs for both boys basketball and volleyball.

The spikers who he taught as young women went on to provide the core of the most-recent CHS volleyball squad to earn a trip to state.

“It’s good to be the king, baby!”

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Wolf thrower signs with Central

Posted in Track, tagged Central Washington University, CHS Wolves, discus, Logan Martin, track and field on November 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Logan Martin signs to compete in track and field for Central Washington University. (Eileen Stone photos)

A family portrait, of sorts.

“You da man!”

Track season never ended.

Coupeville High School senior Logan Martin has been hard at work perfecting his throws, showing up and showing out in one-man workouts.

And all that work has paid off.

In advance of his final season with the Wolves, Martin signed paperwork to commit to competing at Central Washington University.

He’s expected to throw the discus and shot put, as he does at CHS, while adding the hammer and weight throw.

Martin, who has also played basketball, tennis, and soccer during his time as a Wolf, set PR’s in the shot put, discus, and javelin during his junior season of track.

His best discus throw in a high school meet has been 153 feet, 10 inches, putting him hot on the heels of older brother Dalton, who owns the CHS career record with a heave of 161-07 from 2016.

With a PR of 44-03 in the shot put, Martin is also chasing Hunter Hammer’s school-best mark of 51-03.75 from 2011.

This spring will offer Logan and teammates their first chance in three seasons to qualify for the state meet.

The ongoing pandemic erased spring sports during Martin’s sophomore season.

While CHS and its foes returned to competition last year, there were no postseason events.

That’s expected to change this time around, with Martin and Co. aiming to make the trip to Cheney for the big dance.

After that, Coupeville’s top thrower will return to the eastern side of the state, but this time with Ellensburg and CWU his destination.

That’s the same NCAA D-II school where former Wolf football star Nick Streubel pulled on the pads during a stellar collegiate career.

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Bayne a class act, always

Posted in Girls Soccer, Hall o' Fame, Track, tagged CHS Wolves, Girls Soccer, Hall of Fame, Lauren Bayne, track and field on August 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Lauren Bayne, a Hall o’ Famer in every way. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

She is class, personified.

Owner of a big brain, a strong work ethic, and a killer instinct when engaged in athletic battle, Lauren Bayne never asked for the spotlight, never screamed for recognition.

She just went out, kicked some fanny (almost always while radiating great joy), then ambled off to support her teammates, friends, and classmates.

Lauren was a pro’s pro, and, like older brother Josh, let the results largely speak for themselves.

She carried herself with calmness, grace, a quiet strength … and great class, always.

Three years after Lauren’s graduation from Coupeville High School, a look back at her Wolf athletic career reveals she accomplished much.

As a middle schooler, she played volleyball and basketball with panache, while also competing in gymnastics.

Once she stepped through the doors of CHS, Lauren locked on to soccer and track, however, playing four years in both sports.

On the soccer pitch, she was a calming influence on her squad, rising to captain status, and earning that distinction multiple times over.

Bayne and fellow Wolf soccer captain Sage Renninger enjoy Senior Night festivities. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Lauren did the dirty work, and did it with a spring in her step, anchoring the Wolf defense — a unit which gelled around her.

She would not be pushed around on the field, fighting for every 50/50 ball, constantly encouraging her back line mates to fight with the same conviction she always showed.

Through it all, what lingered longest was the class she showed, as when she hailed her teammates in her Senior Night speech.

“Our little soccer family is the best, and I’m so glad to have become friends with everyone and to get to play with you,” Lauren said in the moment.

“Most of all, my defenders, we have worked our butts off and the new defensive line this year has been killer.

“So, kisses to my back line!”

Lauren’s strength, her inner fire, and her class were all on display during her days in Coupeville’s track and field program, as well.

Bayne and Danny Conlisk, state track meet veterans. (Dawnelle Conlisk photo)

Never afraid to try something new, she competed in 11 different events over the course of four seasons — jumping, throwing, and running with wild abandon.

There was little Lauren wouldn’t try, as she ran on relay teams, tried distance running, did a sprint or two, and hurled throwing implements into the great wide open.

And she was good, often really good, in whatever she tried.

During her CHS track career, Lauren registered wins in the high jump, 3200, triple jump, and 4 x 400.

Twice she qualified for state, making it to the big dance in the high jump as a junior, before making a return trip to Cheney as a javelin thrower during her senior season.

In her final moments as a high school athlete, Lauren went out with a bang, setting a PR in the javelin and putting an emphatic stamp on her prep days.

Her throw, which smashed down onto the Eastern Washington University turf after traveling 109 feet, two inches, was almost 10 feet better than the best throw by any other Wolf girl over the past decade.