Coupeville’s Ryanne Knoblich is off to the state track and field meet in three events. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Sixteen Wolves are headed to the big dance.
High school track and field state championships will be held for the first time in three years, and Coupeville will be well-represented.
The pandemic erased all spring sports in 2020, before Washington state schools competed in just limited regular season action in 2021.
But now everyone is heading back to Cheney for three days of competition May 26-28, with the lure of state meet medals in the air.
To punch their ticket, the Wolves had to survive the District 1/4 meet Friday in Chehalis, a 21-team mega-rumble.
Coupeville’s boys finished 5th in the team standings, while their female counterparts claimed 11th.
The Rainier boys and Raymond girls finished atop the leaderboard.
“Spectacular showing for the boys!” said CHS coach Elizabeth Bitting.
The day was a long one, but the Wolves held up nicely.
“No matter what kind of day they had, they were all supportive of one another and cheered each other on!” Bitting said. “It was heartwarming!
Aidan Wilson roars out of the blocks.
While the CHS boys put up more points Friday, they faced a stiffer test to advance to state.
Because of a discrepancy in how many 2B schools are competing in track this spring, there will be 16 competitors in each girls event at state, but just 12 boys.
That gave the Wolf girls an advantage Friday, as a top seven performance was state-worthy, while the CHS boys needed to crack the top five to advance.
Coupeville senior Ja’Kenya Hoskins — the only active Wolf to already have a state meet medal in their possession — and junior Ryanne Knoblich qualified for state in three events apiece to top Coupeville.
Hoskins (200, 4 x 100, 4 x 200) and Knoblich (4 x 2, high jump, long jump) will join freshmen Lyla Stuurmans (400, 4 x 2) and Ayden Wyman (4 x 2), sophomore Ava Mitten (4 x 1), and juniors Carolyn Lhamon (shot put, 4 x 1) and Claire Mayne (4 x 1) in Cheney.
Mitten is an alternate for the 4 x 2 unit, a role junior Taygin Jump (4 x 1) and sophomore Issabel Johnson (4 x 1, 4 x 2) also embrace.
Scheduled to make the trip for the Wolf boys are seniors Logan Martin (shot put, discus) and Caleb Meyer (4 x 1), as well as juniors Aidan Wilson (800, 4 x 1), Dominic Coffman (4 x 1, high jump), and Reiley Araceley (4 x 1).
Junior Nick Guay and sophomore Mikey Robinett are alternates for the boys relay squad.
Five of the Wolves are making their second trip to state this school year.
Mayne qualified as a cross country runner in the fall, while Meyer, Coffman, Martin, and Guay played for a CHS basketball team which faced Kalama and Lake Roosevelt at the 2B championships.
Complete Bi-District results:
GIRLS:
200 — Ja’Kenya Hoskins (6th) 28.73
400 — Lyla Stuurmans (6th) 1:06.86
1600 — Ayden Wyman (14th) 7:24.62
3200 — Cristina McGrath (13th) 15:42.22 *PR*
4 x 100 Relay — Ava Mitten, Claire Mayne, Carolyn Lhamon, Hoskins (4th) 54.49
4 x 200 Relay — Wyman, Stuurmans, Ryanne Knoblich, Hoskins (5th) 2:00.63
Shot Put — Lhamon (4th) 31-00 *PR*; Reese Wilkinson (11th) 26-04 *PR*
Discus — Lhamon (11th) 81-01; Wilkinson (12th) 80-07; Taygin Jump (15th) 69-03
High Jump — Knoblich (4th) 5-00 *PR*; Mercedes Kalwies-Anderson (16th) 4-04
Long Jump — Knoblich (6th) 14-03; Hoskins (12th) 12-05
Triple Jump — McGrath (14th) 27-06.50
Coupeville’s state-bound 4 x 100 relay unit is comprised of (l to r) Ja’Kenya Hoskins, Carolyn Lhamon, Claire Mayne, and Ava Mitten.
BOYS:
100 — Caleb Meyer (7th) 11.86; Dominic Coffman (8th) 11.96
200 — Meyer (8th) 24.32
400 — Meyer (6th) 54.12; Aidan Wilson (7th) 54.85
800 — A. Wilson (2nd) 2:07.14 *PR*
1600 — Mitchell Hall (10th) 4:57.11; Carson Field (13th) 5:07.81
3200 — Cameron Epp (7th) 11:14.43 *PR*
110 Hurdles — Reiley Araceley (8th) 18.42
4 x 100 Relay — Araceley, Meyer, A. Wilson, Coffman (3rd) 45.20
Shot Put — Logan Martin (2nd) 45-04
Discus — Martin (2nd) 148-11; Zac Tackett (11th) 111-00 *PR*
Javelin — Hall (15th) 107-09
High Jump — Coffman (5th) 5-08; Nick Guay (8th) 5-06 *PR*; Cael Wilson (13th) 5-02
Long Jump — Coffman (15th) 16-02.75
Triple Jump — A. Wilson (6th) 38-10
Logan Martin is ready to rumble with the big boys.
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