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.”
