March 2021 ~
The late 1970s through 1988: It was the best of times AND the best of times — repeat phrase intended — at Marshall for the Wing family.
Four Wings — Ken, Kathy, Karyl and Kristy, in that order — attended the Southeast Portland high school. And one season after another flowed memorably for Karyl Wing DeWitt (Marshall, 1981).
Karyl Wing starred in soccer, basketball and softball before going on to an illustrious basketball career as a point guard for the Portland Pilots, who reached the NAIA national tournament her final three years.
“I had a great experience at Marshall,” says Karyl, who retired in 2017 after a 30-year career of teaching English language arts in Portland for middle schoolers as well as at Marshall, Franklin and Barlow high schools.
“It was just the combination of the teachers, coaches, friends and teammates, she adds. “I looked forward to playing every season. I never thought about a college scholarship; you played for the love of the game.”
Karyl remembers getting passionate about sports — especially hoops — when she was a student at Binnsmead Middle School. The fun continued when she entered Marshall and laced up her freshman soccer shoes for coach Ken Trapp. Great success followed for the Minutemaids, like during her season year, when Trapp coached the soccer, basketball and softball teams, all featuring Wing, to the state quarterfinals on the pitch (with a first-round upset of top-ranked Lakeridge at Civic Stadium), a 26-0 state championship season on the court and a third-place state showing on the diamond (losing 1-0 in the semis to dominant pitcher Kim Moe and the Churchill Lancers).
Karyl later raised two sons, one now an elementary school PE teacher and head varsity volleyball coach at Centennial High, and the other a Portland Police officer.
Her athleticism these days takes her to the golf course (she coached basketball and golf at Marshall and Barlow).
You can typically find her at Columbia Edgewater Country Club or Persimmon Country Club.
“I golf a lot,” she says.
