Coupeville Sports

CHS harrier coach runs with 40,000 friends

October 9, 2022 by David Svien

Paige Spangler (right), here running with fellow coach Elizabeth Bitting, competed in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon.

She leads by example.

Coupeville High School cross country coach Paige Spangler wasn’t with her team at this weekend’s Nike Hole in the Wall Cross Country Invitational.

That’s because the harrier coach, a dedicated runner herself, was halfway across the United States, camped out in Illinois.

Why?

Because Sunday morning Spangler was one of 40,000 runners to hit the line at the Chicago Marathon, the fourth-largest race in the country by number of finishers.

The Wolf running guru completed her 26.2-mile trek in five hours, 17 minutes, 14 seconds, placing her in the top 2,300 in her age group.

Now, with the marathon experience to guide her, Spangler will return to Whidbey Island, where she’ll lead CHS to the Northwest 2B/1B League Championships Oct. 20 in Mount Vernon.

Posted in Running | Tagged Chicago Marathon, CHS Wolves, cross country, Paige Spangler, Running | Leave a Comment »

Lippo shoots final round (for now)

October 9, 2022 by David Svien

Coupeville grad Joey Lippo (bottom, far left) wrapped his college golf season Sunday. (Photo property UMPI golf)

Time to put the clubs away and start thinking about hefting a bat.

Coupeville High School grad Joey Lippo wrapped his second season of collegiate golf Sunday, competing at the North Atlantic Conference Championships.

Husson University, led by medalist Jack King, claimed the team title at the 11-school event.

Lippo, who reps the University of Maine at Presque Isle, finished 46th in the individual race after carding an 87 Saturday and a 98 Sunday at the Waterville Country Club in Oakland, Maine.

The former Wolf, who was an All-Conference baseball player for the Owls last spring, now turns his attention back to the diamond.

Lippo has two seasons of baseball and golf under his belt at UMPI, an NCAA D-III school.

During his time in Coupeville, he was a three-sport star, playing tennis, basketball, and baseball for CHS.

Posted in Golf, Wolves in college | Tagged CHS Wolves, golf, Joey Lippo, season finale, University of Maine at Presque Isle | Leave a Comment »

Wolves tangle with pitch powerhouse

October 8, 2022 by David Svien

Carolyn Lhamon jousts with a Crosspoint Academy player Saturday. (Morgan White photos)

It was a tall challenge.

The Coupeville High School girls soccer squad is a scrappy band of players who never back down from anyone.

But, when the opponent is a blue blood program which boasts multiple state titles and enters play undefeated, life is likely to be tough.

Such was the case Saturday, as the Wolves put out a maximum effort but came up short against visiting Crosspoint Academy.

The Warriors, repping a 1B school, exited Whidbey with a 7-0 win, improving their season mark to 5-0-1, with that tie having come against 2A power North Kitsap.

Edie Bittner battles for control of the ball.

The loss drops Coupeville to 1-7, though their next game should be a more-competitive affair.

The Wolves travel to La Conner Tuesday, Oct. 11 to face a Braves team which sits at 0-8 on the season.

Coupeville has home and away games with La Conner, as well as road trips to Mount Vernon Christian and Granite Falls left on the schedule.

The Wolves may also pick up a road game at Sultan, if the two schools are able to work around the Turks league schedule, which has been impacted by fire-related weather conditions.

Coupeville scoring ace Ayden Wyman enjoys a complimentary donut.

Posted in Girls Soccer | Tagged Ayden Wyman, CHS Wolves, Crosspoint Academy, Girls Soccer, Nezi Keiper | Leave a Comment »

Huge crowd, fast times

October 8, 2022 by David Svien

Mitchell Hall was the fastest Wolf Saturday. (Jackie Saia photo)

Massive in every way.

The Nike Hole in the Wall Cross Country Invitational takes two days to run, with middle school harriers up on day one, and high school runners toeing the line the next morning.

Saturday, when Coupeville’s older athletes arrived, they represented just one of 137 high schools, hailing from multiple states, in attendance.

With CHS coach Paige Spangler in Chicago to run a marathon, middle school running guru Elizabeth Bitting did double duty, shepherding two packs of Wolves to Lakewood High School in as many days.

