By DAVID SVIEN
Special to the News-Times
Coupeville was the epicenter for track and field action Saturday, with the Wolves hosting the District 1 Championships, while delivering a dazzling performance for their home fans.
The Coupeville High School boys claimed a team title, with the girls’ squad finishing third, while 13 athletes in red and black punched their ticket to the 2B state meet.
Coupeville coaches Bob Martin and Elizabeth Bitting will travel with their stars to Yakima for that event, slated to go down May 29-31 at Zaepfel Stadium at Eisenhower High School.
Saturday’s district meet, which was a 2-in-1 affair with both 1B and 2B teams vying, featured 13 schools.
In the 2B battle, Coupeville’s boys romped to the team title, racking up 145 points, with Mount Vernon Christian second with 72. Friday Harbor (66), Orcas Island (58), and La Conner (46) rounded out the field.
On the girl’s side, MVC (153) was top dog, with La Conner (89), Coupeville (62.5), Friday Harbor (49.5), and Orcas Island (21) chasing the Hurricanes.
Providence Classical Christian and Lopez Island won 1B girls and boys team titles in eight-school battles.
For 2B competitors such as Coupeville, districts was the last stop before state.
Earn a top two finish Saturday, and you’re in. Hit the line in third, you’re close, but no cigar.
Katie Marti (Shot Put, Discus, Javelin) and Carson Field (800, 1600, 3200) paced the Wolves, each winning three titles.
Cael Wilson, Preston Epp and Chase Anderson also qualified for state in three events, with Lyla Stuurmans earning her invitation in two.
Blake Burrows, Malachi Somes, George Spear, Wyatt Fitch-Marron, Matthew Ward, Marquette Cunningham and Davin Houston round out Coupeville’s state qualifiers.
With both of the boys’ relay teams advancing, Wolf coaches will pick alternates for those squads, which may bump the total higher.
Of the 13 CHS stars scheduled to make the trip, two have previously collected state meet medals while at the big dance. Seniors Lyla Stuurmans and Cael Wilson have three and two, respectively.
Overall, 90 Wolves have brought home a medal since the modern era of state track and field meets began in 1964.
Saturday’s meet dodged a forecast calling for high winds and heavy rain, with teams dealing with just a few splatters of liquid sunshine and a couple of moderate prairie breezes.
Whether they advanced to state, or wrapped their season Saturday, each Wolf in action got a shout-out from their coaches.
“The atmosphere was electric with anticipation as our athletes gave it everything they had,” Bob Martin said. “We’re incredibly proud of every athlete. The dedication and heart shown today was inspiring.”
Martin and Bitting also praised the contributions of their assistant coaches, and the combined forces of Wolf Nation which came together to pull off a successful big-time meet.
“A huge thank you to our incredible community of volunteers who helped create a seamless experience for the 13 schools in attendance,” Martin said. “And to our team parents — your hospitality was unmatched, with a breakfast spread that could rival a gourmet brunch!”
