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Posts Tagged ‘Landon Roberts’

PR’s for everyone!

Posted in Cross Country, tagged , , , , on October 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Ready to rumble. (Photos by Sherry Bonacci and Laura Callahan)

They were back, and faster than ever.

Returning to Lake Padden in Bellingham, where many of them competed in a relay event back in August, Coupeville High School cross country runners sparkled Thursday afternoon.

This time out, the event was the Lake Lap Invite, with the Wolf girls finishing 6th in the team standings and the boys squad claiming 7th.

The Meridian girls and Sehome boys brought home team titles, with sophomores Logan Ignacio of Meridian and Nickolas Luce of Lynden Christian finishing fastest on the 2.6-mile course.

Marking the end of the regular season, the event catapults the Wolves into the postseason.

“What a rush! What a race!” said CHS coach Elizabeth Bitting.

“EVERYBODY who ran the relay in August PR’d their time by well over a minute! A very fast race.”

Junior Carson Field was the fastest Wolf, cracking the 15-minute barrier, while his teammates all ran strongly.

“Top five boys were within one minute of each other,” Bitting said. “The girls ran a beautiful, strong race. So much fun!!!”

As her runners competed on one of the prettiest courses they will see this season, Bitting got some help from bus driver extraordinaire Laurie Black, who doubled as an unofficial assisant coach.

“She helped me with times!” Bitting said. “I truly do appreciate our bus drivers; they are the best!!!”

Coupeville charges into the postseason after this, with the Northwest 2B/1B League Championships Oct. 19 at Mount Vernon Christian.

After that comes Tri-Districts Oct. 26 at Fort Steilacoom Park, and, hopefully, the state meet Nov. 4 in Pasco.

George Spear kicks it into overdrive.

 

Thursday results:

 

GIRLS:

Noelle Western (16th) 19:17.90
Jasmine Castellanos (36th) 21:00.20
Aleksia Jump (46th) 21:46.90
Reagan Callahan (59th) 23:52.50
Erica McGrath (61st) 24:19.00

 

BOYS:

Carson Field (23rd) 14:52.90
Landon Roberts (50th) 15:38.40
George Spear (53rd) 15:42.20
Ezekiel Allen (56th) 15:45.30
Kenneth Jacobsen (61st) 15:50.80
Nicholas Wasik (107th) 17:22.00
Santi Ojeda (115th) 17:36.70
Preston Howard (121st) 17:50.50
Axel Marshall (124th) 17:59.20
Zach Blitch (165th) 23:37.60
Damy Giacobbe (168th) 23:46.50

Your moment of Zen.

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Runners battle heat at epic event

Posted in Cross Country, tagged , , , , on October 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Aleksia Jump is ready to run like the wind. (Amber Wyman photo)

Thousands of runners, thousands of degrees.

OK, the second part might not be entirely correct, but it was roasty-toasty in Arlington Saturday as Coupeville High School competed in the Nike Hole in the Wall Cross Country Invitational.

“So hot!! It felt like Hell’s Kitchen!” said Wolf coach Elizabeth Bitting.

Still, even with crisp temps, especially for the first week of October, Coupeville’s harriers stacked up well with their rivals, who came from 155 different schools.

The event is the largest high school invite held on a high school campus in the USA.

“The athletes did well in the heat,” Bitting said. “Five PR’s on the boys side.”

Once they rest up from running in a crowd on a 5,000-meter course, the Wolves will get back at it next week.

Coupeville travels to Lake Padden in Bellingham Thursday, Oct. 12 for the Lake Lap Invite.

After that comes the Northwest 2B/1B League Championships Oct. 19 at Mount Vernon Christian.

