Today, 20 Bridgeport High School swimmers will participate in the state swim meet at West Virginia University and those placing in the top 12 of their respective preliminaries will advance to Friday’s finals.

 

“I think they all have the potential to be in the top 12,” said Coach Jan Grisso. “I can’t always say that, but this year I truly believe that.”

Since the Feb. 2 regional meet at West Virginia Wesleyan College – the qualifier for states – swimmers have been working hard daily. It’s crunch time, Grisso said, and that means paying attention to detail.

 

“This is our taper time. We don’t do a lot of yardage, but spend time perfecting turns,” she said. “Races are won on starts and turns. You’re swimming against a high caliber of kids at states. Everyone is fast, so all that little fine tuning we hope pays off.”

 

To qualify for states, individual swimmers had to place among the top three in their events and relay teams had to place first or second. Beyond that criteria, some athletes are competing at states through an at-large bid.

“Every region gets their top three swimmers, then they take all the regions and pick the next 12 times,” Grisso said.

 

In some cases, upwards of 300 swimmers compete across the state in any given event, so in either case, qualifying is quite an honor, she said.

 

The following swimmers qualified by placing first through third in an individual event at regionals and the following relay teams qualified by placing first or second:

 

Sarah Stallman and Cheri Signorelli will swim in the 200-yard freestyle event, as will sophomore Marcel Rodriquez.

 

Olivia Urse will compete in the 200-yard individual medley, as will Randy Keener and Luke Pinti.

 

Cheyanne Rohde will swim in the 50-yard freestyle race, as will John Carter and Kyle Malcolm.

 

Rhode also has a spot in the 100-yard butterfly race, as does Darian Spencer and the Tribe’s Viktor Rodriquez.

 

Stallman will also be swimming the 100-yard freestyle event, as will Hope Rieser. Marcel Rodriquez will be a contender in the same race for the boys.

 

Marra Johnson will compete in the 500-yard freestyle race. Viktor Rodriquez will swim the same race for the boys.

 

In the 100-yard backstroke race, Urse, Rieser and Signorelli will compete for the girls and Keeener and Malenich for the boys.

In the 100-yard breaststroke, Johnson and Spencer will compete for the girls and Pinti and Carter for the boys.

 

In relays, Spencer, Stallman, Maria Lacaria and Rohde will compete in the 200-yard freestyle. Marcel Rodriquez, Malcolm, Phillip Malenich and Carter will compete for the boys’ 200-free.

 

Spencer, Johnson, Lacaria and Urse will compete in the 400-yard freestyle relay and Marcel Rodriquez, Malcolm, Malenich and Keener will race in the boys’ 400-free relay event.

 

Urse, Johnson, Rohde and Lacaria will combine efforts in the 200-yard medley relay, as will Keener, Pinti, Carter and Malcolm.

Competing at states with at-large bids are Ryan Knapp, Lilly Madden and Kirstin George in breaststroke; Reed Smith, backstroke; Vaughn Vincent, butterfly and individual medley; Maria Lacaria, Kyle Malcolm and Phillip Malenich, 50-yard freestyle.

 

The regional meet brought the Indians to 13-0 on the season, undefeated in every regular-season and post-season competition. Plenty of victories have been awarded and records have been broken. It has been an exciting, eventful season which all culminates with the athletes’ performance at states. Grisso said at this point, it’s all about focusing on the goal.

 

 “I feel like they’re ready. I do. It’s exciting to get there and stay in a hotel. It’s a reward and we try to make it nice for them. But they can’t lose their focus and what they are there for. That’s the important thing,” she said.

 

Assistant swim coaches are Jack Merinar and Wendy Madden.

 

Boys compete at 8:30 a.m. and girls at 4:30 p.m. each day. Tickets must be presented at each session and can be purchased on site. The action takes place at the WVU Natatorium, located just beside the WVU Coliseum.

 

Editor's Note: The BHS Swim Team is pictured (from top) celebrating, after winning regionals, after winning Big 10 and after winning the county swim meet (girls and boys pictured separately.)