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Aidan Wilson was a multi-sport star at Coupeville High School. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Aidan Wilson is a jack of all trades, and a master of most of them.

The rare athlete who seemingly could do it all, the Coupeville High School Class of 2023 grad excelled in track and field, soccer, and cross country, putting together one of the best prep careers ever crafted by a Wolf.

Spring seemed to bring out the best in the lanky speed demon, as he participated in a mind-boggling 16 events as a track star, collecting 41 wins across three seasons.

Wilson brought home five state meet medals, earning three 2nd place finishes, and capped his career by placing 7th out of 32 in a two-day, 10-event decathlon featuring competitors from every classification.

Striding to success at a big-time meet. (Bob Martin photo)

One of only eight Wolf boys to earn as many as five state meet medals, it’s likely he would have gone higher on that list if real-world issues hadn’t intruded.

The pandemic erased all spring sports when Wilson was a freshman.

While competition returned the next spring, the state meet was cancelled as track officials limited how far schools could travel in the Age of Coronavirus.

But once he got a chance to shine on the big state, Wilson made his mark in short order.

That was his normal operating style, as he tore up the course in his one season as a cross country runner, while raining down goals on the soccer pitch.

Wilson rattled the net for 10 goals as a senior, earning All-Conference First-Team honors, and finished his prep career with 13 scores, putting him #6 on Coupeville’s all-time boys’ soccer scoring chart.

Off to score another goal. (Morgan White photo)

A nimble athlete with quick reflexes, he also did some time as a goaltender, holding off rival teams from scoring, while sacrificing a chance to add to his own goal totals.

When it all ended, Wilson brought home one of his school’s big athletic honors, receiving the Cliff Gillies Award as a senior.

Named in honor of a longtime Executive Director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, it goes to athletes for “outstanding scholarship, citizenship, and participation in school activities.”

Hanging out with fellow senior booters (l to r) Grant Steller, Cameron Epp, and Reiley Araceley. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Student/athletes come and go as the seasons unfold, and a relative few are likely to stand the test of time and be remembered in vivid detail years later.

I believe Wilson will be one of those whose exploits will live on in the memories of fellow players, coaches, and fans.

But he doesn’t need to wait to be acknowledged as one of the greats – we can do that today while his time at CHS is still fresh in all of our minds.

Swing open the door to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, because we’re welcoming Wilson to our lil’ digital shrine to athletic excellence.

After this, you’ll find him at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab, enshrined for his accomplishments in the red and black, and the way he approached his sports.

Wilson exuded talent, but he also put in the work, day after day, competition after competition, and he earned his spot atop the mountain.

A job well done.

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Mitchell Hall, seen here in his Coupeville days, remains fast. (Photo by Jon Roberts)

From a newbie to a veteran in one day.

Coupeville High School grad Mitchell Hall made his debut as a collegiate cross country runner Friday, finishing in the top half of the field at an event which drew 75 male harriers.

The scene was Terre Haute, Indiana, where the former Wolf and his new teammates at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology hosted the RHIT Opener at the Lavern Gibson Course.

Hall finished the 5000 meter race in 18 minutes, 56.2 seconds, claiming 36th overall.

Connor Del Carmen, a junior from Earlham College, won the individual crown, while Rose-Hulman came out on top in the team standings, besting four other schools.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Earlham, Webster, and Spalding rounded out the top five, with the Fightin’ Engineers defending their home turf.

Hall, a state meet veteran and Northwest 2B/1B League individual champ during his time at Coupeville, is one of 35 freshmen on the Rose-Hulman roster – the largest recruiting class of any college in the country.

The Fightin’ Engineers are next scheduled to compete Sept. 16 at the John McNichols Invitational.

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Noelle Western and friends ran in Bellingham Saturday, putting a cap on a successful summer. (Kerry Western photo)

“What happens when Coupeville attends a relay at Lake Padden? DOMINATION happens!!!”

Coupeville High School cross country coach Elizabeth Bitting was riding a natural high Saturday after she, her fellow coaches, and a ton of Wolf runners rocked the joint in Bellingham.

Running at the Lake Padden Relays, Coupeville harriers, who competed as “Evolution of a Runner” to reflect the difference in ages of its many competitors, burned up the trail.

Competing on a 2.59-mile course around a lake, with each of four runners putting in a lap, the Wolves closed out their “Summer Fun Runs” in style.

Now, it’s on to regular season competition for both middle and high school athletes, with Saturday’s runners hailing from multiple sports.

Cross country, soccer, volleyball, and track were repped, with current Wolves joined by CHS grad Tate Wyman, who has some time to kill before heading off to college in Oregon.

Wolf coaches enjoy the day. (Photos by Wendy Wasik and Elizabeth Bitting)

Bitting, who ran as part of a title-winning coach’s team, was thrilled to see all five Coupeville squads place at the event, which drew 72 teams from near and far.

“Everybody had an amazing time,” she said. “It was fun to see the results of all the hard work they put into their summer runs in this type of event.

“So proud of each and every athlete that ran, no matter what sport they participate in during the school year,” Bitting added. “WAY TO GO WOLVES!!!”