Landon Roberts looks for an opening in the pack. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

 

Saturday results:

 

GIRLS:

Varsity:

Noelle Western (647th) 25:27.5
Jasmine Castellanos (693rd) 28:02.2
Aleksia Jump (694th) 28:03.1
Ari Armstrong (705th) 29:53.4
Erica McGrath (709th) 31:31.8
Reagan Callahan (712th) 32:28.9

 

BOYS:

Varsity:

Carson Field (683rd) 19:28.1
Landon Roberts (718th) 19:45.6
Ezekiel Allen (759th) 20:16.6
Kenneth Jacobsen (781st) 20:35.4
Thomas Strelow (826th) 21:17.2
George Spear (836th) 21:37.1

 

JV – Silver:

Santi Ojeda (201st) 21:23.4
Nicholas Wasik (238th) 21:42.8
Preston Howard (244th) 21:45.6
Axel Marshall (348th) 23:25.5

 

JV – Bronze

Damy Giacobbe (426th) 29:21.6

 

Freshman/Sophomore:

Zach Blitch (423rd) 30:08.7

Coupeville’s runners support those warriors battling breast cancer. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

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Landon Roberts runs to the front of the class

Posted in Cross Country, tagged , , , , on October 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Landon Roberts, king of the road and trail. (Jon Roberts photo)

“I am so proud of this young athlete.”

Coupeville High School cross country coach Elizabeth Bitting loves all her runners, but Thursday she reserved a special dose of joy for Landon Roberts.

“He is the epitome of an athlete every coach wants,” Bitting said.

“I hit the jackpot with him choosing cross country!”

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association agrees, tabbing Roberts as one of its Athlete of the Week winners.

The Wolf junior, a captain for the CHS harriers, was honored for his season-long performance.

“Landon Roberts has continuously improved his race times with each competition, showcasing his commitment to self-improvement and his team’s success,” said the release from the WIAA.

“Beyond his athletic achievements, Landon also excels academically. His ability to balance his studies with his athletic pursuits serves as an inspiration to his peers.”

A three-sport athlete and top student, Roberts is also a faithful fan. (Thomas Studer photo)

If he wasn’t already blushing by that point, Jon and Sherry’s favorite son was hailed some more.

“As the team captain, Landon leads by example. He consistently goes above and beyond, always willing to pitch in and support his teammates in any way he can.

“One of Landon’s most commendable qualities is his unwavering dedication to his sport. He is often the last to leave practice, ensuring that he maximizes his training and helps motivate his fellow athletes.

“Landon always maintains a cheerful and positive attitude, uplifting his team’s spirits and establishing a deep sense of camaraderie.”

Roberts, who also plays basketball and baseball for the Wolves, hails from one of the most-successful sports families in Cow Town.

Both of his parents and older sister Lindsey were selected as CHS Athlete of the Year winners, while Uncle Jay Roberts is still on the school’s track and field record board, part of the fastest 4 x 100 relay team in school history.

Toss in a bunch of cousins, some other aunts and uncles, and Grandpa Sandy Roberts, a buzzcut-wearing dynamo on the hardwood back in the day, and it’s a deep roster.

But today one lanky teenager stands atop the pile, hailed by one and all.

This is Landon’s day, and it’s well-deserved.

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“I am so proud and excited!”

Posted in Cross Country, tagged , , , , on September 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Landon Roberts is feeling strong as one of Coupeville High School’s cross country captains. (Sherry Bonacci photo)

Whidbey Island was alive with the sound of footsteps Saturday.

The 44th annual Carl Westling Invite in Langley brought out cross country runners, attracting the attention of 29 high schools, including the only one we really care about — Coupeville.

The Wolves had runners in four different races, with harriers pounding across the 3.1-mile course.

“The Westling Invite is always a good one,” said CHS coach Elizabeth Bitting. “It is on island and so many family members and friends are able to attend.”

Several of Coupeville’s runners were making their high school debuts, while virtually everyone nailed PR’s on a sunny, but not too hot day.

On the girl’s side of things, Noelle Western had the best finish, slicing almost two minutes off her time from last year.

Wolf runners (left to right) Aleksia Jump, Erica McGrath, Jasmine Castellanos, Reagan Callahan, Noelle Western, and Ari Armstrong are ready to go. (Elizabeth Bitting photo)

Meanwhile, Coupeville’s top boys — Carson Field, Landon Roberts, and George Spear — all broke 20 minutes and were separated by less than two seconds.

