May 6, 2004
by Jeff Toquinto
Editor of The Bridgeport News

The last time Bridgeport’s girls track team was in Charleston, they finished as runner-up in the state Class AA track and field championships. This past weekend at the Gazette Relays, also in Charleston, the girls found themselves back in the No. 2 spot.
At the end of Saturday’s meet, BHS had managed 79 points to secure second place. However, it was well off of the winning pace set by Winfield. The Generals finished with 173 points and laid down the gauntlet to the rest of the “AA” field.
On the boys side, Bridgeport came in fourth place with 56 points. The Tribe trailed WHS, which swept the event, with 102 points, Ravenswood (79) and Shady Spring (66).
The girls were able to do well thanks to a strong showing in the relays and a good showing by sophomore Lauren Gilbert. The relays managed to produce the only win of the day as the 4x400 team of Lora Gallagher, Jenna Fogg, Kate Merinar and Gilbert won in a time of 4 minutes, 25.31 seconds, which broke the school record by five seconds.
The Indians received points in every other relay event. The 4x100 (54.05 seconds), the 4x200 (1 minute, 54.88 seconds) and the 4x800 (10 minutes, 30.15 seconds) all took third place finishes. The shuttle hurdles team was second (1 minute, 12.29 seconds).
Although Gilbert didn't win any events, she did place in three, including a runner-up in the 400 meters (1 minute, .33 seconds). She also was fifth in the 100 (13.37 seconds) and fourth in the 200 (27.13 seconds).
Fogg also placed in a pair of events. Fogg was fourth in both the 3200 meters (12 minutes, 31.29 seconds) and the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches).
Three others - Kate Merinar, Sarah Abbate and Emilee Stout - also placed. Merinar (5 minutes, 41.95 seconds) was fourth in the 1600 meter run, while Abbate came in the (16.63 seconds) in the 100 hurdles.
Stout was runner-up in the pole vault as she cleared 10 feet. The battle there was one of the more interesting of the meet as Winfield's Maggie Tincher, whom will be Stout's main competition at this year's state meet, won by clearing 11 feet.
"I was surprised (with the finish)," said BHS girls coach Jim Dawson. "With the entries we sent in I thought we would be lucky to finish third. We had a lot of outstanding performances."
Still, Dawson believes Winfield is the team to beat in Class AA.
"Winfield will win the state meet unless they have a flu epidemic or something only Mother Nature can explain," joked Dawson.
The boys were able to amass their point total by having another strong showing in the relays. BHS also received solid individual efforts from Matt Fischer and Matt Wilson.
Bridgeport placed in four of the five relay events. In fact, one of two BHS wins during the meet came in the shuttles.
The shuttles team of Grant Burton, Phillip McElfresh, Fischer and Wilson won with a time of 59.65 seconds. The others were 4x100 (45.23 seconds) third, 4x200 (1 minute, 34.39 seconds) in fourth and the 4x800 (8 minutes, 34.77 seconds) in fifth.
"We fared very well in the relays," said BHS coach Jon Griffith. "We still need to improve in a couple of the relays."
Fischer, who unfortunately suffered a sprained groin in Charleston, took the other individual win. The sophomore won the high jump by clearing 6 feet, 4 inches. Fischer also was a sixth place finisher in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 16.57 seconds.
Wilson managed two runner-up finishes despite false starting in the 110 hurdles. He cleared 6 feet, 2 inches in the high jump, while posting a mark of 21 feet, 1 and 1.25 inches in the long jump.
The only other points came in the pole vault. Raymond Powers was third as he cleared 12 feet, 6 inches, while David Haws was sixth with a mark of 11 feet, 6 inches.
Bridgeport's efforts were hurt by managing just one point - the 110 hurdles - in sprint or distance events. BHS was shutout in the seven of the eight events.
"Absolutely (it's a concern)," said Griffith. " ... We will need to find a way to get some points from those events."
The boys were without Jeff Wiemer, who has a broken wrist. He may compete this week in the Big 10 and Harrison County Championships. Details on both of those meets will be in next week's edition of The Bridgeport News.