Don’t get Bridgeport High School boys track Coach Jon Griffith wrong. Few, if any, were happier than he was in winning Friday’s Dick Dunlap Classic at Winfield High School.

 

Not only did the Indians win, but the Indians managed to beat the defending Class AA state champions. The same Generals program that kept the Tribe in second place at last year’s state meet.

 

However, Griffith saw more than just WHS at the meet. In fact, Bridgeport knocked off some of the top programs in all of West Virginia regardless of classification.

 

“Winfield (ranked No. 2 in ‘AA’) is an excellent program, but they were just one of several outstanding programs at the Dick Dunlap Winfield Classic.  Huntington (No. 1 in Class AAA) and Hurricane (No. 3 in ‘AAA’) are outstanding teams as well,” said Griffith. “Add in Fairmont Sr. (No. 7 in Class AA) and Shady Spring (No. 10 in Class AA) making this a pretty solid field. To come away with a win in this meet is a great accomplishment for our boys.”

 

The boys finished with 119.25 points. Huntington was second with 104 points, while Winfield came in third with 95 points in the 13-team field.

 

Bridgeport’s girls also fared well. Like the boys, BHS finished second to Winfield last year. Although the Generals won on the girls side this year with Bridgeport second, it was a close encounter.

 

Getting that many points for the boys must seem like a lot of first place finishes. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. The boys won just three events at the meet. The area where they separated themselves from the pack was with their depth.

 

“Depth continues to be our best asset.  We didn't win a lot of events, but we had lots of top three finishes.  In fact, we scored well across almost every event.  The large majority of teams aren't able to do that,” said Griffith. “We have a great group of seniors who have worked very hard for four years to get where they are.  

 

“Our program is designed to focus on improvement from week to week as well as season to season.  Consistent, dedicated effort across multiple years really makes a difference,” Griffith continued. “One of the saddest things for me to watch is a talented athlete waste their ability by not committing themselves to be their best.”

 

As for finishing in the best position, the Indians got two first place finishes in the relays. The Tribe won the 4x400 as well as the shuttle hurdle relays.

 

The 4x400 consisted of Hayden Hess, Kyle McCarthy, Trenton Shaw and Tristan Shaw. The group posted a winning time of 3 minutes, 37.18 seconds.

 

“We are continuing to tinker around with the relays.  That will be the case for another couple of weeks, but the group that ran Friday did a fantastic job,” said Griffith. “We haven't been as strong in that relay the past few years, but we certainly look like we can be a little more successful this year.”

 

The 4x110 meter shuttle team won with a time of 1 minute, .5 seconds. The group featured Tre. Shaw and Tri. Shaw along with Josh Osborn and Braeden Oldaker.

 

The shuttle hurdle relay team has been pretty consistent since last year.  Their times have come down a couple of seconds from last year and they are looking very solid heading into the rest of the season,” said Griffith. “Hurdles are always tricky events, small missteps can result in big problems.  We hope the experience of this group pays dividends for us at the end of the year.”

 

Bridgeport got one more win. It was also the only win in an individual event as Osborn won the pole vault by clearing 13 feet.

 

“Pole vault is another very technical event.  Everything has to be right.  Josh has shown some great efforts the past two meets with back to back 13 feet performances,” said Griffith. “I think he has more height in him.  At some point this season, I believe he will be taking a shot at breaking the school record.”

 

While the Indians didn’t get any other wins, Griffith was quick to point out some strong showings. He singled out Maverick Eddy’s effort in the 200 meters and Oldaker’s in the 110 high hurdles – both personal bests. Personal bests also came from McCarthy (400 meters). Coleton Marsh (800 meters), Tri. Shaw, Ashton Davis and Quincy Jones all had personal bests in the high jump.

 

The girls finished the meet with 141.5 points, which was off the winning total of 159.5 by Winfield in what turned out to be a two-team race in a 13-team field. Hurricane was a distant third with 74 points.

 

“I was pretty happy to see our results this weekend. We ran well against some great athletes across the state,” said Coach Emilee Yurish. “Of course, Winfield is still very strong, and I was glad we got the opportunity to run against them halfway through our season.”

 

The Indians got wins in some familiar places – starting with the sprints. Isabella Bowen won the 100 and 200 at the event. She posted a time of 12.51 seconds in the 100 and 25.85 in the 200 meters.

 

“I am very happy that Isabella is doing so well. She just needs continue to train hard and it will keep showing in our meets,” said Yurish.

 

Julie Muller continued with wins in the 1600 meters. This time she posted a winning mark of 5 minutes, 20.78 seconds.

 

“Julia is very simply an excellent competitor.  When she gets it in her mind that she wants to win, or shoot for another school record, she just does it.  I truly enjoy watching her run,” said Yurish.

 

Like the boys, the Indians took a pair of relay wins on the day. The Tribe won the 4x100 and the 4x200 meter relays.

 

The 4x100 team of Emily Meade, Bowen, Juliet Hart and Kristen Crowder posted a time of 51.3 seconds. The 4x200 group of Kirstin George, Catie Wilson, Hart and Crowder were winners thanks to a showing of 1 minute, 48.14 seconds.

 

“Our relays did a great job, again, against other top sprinters. They are getting more comfortable with their handoffs and that's all we want from them,” said Yurish. “They are pushing themselves each week and it's really fun to watch.”

 

Bridgeport’s only other win came in the high jump. Alyssa Mabrey won by clearing 5 feet, 4 inches.