Seeing her runners move as a pack, pushing and supporting each other, warms Bitting’s heart.

“I know it’s still very early on in the season, but I am so proud and excited for each and every athlete that ran today,” she said.

“They are working hard during practice, they are putting in the miles, working in the weight room and their hard work is paying off,” Bitting added.

“Now to keep them healthy!”

Coupeville returns to action next Saturday, Sept. 23 when it travels to Shoreline for the King’s Roller Coaster Trail Run.

The Wolves were supposed to also compete midweek, but a three-team meet on Orcas Island was cancelled “due to an unavoidable event.”

 

Saturday results:

 

GIRLS:

Varsity:

Noelle Western (46th) 24:55.47
Ari Armstrong (72nd) 28:29.04
Aleksia Jump (75th) 29:01.89
Reagan Callahan (78th) 31:31.49
Erica McGrath (79th) 32:48.97

 

BOYS:

Varsity:

Carson Field (61st) 19:53.11
Landon Roberts (62nd) 19:54.21
George Spear (63rd) 19:54.76
Ezekiel Allen (71st) 20:33.41
Thomas Strelow (79th) 21:14.84
Kenneth Jacobsen (82nd) 21:21.15
Nicholas Wasik (91st) 22:26.79

 

JV – Level 1

Preston Howard (144th) 22:46.65
Axel Marshall (146th) 22:52.79

 

JV – Level 2

Zach Blitch (198th) 33:04.22

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“It was truly a great day!”

Posted in Cross Country, tagged , , , , , on September 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

A pack of Wolves, ready to rumble on the cross country trail. (Photo courtesy Brian Strelow)

Who let the Wolves out?

The Coupeville High School cross country team hit the road Saturday, traveling to Sehome for its season opener on a sunny September day.

The destination was the 13th annual Gear Up Northwest XC Preview, which drew 44 schools to Civic Stadium for a series of races.

Most of the events paired off runners based on their year in school, with sophomores facing sophomores, seniors facing seniors, and so on.

Coupeville, a 2B school, was one of four “small schools” in attendance, with most of the competitors hailing from big-time conferences like Wesco, KingCo, and the Metro League.

All three Whidbey Island schools vied, with 1A South Whidbey and 3A Oak Harbor joining the Wolves.

CHS coach Elizabeth Bitting had 15 runners on opening day and came away pleased with the effort and top times.

It might have been the first race, but the trail guru is already in mid-season form with dropping exclamation points.

“So much fun at Sehome today!!!,” she said.

“LOTS of big schools, so placement wasn’t great, but times!!!! OMG, for the boys!!! Top five boys all under 13 minutes!!!”

Those five male harriers were also separated by just 42 seconds on the two-mile course, which bodes well for their ability to run as a pack in future races.

Getting a chance to go toe to toe, and step for step, with athletes from much-bigger schools can only benefit the Wolves as the season plays out.

“They had so much competition,” Bitting said. “It was truly a great day!”

Coupeville returns to action next Saturday, Sept. 16, when it travels to Langley for the 44th Carl Westling Invite.

Coupeville running coaches Amber Wyman (left) and Elizabeth Bitting are back on the bus for another season. (Photo courtesy Bitting)

 

Saturday results:

 

GIRLS:

Sophomores:

Noelle Western (48th) 15:35.39
Aleksia Jump (102nd) 17:45.64
Reagan Callahan (137th) 20:41.28

 

Juniors:

Ari Armstrong (110th) 17:49.05

 

Seniors:

Erica McGrath (94th) 20:39.58

 

BOYS:

Freshmen:

Kenneth Jacobsen (72nd) 12:53.20

 

Sophomores:

Ezekiel Allen (44th) 12:15.83
George Spear (57th) 12:30.07

 

Juniors:

Landon Roberts (87th) 12:10.71
Carson Field (103rd) 12:26.15
Thomas Strelow (134th) 13:34.41
Nicholas Wasik (135th) 13:36.09
Preston Howard (141st) 13:48.22

 

JV-1:

Zach Blitch (139th) 19:29.91

 

JV-2:

Axel Marshall (37th) 13:48.17

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