Coupeville High School track and field super fan Jon Roberts debates how much sunscreen to pack for the trip to the state championships in always-sizzlin Cheney. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
“Tell him a lot … like a case or two.”
Everything has built up to this.
All the training, all the “power snacks,” all the stretching and pain rub, all the long bus and ferry rides, pays off this weekend for 10 Coupeville High School track and field athletes.
The Wolves leave Wednesday for the 1A state championships at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, with competition going down May 23-25.
By the time the last baton is tucked away and the last sunburn dealt with Saturday night, the season will be done, except for the awards banquet.
When the Wolves exit, the plan is to bring as many medals home as possible, plus a ton of memories.
For those chasing the top of the podium, there’s two things to keep in mind.
The most-recent state title for Coupeville came in 2010, when Tyler King doubled his pleasure in the 1600 and 3200.
The most titles won in a single season by a Wolf?
Three, accomplished in 2006 by Jon Chittim, when he ran away with the 200 and 400, then helped the 4 x 400 squad become the only relay team in school history to net a title.
An alphabetic look at Coupeville’s competitors this time around:
Danny Conlisk:
The senior, who was also a cross country captain, is ranked in the top two in 1A in all three events (100, 200, 400) he’s running at state.
Making his fourth trip to state, and has competed in multiple events each time.
Has three medals, finishing 5th in the 400 as a sophomore, then 2nd in the same event as a junior.
Also part of a 4 x 400 relay team which finished 5th last season.
One of 23 Wolves all-time to have three or more medals, and he and Lindsey Roberts (see below) are vying to become the 7th and 8th Coupeville track stars to join the six-medal club.
Ja’Kenya Hoskins:
A freshman who runs as part of a 4 x 2 relay team ranked #4 in 1A. Her first trip to state.
Also played basketball this year, and saw varsity time as a swing player.
Ja’Tarya Hoskins:
A junior who runs as part of a 4 x 1 relay team ranked #4 in 1A.
Her first trip to state in track, but she was a leader on a CHS cheer team which claimed 3rd at the big dance this winter.
Mallory Kortuem:
The junior soccer standout holds the school record in the pole vault, but she’ll compete in the 400, 4 x 1, and 4 x 2 at state.
It’s her third trip to state, but the first where she’ll compete in an individual event.
As a freshman, she claimed a 5th place medal in the 4 x 2, and just missed another in the 4 x 1 (9th).
As a sophomore, her relay teams finished 11th and 15th, respectively, failing to get out of prelims.
Ryan Labrador:
A senior who will toss the shot put. Second trip to state; he finished 16th in the event as a junior.
Also a standout lineman for the CHS football team.
Jean Lund-Olsen:
The junior, who also played varsity basketball, is making his second trip to state after claiming a 7th place medal last year as part of a 4 x 1 relay team.
This year he’s competing in the 100 and 200, and is ranked #3 in 1A in both events.
Lindsey Roberts:
The senior, a 12-time letter winner with four seasons in soccer, basketball, and track, can finish as the most-honored female track star in school history.
She’s making her fourth trip to Cheney and has five medals, which ties her with Yashmeen Knox, one off of Natasha Bamberger and two behind Makana Stone.
This time around she’ll compete in the 100 hurdles, 4 x 1, and 4 x 2.
Has made it to state in three events every season, and earned at least one medal each trip.
Grabbed 2nd place in the hurdles as a junior and 4th as a freshman. Also claimed 6th in the 4 x 1 and 3rd in the 4 x 2 as a freshman, and 5th in the 4 x 2 as a sophomore.
Emma Smith:
A volleyball captain who led her squad to state as a junior, she’s making her first trip to Cheney, where she’ll throw the discus and shot put.
An All-Conference player as a spiker, she’s also a top-level club volleyball player, and swept to league, district, and bi-district titles in the shot put this season.
Maya Toomey-Stout:
The junior, who was an All-Conference volleyball player, will compete in the 100, long jump, 4 x 1, and 4 x 2.
She’s the only girl in CHS track history to advance to state in four events in the same season, and is doing so for the second time in three years.
As a freshman she made it to Cheney in the 100 (13th), 200 (13th), 4 x 1 (9th) and 4 x 2 (5th), while as a sophomore she was on 4 x 1 (15th) and 4 x 2 (11th) units.
Sean Toomey-Stout:
The junior, team MVP in both football and basketball, will compete in the 100 and long jump, and is making his second trip to Cheney.
He made it to state in three events as a sophomore, claiming medals in the 4 x 1 (7th) and 4 x 4 (5th), while also finishing 15th in the long jump.