 

Complete results:

 

Middle School – Co-Ed – 3rd place – 1:34:55

Cyrus Sparacio (21:15)
Ossian Merkel (22:57)
Allie Powers (24:30)
Anna Powers (26:12)

 

Middle School – Female – 2nd place – 1:52:32

Lillie Ketterling (23:34)
Mikayla Wagner (25:37)
Devon Wyman (29:19)
Alexandra Lo (34:01)

 

High School – Male – 1st place – 1:11:29

Zeke Allen (17:28)
George Spear (17:28)
Kenny Jacobsen (17:45)
Nic Wasik (18:47)

 

High School – Co-Ed – 3rd place – 1:30:49

Tate Wyman (20:35)
Noelle Western (22:51)
Aleera Kent (23:17)
Ayden Wyman (24:05)

 

Coach/Parent – Co-Ed – 1st place – 1:29:56

Andy Wyman (15:42)
Elizabeth Bitting (21:59)
James Kent (23:23)
Kelly Powers (28:50)

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Freshman Kenny Jacobsen has shown great promise in summer running sessions. (Jackie Saia photo)

Introductions should not be required.

Now, technically, Coupeville High School cross country will have a new head coach in place when practice starts Monday.

Only thing is, she’s been around every step of the way.

Elizabeth Bitting, who also doubles as Coupeville’s girls’ track coach, led the CHS harrier program in 2020, filling a gap between coaches as a favor to Wolf AD Willie Smith.

During the other five seasons since cross country relaunched in Coupeville in 2018, the running guru has worked with the town’s middle school athletes, building the foundation of the rebirth.

Now, with Paige Spangler having departed Whidbey after two years, Bitting is stepping up to claim ownership of the high school program, this time for good.

The always-enthusiastic coach is counting down the hours to get officially going.

Bitting welcomed athletes to summer fun runs, with nine of 16 runners currently signed up for the fall season participating.

Now, it’s time to come together as a full team.

“Having coached middle school cross country for the past five years and holding the summer fun runs, I have coached most of these runners at one time or another,” Bitting said.

“There is so much talent returning and moving up, but for the past few years I have had my eyes on the boys’ team.

“There is something there, they have the potential,” she added. “They can truly run as a pack, push each other as a pack, and win as a pack.”

Coupeville sent its entire girls’ team and two boys to the state meet last fall, with the girls also winning an academic state title.

Three of these six Coupeville girls are eligible to return this season. (Nicole Strelow photo)

Graduation has subtracted several runners, including team leaders Helen Strelow and Mitchell Hall, but four state meet vets — Noelle Western, Reagan Callahan, Carson Field, and Erica McGrath — are eligible to return.

While Bitting won’t know for sure what her roster will look like until practice starts, she’s already seen great promise from younger runners who participated in the summer runs.

“I have not seen the whole crew together as one group,” she said. “However there has been one newcomer who stood out during the SFR’s, Kenny Jacobsen.

Kenny is a freshman and seems to be ready for the challenge,” Bitting added. “He puts everything into practice, he is easy going and ready to be a part of the pack.”

However the roster stacks up, the longtime running coach is excited to see how her charges do on the course.

“My goals for the season are to have each runner push themselves past their comfort level,” Bitting said.

“To have them discover that untapped energy they don’t think they have left in their tank.” she added. “To have them be comfortable giving 110%.”

While she wouldn’t pass up the chance to have a harrier make a run at joining Wolf legends Natasha Bamberger and Tyler King in winning an individual state title, Bitting preaches a team-first style.

“I am truly focusing on the pack mentality,” she said. “If they work as a pack and run as a pack that will be their strength. Both teams have the numbers and capability of doing this.

“The main area I’ll be working hard on is getting each runner to feel confident they have what it takes to finish their races strong.

“To tap into that untapped energy they have stored but might be afraid to use. Yes, they will be tired, but they can do it.” 

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Ayden Wyman and her fellow Coupeville High School athletes are prepping for a new season. (Amber Wyman photo)

Everybody’s got a different setup.

A look at mostly official schedules for Coupeville High School fall sports teams showcase a variety of quirks based on which Northwest 2B/1B League schools play a certain sport.

How it breaks down, with * indicating a conference clash:

 

BOYS SOCCER:

Concrete and Darrington don’t suit up in this sport, while four outside schools — Lopez Island, Providence Classical Christian, Grace Academy, and Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood — join the NWL for just boys’ soccer.

Coupeville has a 12-game schedule, but while all of the opponents are league foes, only one game against each rival counts in the conference standings.

So, first four tilts are treated as non-league affairs, with the final eight counting towards playoff seeding.

