The Bridgeport High School swim team has had a rock-solid year, breezing through the season and post-season; both boys and girls going 13-0 going into the state swim meet. The boys brought home a state championship and the girls were named runner-up team at West Virginia University’s Natatorium Feb. 14-15.

 

The Tribe’s boys accumulated 184 points, followed by George Washington with 161 points. Wheeling, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South, Hurricane, Winfield, Jefferson, Huntington and University high schools followed.

 

In addition to a team trophy, the Tribe’s boys brought home three other state meet victories; two of them a team effort and one earned by freshman Randy Keener.

 

Keener, John Carter, Luke Pinti and Kyle Malcolm teamed up for a 200-yard medley relay victory, finishing in 1:39.17.

 

Carter, Malcolm, Marcel Rodriquez and Phillip Malenich teamed up for a 200-yard freestyle relay victory. The boys finished the race in 1:33.51.

 

Keener also took a first place in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:59.08.  He earned a second place in the 100-yard backstroke.

 

Carter finished the 50-yard freestyle race in second place (22:46) and picked up a third-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke event, closely followed by Pinti in fourth.

 

Rodriquez, Malenich, Malcolm and Keener joined forces to place fourth in the 400-yard freestyle race.

 

Taking a trio of victories was certainly big, but Coach Jan Grisso said that – as has been true all season – the depth of her team’s talent proved instrumental. Going into finals, Bridgeport’s boys were in first place by just two points. Friday, they took the championship by 23 points and every place earned contributed.

 

The same story held true for the girls.

 

The Lady Indians accumulated 170 points, ending the two-day meet 13 points behind state championship team, Parkersburg High. Wheeling Park, Fairmont Senior and Hurricane earned third through fifth places, respectively.

 

Bridgeport earned one first place in girls’ competition. The team of Spencer, Sarah Stallman, Lacaria and Cheyanne Rohde earned a victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay, completing the race in 1.44.08.

 

BHS took third place in the girls’ 400-yard freestyle relay. Swimming were Darian Spencer, Marra Johnson, Maria Lacaria and Olivia Urse.

Urse, Johnson, Rohde and Lacaria placed third in the 200-yard medley relay, incredibly close to second place team Wheeling Park.

 

Johnson picked up a fifth place in the 100-yard breaststroke, just a fraction of a second behind Hurricane’s Isabella Hart. Johnson also finished the 500-yard freestyle event in fifth place.

 

Olivia Urse placed second in the 100-yard backstroke event, finishing in 59.16, within a second of winner Sarah Heilman of Wheeling Park. Bridgeport’s Hope Rieser picked up an eighth place in 100-back.

 

Urse had another impressive race, finishing third in the 200-yard individual medley. Stallman earned ninth place in the 200-yard IM.

 

Rohde finished the 100-yard butterfly race in fourth place and Spencer finished 10^th.  Rohde also earned a third place in the 50-yard freestyle event and Stallman earned a 10^th place spot in the 100-yard freestyle race.

 

Grisso said she and Assistant Coaches Jack Merinar and Wendy Madden are extremely proud of and pleased with their athletes’ performances.

 

Tribe swimmers were recognized at Saturday’s BHS vs. Robert C. Byrd basketball game, played on Bridgeport’s home court.

 

See more images by Ben Queen Photography from the state swim meet at the links below:

 

Boys' preliminaries.

 

Girls' preliminaries.

 

Boys' finials.

 

Girls' finals.