In his athletic career thus far at Bridgeport High School, junior Timmy Jeffress has proven he can excel when opportunities come in his way.

 

Success came last year during the track and field season as he was part of the Class AAA state champion 4x100 team. Success came this past football season on both sides of the ball as he ran for 651 yards and 10 touchdowns and had 29 tackles, including three for a loss, on defense.

 

If Friday’s season-opening track and field meet, the Connect-Bridgeport Invitational at Wayne Jamison Field, is any indication, more success is on the way.

 

Jeffress took high-point honors and led the BHS boys to a runner-up finish in the team standings behind Morgantown. He won the long jump, with the top jump coming in at 20-04.50 and added runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200 with respective times of 11.54 and 23.42.

 

“Timmy has always performed well for us when given the chance,” BHS coach Grant Burton said. “He’s been a big part of our relays and consistent in open events, it’s just we usually had someone faster in the open events.

 

“Being part of that state champion relay team, I think he’s running with more confidence, and I think you are going to see him have a great year in all of his events.

 

Another win for the BHS boys came in the 800 as sophomore distance standout Troy Zorick had an impressive time of 2:02.16 to take first place.

 

On the girls side, BHS junior Gianna Cox shared high-point honors with North Marion’s Cierra Parker. Cox won the 100 with a time of 12.66 and crossed the finish line at 26.11 to take first place in the 200. She was also part of the winning 4x100 team as she along with Lee Ann Gaskins, Ava Hollen and Savannah Courtney finished with a time of 52.35.

 

The BHS girls won a total of six events en route to finishing second in the team standings behind Morgantown.

 

Lyza Halterman swept the throws, winning the shot put with a throw of 31-02 and the discus at 104-01.

 

Another first-place finish came in the shuttles as Hazel Jackson, Myleigh Smell, Brian Smell and Carley Lattea won with a time of 1:12.48.

“It was a good start to the season,” BHS girls coach Ali Burton said. “Gianna had a good day. Lyza had a good day. And you take someone like Lee Ann, she is just consistent and does so well no matter what event she is in.”

 

Gaskins was third in the 200 with a time of 28.12. and fifth in the long jump at 15-00

 

In the 100 hurdles, the BHS girls went 2-3 with Jackson coming in second at 17.84 and Myleigh Smell third with a time of 18:05.

 

A pair of BHS girls also picked up points in the 300 hurdles with Bria Smell placing fifth at 54.20 and Gabriella Townsend was seventh at 55.29.

 

Bridgeport’s 4x800 team of Bria Smell, Mikaela DeMoss, Alea Matthis and Sara Rexroad placed fourth with a time of 11:20.59.

 

In the 4x200, Jackson, Eliza Perine, Delaney Dotson and Ava Hollen crossed the finish line with a time of 1:57.37 which was good for seventh place.

 

Three BHS girls placed in the 800 with Matthis coming in third at 2:42.81, Ashley McBrayer was fifth at 2:43.83 and DeMoss was sixth at 2:44.11.

 

MacKenzie Courtney added a fifth-place finish with a throw of 27-07 in the shot put and a sixth-place finish in the discus at 75-09.

 

Also, for the BHS boys, the shuttles team of Cale Culicerto, Gabe Martin, Cam Martin and Parker Blount finished second with a time of 1:06.26.

 

William Northey and Ethan Smell were sixth and seventh with respective times of 2:12.14 and 2:12.32 in the 800.

 

Cale Culicerto was third in the 110 hurdles with a time of 16.23.

 

The boys 4x800 team of Ethan Smell, Diego Perez, Luke Murray and Daniel Yearego came in fourth with a time of 9:28.40.

 

Another fourth-place finish for the Tribe came in the 4x400 as Quentin Collier, Zorick, Ethan Smell and William Northey ran a time of 3:56.80.

 

In the 4x200, Mitchell Rossana, Aiden Gorby, Eli Terebus and Sawyer Culicerto placed sixth with a time of 1:45.61.

Gorby added a fifth-place finish in the 300 hurdles with a time of 45.68.

 

Noah Kintz was the runner-up in the pole vault, clearing 11-00.

 

Ian Blount was sixth in the high jump at 5-06.

 

Ryan Jones was fifth in the discus with a throw of 124-11 and Bear Metheney was eighth with a throw of 112-11.

In the shot put, Jones came in fourth at 41-10 and Wes Brown Jr. was fifth at 40-07.

 

Other girls winners on Friday were:

 

 Morgantown’s 4x800 team of Madeline Gump, Allison Hawkins, Lauren Hawkins and Jennifer O’Palko with a time of 9:53.90.

 Washington’s Ayla Kidd in the 100 hurdles at 16.36.

 

Robert C. Byrd’s 4x200 team of Madison Harnett, Brookelynn Washington, Brea Lathon and Kyla Sutherlin with a time of 1:52.46.

Morgantown’s Madeline Gump in the 1,600 with a time of 5:13.62.

 

RCB’s Lathon in the 400 at 1:00.98.

 

Mountain Ridge’s Annabeth in the 300 hurdles at 51.86.

 

Northern Garrett’s Lydia Nelson in the 800 with a time of 2:20.32.

 

 Morgantown’s Maraid Johnson in the 3,200 at 11:50.48.

 

Mountain Ridge’s 4x400 team of Reese Rizzo, Sophia Brill, Caroline Orndorff and Sydney Snyder with a time of 4:32.95.

 

Morgantown’s Emma Smith in the high jump at 5-00.

 

North Marion’s Parker in the long jump at 16-09.50.

 

North Marion’s Maylie Bland in the pole vault at 9-00.

 

Other boys winners on Friday were:

 

Morgantown’s 4x800 team of Joaquin Summers, Evan Stacy, Zachary Workman and Andrew Carlton with a time of 8:15.40.

 

Morgantown’s Hayden Casdorph in the 110 hurdles at 15.82.

 

Morgantown’s Cooper Boone in the 100 with a time of 11.50.

 

Morgantown’s 4x200 team of Isaiah Thompson, Owen Williams, Keonn Arnold and Boone with a time of 1:35.05.

 

Morgantown’s Arnold in the 400 with a time of 53.66.

 

Mountain Ridge’s Jake Geary in the 300 hurdles with a time of 44.37.

 

 Morgantown’s Thompson, Williams, Alexander Gilcrest and Boone in the 4x100 with a time of 44.99.

 

 Fairmont Senior’s Tayvion Thornton in the 200 with a time of 23.40.

 

Morgantown’s Finlay Lorimer in the 3,200 with a time of 10:02.35.

 

Morgantown’s shuttles team of Jacob Meyer, Seth Wisman, Reed Dolan and Casdorph with a time of 1:02.33.

 

Morgantown’s 4x400 team of Corey Mangrum, Summers, Workman and Arnold with a time of 3:34.79.

 

Morgantown’s Wiseman in the discus with a throw of 139-05.

 

Mountain Ridge’s Andrew Ketterman in the pole vault at 11-06.

 

Washington’s George Welti in the high jump at 5-10.

 

Fairmont Senior’s Trevor Bigelow in the shot put at 43-00.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo of Jeffress (center), middle photo of Cox (center) and bottom photo of Cale Culicerto by Joe LaRocca.