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Runners look back in joy

October 29, 2025 by David Svien

Reagan Callahan and family launch Senior Night festivities. (Julie Wheat photos)

Every step of the way has been a building block.

Through rain, frequent ferry rides, a bee sting here or there, injuries, and countless hill runs, the seniors on the Coupeville High School cross country team have been crucial in the rebuild of their school’s harrier program.

And they’ll remember their time with CHS coach Elizabeth Bitting fondly.

“I am so glad I participated,” Noelle Western said. “I’ll look back at the memories I have from it for the rest of my life.”

That’s a sentiment shared by Aleksia Jump.

“Every mile I’ve covered has been a step towards achieving my goals, and I’m incredibly grateful to be here.”

Ezekiel Allen

Jeann Nitta

Zachary Saho

Noelle Western

George Spear

Aleksia Jump

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Blustery day, tough loss

October 29, 2025 by David Svien

Aiden Wheat and Co. have one regular season game left to play. (Julie Wheat photo)

It was a blustery, unpleasant day.

Playing on the wind-ravaged pitch on Lopez Island Tuesday, the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer team took a hit to its playoff hopes.

Falling 4-0 to the host Lobos, the Wolves slide to 2-5 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 4-9 overall, with a home game Thursday against La Conner the only remaining regular-season game on the schedule.

Coupeville sits a game out of the fifth, and final district playoff slot, trailing Providence Classical Christian, which is 3-4.

Defending state champs Orcas Island (7-0), Mount Vernon Christian (7-1), Friday Harbor (6-2), and Lopez (5-3) hold the top four postseason berths.

La Conner, Grace Academy, and Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood bring up the rear of the nine-school league, each carrying a 1-6 record into their finales.

While the Wolves close out with a clash against the Braves, PCC faces Grace Academy Thursday afternoon.

The showdown with Lopez made for “an especially disappointing game,” said CHS coach Jim Kunz.

“Sizing up their style and ability we definitely have a team that should have beat them.”

The Wolves were stretched thin, however, only able to field the minimum 11 players due to illness and injury.

Add in a non-stop wind (but no rain!), and it was hard to move the ball, especially in the second half, when Coupeville had to play into the brunt of the storm.

Thursday’s home finale with La Conner is slated to kick off at 6:00 PM at Mickey Clark Field, and admission is free.

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“I’m very proud of the fight I saw”

October 28, 2025 by David Svien

Ari Cunningham launches a serve. (Marquette Cunningham photo)

It was a back-and-forth brawl.

Two closely matched varsity volleyball squads went spike for spike Tuesday on Orcas Island, with the host Vikings eking out a five-set thriller against visiting Coupeville.

The Wolves had to rally from a nine-point deficit in the fourth set to even keep things alive, and did, before running out of steam at the end of a 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 15-10 rumble.

“It was a really hard-fought battle,” said CHS coach Scout Smith. “The girls showed lot of grit and determination.

“Lots of props to Orcas Island – they are well-coached and today they got the best of us.”

While the loss drops her young squad to 2-8 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 4-9-1 overall, Smith prizes the growth she sees, which speaks well for the future as the Wolves rebuild and reload.

“I’m very proud of the fight I saw from our team today,” Smith said.

Coupeville has one regular season match left on the schedule — a non-conference road trip to Sultan next Monday, Nov. 3.

 

Tuesday stats:

Haylee Armstrong — 13 kills, 13 digs, 1 assist, 2 solo blocks
Teagan Calkins — 18 kills, 39 digs, 2 assists, 2 aces
Ari Cunningham — 5 kills, 3 digs, 3 block assists, 2 aces
Lexis Drake — 3 kills, 3 digs, 2 assists, 2 block assists
Adeline Maynes — 11 digs, 4 assists, 4 aces
Dakota Strong — 2 digs
Tenley Stuurmans — 7 kills, 11 digs, 33 assists, 1 block assist, 1 ace
Sydney Van Dyke — 1 dig

Sydney Van Dyke prepares to inflict damage. (Julie Wheat photo)

 

JV:

Time ran out on the Wolves.

With the varsity playing first, and going a full five sets, the JV spikers only had time for one set before having to leg it back to the ferry.

Orcas captured that frame 25-12, but as the “official” recorder of CHS athletics, I’m not counting it as a loss, as we all know the Wolves would have come roaring back to take sets #2 and #3 and net a season sweep against the Vikings.

Don’t like my ruling? Start your own blog, Orcas.

 

Tuesday (limited) stats:

Willow Leedy-Bonifas — 1 kill, 1 dig
Emma Leavitt — 1 assist, 1 ace
Kennedy O’Neill — 1 assist, 1 ace
Chelsi Stevens — 1 kill, 2 digs

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Wolf harriers get hyped

October 28, 2025 by David Svien

Coupeville cross country gets its props.

The PR people like the Wolves.

Coupeville High School has one of three runners featured on the advertising for this fall’s state cross country meet.

Seen in action from last year, when he was a sophomore, Ethan Walling motors along between a Lakeside girl and a wheelchair participant from Cheney.

Walling, who jumped sports and is playing football for CHS this season, was part of a Wolf boys’ squad which finished 9th in the 2B team standings last year in Pasco.

Getting a nice lil’ pop of hype for her program is always a win for Coupeville running guru Elizabeth Bitting.

“This is kind of cool,” she said. “Out of thousands, one of Coupeville’s was chosen! That doesn’t happen every day!”

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One King to rule them all

October 26, 2025 by David Svien

Kyle King, remaining eternally laid back in a pic I poached from his Facebook.

Some Kings are welcome in DC.

For 26.2 miles, at least.

Running like a bolt of lightning Sunday, Coupeville grad Kyle King ran away with the title at the 50th edition of the Marine Corps Marathon, nailing down his third crown after also winning in 2022 and 2024.

The “People’s Marathon” is one of the largest in the United States, drawing a race-record 35,000 runners to the start line in Virginia this year, and went on despite the government being shut down.

King, a five-time state track and field champ during his high school days in Cow Town, hit the tape in two hours, 18.51 minutes, finishing more than four minutes ahead of runner-up Wojciech Kopec of Poland.

The Marine Corps Marathon was launched in 1976, with a mission to “promote physical fitness, generate community goodwill, and showcase the organizational skills of the United State Marine Corps.”

The fifth-largest marathon in the US, it is run on the final Sunday in October, so that it hits right before the Marine Corps’ birthday Nov. 10.

King, who is currently a Major in the Marines, is a 2008 Coupeville High School grad.

While running for dad Randy at CHS, Kyle won state titles in the 3200 three straight years (2006-2008), added the 1600 crown in 2007, and ran a leg on a triumphant 4 x 400 relay unit in 2006.

After graduation, King competed as an NCAA D-I runner at Eastern Washington University and the University of Oklahoma.

He has also competed at the US Olympic Team Trials and the CISM Military World Games in China.

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