Saturday’s results:
GIRLS:
100 — Isa Mc Fetridge (6th) 14.23 *PR*; Laken Simpson (8th) 14.36
200 — Mc Fetridge (5th) 29.95
400 — Olivia Hall (4th) 1:07.66 *PR*; Marin Winger (5th) 1:19.42
800 — Lyla Stuurmans (1st) 2:39.34; Lillian Ketterling (6th) 3:05.72; Ivy Rudat (7th) 3:08.53
1600 — Stuurmans (2nd) 6:01.86; Mikayla Wagner (4th) 6:43.80; I. Rudat (5th) 6:52.31 *PR*; Devon Wyman (6th) 7:08.38 *PR*
3200 — Wagner (3rd) 13:34.10 *PR*; Aleksia Jump (6th) 14:51.71; D. Wyman (7th) 15:45.16 *PR*
100 Hurdles — Ari Cunningham (7th) 21.75; Frankie Tenore (10th) 24.40
300 Hurdles — Tenore (8th) 1:08.15
4 x 100 Relay — Cunningham, Willow Leedy-Bonifas, Ayden Wyman, Mc Fetridge (4th) 57.97
4 x 200 Relay — Simpson, Leedy-Bonifas, Lexis Drake, Mc Fetridge (4th) 2:00.24
4 x 400 Relay — Hall, Ketterling, I. Rudat, Simpson (4th) 4:47.68
Shot Put — Katie Marti (1st) 34-08 *PR*
Discus — Marti (1st) 89-08; Ketterling (3rd) 82-01
Javelin — Marti (1st) 102-05
High Jump — A. Wyman (4th) 4-04
Pole Vault — A. Jump (4th) 7-00; I. Rudat (6th) 6-00; Ketterling (6th) 6-00
Long Jump — Leedy-Bonifas (7th) 13-00; Cunningham (8th) 12-10.25
Triple Jump — Leedy-Bonifas (6th) 27-02.50 *PR*
BOYS:
100 — Chase Anderson (1st) 11.51; Marquette Cunningham (3rd) 11.78; Matthew Ward (4th) 11.83 *PR*; Davin Houston (8th) 12.13; Marcelo Gebhard (9th) 12.18 *PR*; Liam Blas (12th) 12.33; Beckett Green (14th) 12.35
200 — Houston (5th) 24.00 *PR*; Green (8th) 24.43 *PR*; M. Cunningham (11th) 24.78
400 — Preston Epp (2nd) 53.17; Blake Burrows (3rd) 54.95 *PR*; Dane Hadsall (6th) 58.65 *PR*; Jonah Weyl (7th) 1:02.46
800 — Carson Field (1st) 2:02.66; Solomon Rudat (5th) 2:24.49; Ethan Walling (7th) 2:32.28; Johnathan Jacobsen (10th) 2:37.40; Finn Price (12th) 2:43.38
1600 —Field (1st) 4:43.29; Malachi Somes (2nd) 4:51.03 *PR*; George Spear (4th) 4:53.82 *PR*; Kenneth Jacobsen (5th) 5:14.30; Walling (10th) 5:39.65; Edmund Kunz (11th) 5:47.54
3200 — Field (1st) 10:27.36 *PR*; Spear (2nd) 10:45.69; K. Jacobsen (3rd) 11:26.09 *PR*; Kunz (4th) 12:18.57 *PR*
110 Hurdles — Axel Marshall (4th) 17.86 *PR*
300 Hurdles — Marshall (3rd) 46.29 *PR*; Blas (6th) 46.71 *PR*
4 x 100 Relay — M. Cunningham, Houston, Epp, Anderson (1st) 44.41
4 x 400 Relay — Anderson, Burrows, Wilson, Epp (1st) 3:35.55
Shot Put — Gebhard (3rd) 38-07; Zac Tackett (4th) 36-09; Khanor Jump (9th) 30-04.50; David Somes (13th) 25-04.50
Discus — Tackett (3rd) 129-09; Blas (8th) 97-02 *PR*
Javelin — Anderson (3rd) 135-09; Gebhard (8th) 111-08; Ward (10th) 93-07
High Jump — C. Wilson (1st) 6-00; Wyatt Fitch-Marron (2nd) 5-10 *PR*; Houston (4th) 5-08; J. Jacobsen (9th) 5-00
Pole Vault — C. Wilson (2nd) 12-06; S. Rudat (8th) 8-06; Kunz (10th) 7-00
Long Jump — C. Wilson (3rd) 20-06 *PR*; Fitch-Marron (10th) 16-05.75 *PR*; Edmund Wilson (11th) 15-11.25; Green (12th) 13-10.50
Triple Jump — Ward (1st) 40-02 *PR*; M. Cunningham (3rd) 37-00.50; Marshall (6th) 35-09
Photo by John Fisken Carson Field won three district titles Saturday, propelling him to a final run at the 2B state meet in two weeks.
