Bridgeport Track & Field Teams In Action on Day 2 of State Meet
By Michael Minnich on May 23, 2026
The Bridgeport Indians boys track & field team finished as state runner-up and the Tribe girls claimed fifth place over two days at the state meet at Laidley Field in Charleston.
The Tribe boys scored 73 points to finish behind Point Pleasant (78) and ahead of Winfield (68) and Elkins (64) in what was a tight race as expected.
"Looking at the times coming in, we though we had a chance, but hats off to Point Pleasant," Bridgeport boys coach Grant Burton said. "Really proud of the boys. For two days, they competed their butts off. We can't be more thankful for our coaches. They put them in this situation to come down and perform."
The girls put up 53 points to trail Greenbrier East (125), Winfield (81), Fairmont Senior (59) and East Fairmont (53.5).
"These girls, overall, were young, so to qualify the numbers that we did to come down here, they definitely performed," girls coach Allie Burton said. "I'm proud of them. Our relays went out there and competed. AAA was a dogfight for escond and I think we did what we could. Haydn Henderson getting a win in the long jump was awesome. Aria Selario and our distance kids were great."
The boys 4x200 meter relay, comprised of Kieran Moore, Gavin Williams, JT Ritter and Will George, won the state championship in a time of 1:29.75, beating Princeton (1:30.93).
"I knew going in that we had a chance to win, so I just tried to keep up and maintain with all the other athletes we ran against," Moore said.
"Looking at everyone's times and how well we did (in regionals) at Keyser, I though we for sure had a chance and I thought we were going to win," Williams said. "We faced a couple of bad handoffs, but it doesn't matter. We kept up with them."
"I knew that I was in the outside lane. (Princeton) was ahead of me by a little bit, so I just wanted to catch up to him," Ritter said. "And then once I got him, I put it into gear and kept going."
"His future is going to be really bright," Grant Burton said of Ritter. "I'm really proud of the way he showed up this weekend."
"I saw JT coming in and he had a good five meters over anyone," George said. "In my head, I just told myself that this was any other day. I just took it home. When I got the baton, I said, 'Game over.'"
Even knowing he had the lead, George brought a different mindset.
"I imagine someone is in front of me, usually someone that I've lost to myself. Rather than what's actually there, that's what I'm thinking to motivate myself," George said. "All of these guys did wonderful today."
The win came shortly after Williams (11.27 seconds) and George (11.32 seconds) placed second and third in the 100 meter dash and before they went 1-2 in the 200 meter dash, with George winning in 21.99 seconds and Williams second in 22.15 seconds.
"You know everyone wants to win, but being teammates, they pushed each other all year long. Both of them showed up and showed out, so I couldn't be more proud," Grant Burton said.
"It definitely helped us a lot," George said of being in a sprint final before and after the relay. "This whole season is (Gavin's) first year of track and it definitely helped me improve in these relays. It ave me some motivation to actually give me the confidence that we were able to win it."
The same four sprinters were also Bridgeport's entry in the 4x100 relay and placed third in 43.70 seconds.
Kieran Moore was fourth in the boys 300 meter hurdles in 41.06 seconds, while teammate Sawyer Culicerto took seventh in 42.25 seconds.
Becky Pepper-Jackson took fourth place in the discus with a best of 112-00.
In the 1600 meter run, Aria Selario placed fifth in 5:12.69, Mikaela DeMoss took ninth in 5:38.82 and Bethsayed Dankiewicz was 10th in 5:39.85.
The girls 4x100 meter relay, comprised of Katie Backus, Ellie Bongiorno, Emma Kniceley-See and Haydn Henderson, placed fifth in a time of 50.56 seconds, while the same four placed seventh in the 4x200 relay 1:49.39.
JT RItter, Sawyer Culicerto, Troy Zorick and Kieran Moore took fifth in the final race of the day, the 4x400 meter relay, in 3:32.
The Tribe girls 4x400 meter relay of Emma Kniceley-See, Kennedy Wolfe, Aria Selario and Haydn Henderson was sixth in 4:19.84.
