May 23 Edition - Second of Two (Girls)

REGULAR COVERAGE - Region II

by Jeff Toquinto
Editor of The Bridgeport News

One week after Bridgeport girls track coach Jim Dawson
questioned whether or not his team understood what it
took to be successful following a second place finish
in the Big 10 meet, he got the answer he wanted. And,
he got it at the right time.
The Indians managed to score 117 points - four more
than Class AA-A top-ranked Grafton - to take the
Region II track and field title at Robert C. Byrd High
School. Doddridge County was third with 89 points.
The win not only solidifies the Tribe as one of the
team’s to beat in this weekend’s state championship
meet, but also was the first-ever in the regional in
the school’s history.
“I’m really excited for the girls,” said Dawson. “They
did a wonderful job.”
One of those getting the job done for BHS was Theresa
Melko who was the club’s high point scorer. Melko
qualified in all four of her events, winning the
discus with a throw of 116 feet and one inch, while
finishing second in the shot put.
“She didn’t break any school or meet records, but she
threw well and did a good job on the 4x800 and the
4x400 relays. It was just another day at the office
for her,” said Dawson.
The same could be said about Ali Moore. Moore, who
managed to take the club’s only other individual first
place, won the 100-meter hurdles with a school record
time of 15.62 seconds.
“She had a new school record in the trials and again
in the finals,” said Dawson. “I thought Ali had a near
perfect day.”
The Indians managed to take first place in the
4x100-meter event (53.21 seconds) and the shuttle
hurdle relays (1:07.94). The shuttle hurdle team’s
(Sarah Abbate, Lindsay Burnett, Eliza Haws and Moore)
time broke the school record by two-tenths of a
second.
It was in the shuttle event where Grafton may have
sealed its fate as runner-up. The club was
disqualified and in the final event, where the
Bearcats won the 4x400, the Indians held their own
with a second place finish.
"Grafton helped our situation with their shuttle team
disqualification," said Dawson.
The situation BHS finds itself in now is as one of the
favorites for Friday and Saturday's state championship
at Laidley Field in Charleston. The Indians assured
themselves of that status by upending the top-ranked
'Cats in the regional, which is one of the strongest
in the state.
But, can the Indians win it? Dawson said the
capability is there for a title run.
"This team has most of the components to win the meet.
However all of those components must perform at their
peak to win a meet of this magnitude," said Dawson.
Along with BHS, Grafton and Doddridge, Dawson lists
Winfield, Magnolia and Weir as among the top teams.