Jesse Kehoe, seen here last spring during track season, was Coupeville’s top cross country finisher Saturday. (Kelly Powers photo)
It was a day…
Coupeville Middle School cross country coach Amber Wyman and her young runners had to jump through endless hoops Saturday, but came out the other side stronger for it.
The Wolves were slated to compete at the 30th annual John Payne XC Invite at University Place, one of 19 middle school squads and 102 high school teams descending upon Pierce County.
With the middle school race set to kickoff at 9:50 AM, and the day’s final high school heat not finishing until 4:30 PM, not every CMS harrier made the trip, but the 12 who did then ran into a molasses-slow ferry which got them to the event dangerously close to start time.
Toss in “two lost bibs, a missing bag, bathroom needs, and exceptionally long lines in all areas” and Wyman more than earned her coaching stipend getting 10 of the 12 to the start line and flying down the 1.5-mile course.
And they had to fly, as the Wolves began the race — which was a free-for all with girls and boys running together — a good 30-40 seconds behind the pack, with the starter’s gun already having gone off.
Yet Coupeville’s competitors hauled tail, managed to pull off a 7th place showing in the team standings, and made their coach beam.
“Despite all that, the runners that ran caught up and passed so many others!!” Wyman said. “I was so proud of them for overcoming the chaos of the morning.”
After a couple days to recover, the Wolves will get back at it with a full team and a less-tense environment when they travel to Granite Falls next Saturday, October 10 for the Mountain Loop Invitational.
Saturday results:
Jesse Kehoe (18th) 9:54.2
Nicholas Strong (42nd) 10:38.1
Cole Van Dyke (48th) 10:54.4
Mica McCloskey (50th) 11:00.6
Ava Clark (51st) 11:02.9
Gavin Goldman (85th) 12:17.0
Luna Strong (103rd) 13:51.2
Dresden Rusch (112th) 14:50.4
Lillian Lachnit (115th) 15:25.6
Quinton Freeman (118th) 16:00.5