Isla Tobrey cleared 9-00 in the pole vault for seventh place, while Ellie Bongiorno (8-00) was ninth.
"Isla in the pole vault and Ellie clearing those heights, I'm proud of all of them," Allie Burton said.
Gabe Martin (17.37 seconds) took eighth in the 110 meter high hurdles finals.
Kieran Moore got the day going with a ninth-place finish in the boys 400 meter dash in 51.53 seconds.
Isla Tobrey (12th, 50.45 seconds) and Kennedy Wolfe (16th, 51.91 seconds) ran in the 300 meter hurdles.
"It's huge to get that state experience for our younger athletes. They've seen great competition and kids from other schools and they know they just have to keep working," Allie Burton said. "We have a lot of multi-sport athletes. I love that. They can go rock their thing and put some more work in during the offseason and be right back down here next year doing something cool."
The full Class AAA event schedule for Bridgeport’s athletes. All finals unless noted.
FRIDAY
Boys long jump (12 p.m.): Aiden Gorby (t-9th, 19-04)
Girls 4x800 meter relay (12:30 p.m.): Bethsayed Dankiewicz, Isla Tobrey, Mikaela DeMoss, Aria Selario (7th, time of 10:15.04)
Boys 4x800 meter relay (1:30 p.m.): Graham Northey, Parker Muncy, Andrew Wagner, William Northey (15th, time of 8:51.95).
Boys shot put (2 p.m.): Jaylen Brown (4th, 49-00), Harrison Hall (13th, 42-11.50)
Girls long jump (2 p.m.): Haydn Henderson (1st, 16-05.50), Scarlett Edgell (8th, 14-10.75)
Girls 100 meter hurdles preliminaries (2:10 p.m.): Carley Lattea (15th, 17.47 seconds), Scarlett Edgell (16th, 17.59 seconds).
Boys 110 meter hurdles preliminaries (2:30 p.m.): Gabe Martin (8th, qualified for finals, 16.42 seconds), Sawyer Culicerto (9th, 16.57 seconds).
Girls 110 meter dash preliminaries (2:55 p.m.): Emma Kniceley-See (9th, 12.91 seconds).
Boys 100 meter dash preliminaries (3:15 p.m.): Gavin Williams (3rd, qualified for finals, 11.10 seconds), Will George (5th, qualified for finals, 11.35 seconds)
Girls shot put (4 p.m.): Becky Pepper-Jackson (1st. 38-11.75), Isabella McCullough (10th, 30-06.25)
Girls shuttle hurdles relay (4 p.m.): Isla Tobrey, Kennedy Wolfe, Carley Lattea, Katie Backus (8th, 1:09.48)
Boys shuttle hurdles relay (5 p.m.): Sawyer Culicerto, Graham Vincent, Gabe Martin, Aiden Gorby (2nd, 59.11 seconds)
Boys 200 meter dash preliminaries (6:05 p.m.): Will George (1st, qualified for finals, 22.31 seconds, Gavin Williams (3rd, qualified for finals, 22.39 seconds).
Girls 3200 meter run (6:50 p.m.): Aria Selario (3rd, 11:06.86), Mikaela DeMoss (6th, 11:47.26), Bethsayed Dankiewicz (9th, 11:59.62)
Boys 3200 meter run (7:50 p.m.): William Northey (11th, 10:12.01), Troy Zorick (12th, 10:14.82)
SATURDAY
Boys 400 meter dash (10 a.m.): Kieran Moore (9th, 51.53 seconds)
Girls 1600 meter run (10:30 a.m.: Aria Selario (5th. 5:12.69), Mikaela DeMoss (9th, 5:38.82), Bethsayed Dankiewicz (10th, 5:39.85)
Girls discus (11 a.m.): Becky Pepper-Jackson (4th, 112-00)
Boys 1600 meter run (11:10 a.m.): Troy Zorick (did not compete)
Girls 300 meter hurdles (11:45 a.m.): Isla Tobrey (12th, 50.45 seconds), Kennedy Wolfe (16th, 51.91 seconds)
Boys 300 meter hurdles (12:05 p.m.): