Johnathan Jacobsen flies across Coupeville’s home course at Fort Casey. (Julie Wheat photo)
“Here we goooooo!!!!”
Coupeville High School cross country guru Elizabeth Bitting is among the most upbeat of Wolf coaches, and her enthusiasm is contagious.
As the CHS trail program enters its ninth season since being revived in 2018, growth is booming, success is evident, and the future is a bright one.
The Wolves have been steadily sending runners to the state meet in recent years, graduating from a harrier here or there to qualifying their entire varsity crews, girls and boys, and the goal remains the same this time around.
In preparation for that, Bitting and her runners stayed busy over the summer months, with most of the team consistently showing up for fun runs and a bunch of them competing in the Race the Reserve event in August.
Now, as summer begins to fade and the first week of official practice heats up, the Wolves have 21 athletes on the roster, with the core being returnees.
“I am looking forward to this coming season,” Bitting said. “These runners have been putting in the summer miles and are ready to get some competition under their belts!”
Allie Powers is back to put in more miles. (Julie Wheat photo)
Coupeville currently has 10 regular season meets on the schedule, followed by league, district, and (hopefully) state competitions.
First up will be a unique overnight trip to my mom’s hometown in Tillamook, Oregon, where the Wolves will run September 5 at the Ultimook Race with a side visit to the world-famous Tillamook Creamery, land of ice cream and cheese delights.
As they prep for a new season, the Wolves currently boast nine girls and 12 boys on the roster, headlined by team captains Devon Wyman, Mikayla Wagner, and Beckett Green.
On the female side of things, freshmen Anna Powers, Claire Lachnit, and Emma Green make the jump from middle school cross country, while junior Laken Simpson returns after taking a couple of seasons off.
“Their enthusiasm is contagious and they are ready for the next challenge,” Bitting said.
For the boys, there is also a trio of fab frosh making their debut, with Henry Purdue and Archer Schwarz swapping CMS jerseys for CHS ones. Joining them is Leo Davis, whose family recently moved to the area.
“They have put in the hard work over the summer,” Bitting said. “Leo jumped right in when he and his family moved to town, it was very impressive.”
Isaiah Allen lets his leg muscles do the work. (Shaloma Allen photo)
Cross country is unique among fall sports in that while it’s a team competition, each individual is essentially running against themselves, trying to better their PRs and find bliss on the back trails in whatever town the Wolves have landed in that week.
Bitting will guide the team so that it hopefully peaks at season’s end, while keeping a watchful eye on each runner’s individual journey.
“As usual, my goals for the runners are to have an enjoyable season, stay injury free and get as many to the postseason as I possibly can,” she said.
“The team’s strength is the miles they put in over the summer break. This not only shows their dedication but also shows their commitment to the team.
“They are improving individually but that also helps the team to improve.”
One key this season will be to monitor how each Wolf handles the complete race-day experience.
“My goal for the season is to make sure they are warming up and cooling down properly when we are at races,” Bitting said.
“I am going to try to be more proactive with this but warm up and cool downs are a ‘Scouts Honor’ kind of thing.
“I need to know they are doing them and doing them correctly.”
The roster:
Girls:
Emma Green
Claire Lachnit
Ava Lucero
Allie Powers
Anna Powers
Ivy Rudat
Laken Simpson
Mikayla Wagner
Devon Wyman
Boys:
Isaiah Allen
Hunter Atteberry
Zach Blitch
Leo Davis
Beckett Green
Nolan Hunt
Johnathan Jacobsen
Kenneth Jacobsen
Ossian Merkel
Henry Purdue
Archer Schwarz
Cyrus Sparacio
Devon Wyman (left) and Mikayla Wagner have earned captain status. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)