Friday Bitting had 30 CMS runners in tow, while Saturday she showed up with 14 CHS harriers.

Along for the ride was her faithful support crew.

“Gotta give a great big shout out and THANK YOU to Amber Wyman for accompanying me both yesterday and today!” Bitting said. “She’s a rock star!!”

The CHS runners traversed a 5,000-meter course, while helping to form a vast caravan of humanity.

“The sound of a stampede of the runners blowing dust all around was an amazing sight!” Bitting said. “Gave me chills each time a race ran past me.

“I love cross country!!”

Even though the weather was a bit compromised by residue from forest fires, the Wolves stood tall (and ran fast) at the biggest event on the annual schedule.

“They ran AMAZING!!” Bitting said. “Again, the weather was warm, dusty, and some residual haze/smoke, but look at those times!

“Hole in the Wall never disappoints!!”

Coupeville has a gap on its schedule, not returning to competition until Oct. 20, when the Wolves head to Mount Vernon for the Northwest 2B/1B League Championships.

Wolf senior Helen Strelow was not able to run Saturday but spent the day snapping photos of her teammates and painting watercolors. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Saturday’s results:

GIRLS – Varsity:

Noelle Western 23:51.6
Claire Mayne 24:06.8
Erica McGrath 28:47.3
Reagan Callahan 31:43.3

BOYS – Varsity:

Mitchell Hall 18:41.5
Carson Field 20:14.7
George Spear 20:19.5
Landon Roberts 20:22.8
Thomas Strelow 21:05.7
Tate Wyman 21:18.4
Nic Wasik 22:35.1

BOYS – JV:

Ezekiel Allen 22:45.4
Preston Howard 22:57.1
Easton Green 22:57.9

Coupeville coach Paige Spangler was out of state, but not forgotten. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Posted in Cross Country | Tagged CHS Wolves, cross country, Mitchell Hall, Nike Hole in the Wall, Noelle Western | Leave a Comment »

CMS harriers run on the big stage

October 8, 2022 by David Svien

Olivia Hall (left) and Lydia Price show off their ribbons. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

The appetizer was a pretty big deal on its own.

The epic two-day Nike Hole in the Wall Cross Country Invitational kicked off Friday at Lakewood High School with the middle school harriers vying for titles and top times.

There were 203 runners on the course during day one, with an astonishing 30 of them coming from lil’ Coupeville.

Olivia Hall and Lydia Price earned ribbons for the Wolves, while Axel Marshall was the fastest CMS boy on the 1.7-mile course.

Coupeville’s girls finished 5th in the team standings, while the boys claimed 7th.

King’s girls and Cascade (Sedro-Woolley)’s boys earned top honors

The Wolves get right back at it next week, but on a much-smaller scale, when they host a league meet at Fort Casey Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Friday’s results:

GIRLS:

Olivia Hall (13th) 12:08.6
Lydia Price (14th) 12:09.5
Mikayla Wagner (24th) 12:55.6
Marin Winger (37th) 13:54.4
Laken Simpson (39th) 14:02.7
Ivy Rudat (41st) 14:08.5
Allie Powers (42nd) 14:24.6
Sage Stavros (46th) 14:36.7
Devon Wyman (63rd) 16:52.8
Hailey Goldman (72nd) 17:20.7
Arianna Cunningham (73rd) 17:23.8
Mary Western (74th) 17:41.1
Amelia Crowder (75th) 17:43.1
Camilla Wolfe (77th) 18:15.2
Alexandra Lo (83rd) 20:33.1
Savannah Niewald (87th) 24:01.5

BOYS:

Axel Marshall (34th) 11:31.0
Roger Merino-Martinez (36th) 11:37.5
Beckett Green (39th) 11:46.8
Kenneth Jacobsen (44th) 11:54.0
Nathan Niewald (61st) 12:34.3
Cyrus Sparacio (67th) 12:53.5
Ossian Merkel (71st) 13:09.7
Max Ohme (84th) 14:05.6
Avery Eelkema (88th) 14:15.7
Isaiah Allen (97th) 14:39.1
Dylan Robinett (100th) 15:15.6
Johnathan Jacobsen (104th) 16:31.5
Zach Blitch (111th) 17:48.9
Andre Volanos-Gerber (116th) 20:54.0