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BHS Cross Country Teams Look to Add 2017 Big 10 Title to War Chest as Regional Meet Approaches

By Jeff Toquinto on October 11, 2017 via Connect-Bridgeport.com

A little more than a week after Bridgeport High School won the Harrison County Championship, the boys and girls cross country teams are hoping to pull off the same sweep at the Big 10 championship.
 
Whether that can happen will be determined Thursday at the White Day Golf Course in Fairmont. The cross country event begins at 4:30 p.m.
 
Unlike the county meet where most programs didn’t have enough runners to field complete teams, the Big 10 is a different animal. Not only are the full programs competing, but they will include some of the best in the state on both the boys’ and girls’ side of the ledger.
 
The boys are particularly loaded. Along with the second-ranked Indians (according to the site RunWV.com), the boys faceoff against ‘AA’ No. 1 East Fairmont, No. 3 Philip Barbour and No. 4 Fairmont Senior. Class AAA No. 7 Preston is also in the field.
 
The Class AA No. 2-ranked BHS girls will face off against Class AA No. 4 Philip Barbour, No. 6 East Fairmont and No. 8 Fairmont Senior. Preston is ranked here as well and stand at No. 9 in ‘AAA” this year.
 
How much stock is BHS Coach Jon Griffith putting into the meet?
 
“While you want to win every meet, winning and losing meets is really only important at the State Meet.  Winning any other meet is great, but the one that really counts is the one at the end,” said Griffith. “That being said, we view each meet as a progress report on our season.  We use it to gauge where we are in our training and evaluate the improvement or lack thereof in our athletes.  So by that measure, they are very important.” 
 
Last week’s gauge showed the Indians chugging along quite nicely. Bridgeport dominated the county event on Oct. 3 at Robert C. Byrd High School. The girls won their ninth straight Harrison County title, while the boys won their 11th in a row.
 
The girls cruised to the crown with 20 points. That was well ahead of runner-up RCB with 50.
 
“The RCB course is pretty difficult, but the girls ran steady, consistent races just like they have all year,” said Griffith. “Plus we had numbers on our side with 23 out of the 45 runners in the race.  Several girls were out with some issues that we are rehabbing.”
 
Julia Muller was the strongest of them all. She was the top finisher with a time of 21 minutes and 20 seconds. Teammate Emma Campbell finished runner-up with a time of 21 minutes and 56 seconds.
 
“As usual, Julia Muller and Emma Campbell ran well.  They finished 1-2 on the day,” said Griffith. “Jenna Soltesz and Brooke Wagner finished fourth and fifth.  Then Haley Chamberlain and Michaela Perri were eighth and ninth overall.”
 
After that group were several other Bridgeport runners. Lindsey Morais (11th), Rhe Freeman (12th), Samantha Gibson (14th), Madison Vincent (16th), Kayla Milliman (19th), Sarah Kinney (20th), Annabell Goddard (22nd), Bridget Wagner (23rd), Chloe Stear (24th) and Rylee Chamberlain (25th) were a;; om the top 25. By the race ended, BHS had 16 of the top 25 finishers.
 
“That’s not too shabby,” said Griffith.
 
Bridgeport found victory, again, through solid running and huge number. Of the 50-person field, the BHS boys had 29 of those participants.
 
Bridgeport won the event with 24 points. Robert C. Byrd was second with 36.
 
“We were short a couple of our normal top seven runners, but the rest of the boys just stepped up to fill in those spots,” said Griffith.
 
The Indians’ Mark Duez finished second overall on the day with a time of 17 minutes and 41 seconds. However, the talented senior had an issue he couldn’t know was coming.
 
“(Mark) was hampered by an allergic reaction to a bee sting he suffered on his ankle,” said Griffith. “Danah Phillips from RCB ran great and Mark just could keep up with all of the swelling.”
 
Bridgeport had six others in the top 10.  Jackson Jacobs finished fourth overall and was followed by Cade Robinson (5th), Hunter Hutson (6th), Landon Burns (7th), Colton Marsh (8th) and Cole Bracken (10th). The numbers were even strong after that with John Dolan (12th), Ryder Frailey (14th), Caleb Holbert (15th), Nathan Mullins (16th), Joshua Gervais (17th), Ben Holbert (18th), Brady Oldaker (20th), Gavin Jackson (21st), Benson Bassell (22nd), Josh Freeman (24th), Shyam Patel (26th), Grant Duvall (27th), Greg Wilson (28th) and McCoy Pepper-Jackson (29th) all doing well.
 
“That gave us 21 in the top 30.  Again, a pretty good day,” said Griffith.
 
Bridgeport officially begins the postseason Oct. 19. The Tribe will compete in the Class AA/A Region II championship at Davis & Elkins College at 1 p.m. 
 
Editor's Note: Top photo shows Julia Muller with her medal as the top finisher, while Mark Duez is shown below on the course. Photos by www.benqueenphotography.com.


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