Sending a large number of participants to the state meet in Cheney equalled big-time success for the Coupeville track and field team over the weekend.

The boys had three individuals place in five events to earn 25 overall points and a tie for eighth place with Highland High School.

Junior Jon Chittim gained the highest place of any Wolfpack athlete, taking second in the 400 meters on Friday afternoon.

Chittim’s 50.77 was a personal record and left him just tenths of a second behind the state champion, Philip Berry (50.15), of Seattle Academy.

“Being Jon’s first year doing this, I think he should have a real good chance of coming in and being the favorite next year,” CHS coach Greg Oldham said.

Senior Andrew Moon ran to a third place in the 100 (11.72) and fifth in the 200 (23.38). Moon was one hundredth of a second away from second in the 100, as Freeman’s Malcom Soelberg narrowly edged him out.

“That race couldn’t have been much closer,” Oldham said. “When Andrew crossed the line we knew he was somewhere between second and fifth.”

Freshman Kyle King also had an impressive couple of days at state, taking fifth in the 3,200 on Thursday and sixth in the 1,600 on Friday.

His 3,200 mark of 10:01.61 was a personal best and left him just 1 1/2 seconds out of third place. His 1,600 time of 4:36.30 was also a personal record.

“To medal in both was a great way for him to end his first high school season,” Oldham said.

Trevor Tucker missed scoring in the high jump by just one place, taking ninth with a leap of 5 feet, 6 inches. Garritt Manker finished 16th in the 110 high hurdles to round out individual competitors for the CHS boys.

The 1,600 relay of Josh Edwards, Clay Hughes, Tom Rogers and Chittim took 11th overall, while the 400 relay team of Riley Fishburn, Tucker, JJ Marti and Moon got disqualified for stepping out of their lane during prelims.

“We figured they could have been a top two or three team,” Oldham said.

The CHS girls ended the state meet with every one of its four athletes placing, en route to nine points and a 22nd place finish.

Senior Janiece Jenkins earned two top eight spots for the Wolves, grabbing a fifth in the 100 (13.35) and an eighth in the 200 (28.20).

Sophomore Corrine Gaddis also placed individually, taking eighth in the long jump with a career-best 15 foot, 8 1/4 inch leap.

The 400 relay team of Gaddis, Jenkins, Alicia Heinen and Kim Kisch ran a season-best 52.55 and finished in sixth place overall to round out Coupeville’s points.

Although no one around the current program knew for sure, this year was unquestionably the most athletes CHS has sent to a state track and field meet in several years.

“I think we showed what some hard work and dedication can accomplish,” Oldham said.

Things already look bright for next season as 15 of the 18 athletes who traveled to Cheney over the weekend are eligible to return.