 

Tue-Sept. 12 — Friday Harbor — (4:00)
Fri-Sept. 15 — Providence Classical Christian — (6:00)
Tue-Sept. 19 — @ Grace Academy — (3:30)
Sat-Sept. 23 — Orcas Island — (12:00)
Fri-Sept. 29 — Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood — (6:00) *
Tue-Oct. 3 — @ Mount Vernon Christian — (4:00) *
Fri-Oct. 6 — Grace Academy — (6:00) *
Tue-Oct. 10 — @ Friday Harbor — (4:30) *
Fri-Oct. 13 — @ Providence Classical Christian — (3:30) *
Tue-Oct. 17 — @ Lopez Island — (2:30) *
Fri-Oct. 20 — La Conner — (6:00) * — SENIOR NIGHT
Tue-Oct. 24 — @ Orcas Island — (3:00) *

 

CROSS COUNTRY:

The Wolves run at “home” once, but otherwise are road warriors.

 

Sat-Sept. 9 — @ Sehome Invitational — (10:00)
Sat-Sept. 16 — @ Westling Invitational (South Whidbey) — (10:00)
Wed-Sept. 20 — @ Orcas Island — (3:00)
Sat-Sept. 23 — @ King’s Invite — (1:00)
Wed-Sept. 27 — HOME meet (Fort Casey) — (3:30)
Sat-Sept. 30 — @ Twilight Invite (Marysville) — (TBD)
Sat-Oct. 7 — @ Hole in the Wall (Lakewood) — (9:00)
Thur-Oct. 19 — @ Northwest 2B/1B League Championships (MVC) — (3:30)

 

FOOTBALL:

The current setup of the NWL has three 2A schools and four 1A institutions, with Coupeville playing home and away with La Conner and Friday Harbor as it attempts to defend its league crown.

 

Sat-Aug. 26 — @ Sultan Jamboree — (11:00)
Fri-Sept. 1 — Klahowya — (6:00)
Fri-Sept. 8 — @ South Whidbey — (7:00) — BUCKET GAME
Fri-Sept. 15 — @ Sultan — (7:00)
Fri-Sept. 22 — La Conner — (7:00) *
Fri-Sept. 29 — @ Friday Harbor — (6:30) *
Fri-Oct. 6 — @ Bellingham — (7:00)
Fri-Oct. 13 — Forks — (5:00) — HOMECOMING
Fri-Oct. 20 — @ La Conner — (7:00) *
Fri-Oct. 27 — Friday Harbor — (6:00) * — SENIOR NIGHT

Zane Oldenstadt and Co. return to defend their league title. (Michelle Glass photo)

 

GIRLS SOCCER:

Coupeville, La Conner, Friday Harbor, and defending league champs Mount Vernon Christian play, while Orcas Island, Concrete, and Darrington sit out.

Home and away games count towards six league contests.

 

Thur-Sept. 7 — @ Granite Falls — (5:30)
Sat-Sept. 9 — Sultan — (1:00)
Wed-Sept. 13 — @ Auburn Adventist Academy — (4:00)
Sat-Sept. 16 — @ Ocosta — (3:00)
Tue-Sept. 19 — @ Mount Vernon Christian — (6:00) *
Thurs-Sept. 21 — La Conner — (6:00) *
Thur-Sept. 28 — Friday Harbor — (4:00) *
Sat-Sept. 30 — Adna — (2:00)
Thur-Oct. 5 — Forks — (4:00)
Sat-Oct. 7 — University Prep — (1:00)
Tue-Oct. 10 — Mount Vernon Christian — (6:00) * — SENIOR NIGHT
Thur-Oct. 19 — @ La Conner — (6:00) *
Wed-Oct 25 — @ Friday Harbor (4:30) *

 

VOLLEYBALL:

All seven NWL schools spike and set, but Coupeville’s first meetings with MVC and Orcas will be non-league contests.

The Wolves play eight conference matches — two each against 2B rivals La Conner and Friday Harbor, and one apiece against the 1B schools.

JV start times are listed first, varsity second.

 

Sat-Sept. 2 — @ Oak Harbor Jamboree — (9:00)
Thur-Sept. 7 — South Whidbey — (5:00/6:30)
Wed-Sept. 13 — Neah Bay — (5:00/5:00)
Fri-Sept. 15 — @ SunDome Tournament (Yakima) — (TBD)
Tue-Sept. 19 — @ Mount Vernon Christian — (5:00/6:30)
Thur-Sept. 21 — Orcas Island — (5:00/3:30)
Sat-Sept. 23 — @ S. Whidbey Invite — (10:00)
Tue-Sept. 26 — @ La Conner — (5:00/6:30) *
Tue-Oct. 3 — Friday Harbor — (5:30/4:00) *
Sat-Oct. 7 — Forks — (2:00/3:30)
Tue-Oct. 10 — Concrete — (5:00/6:30) *
Thurs-Oct. 12 — Mount Vernon Christian — (5:00/6:30) *
Sat-Oct. 14 — @ Orcas Island — (TBD) *
Tue-Oct. 17 — @ Bush — (5:30/7:00)
Thur-Oct. 19 — @ Darrington — (5:00/6:00) *
Tue-Oct. 24 — La Conner — (5:00/6:30) * — SENIOR NIGHT
Thur-Oct. 26 — @ Friday Harbor — (6:00/4:30) *

“Let’s get this party started!” (Jackie Saia photo)

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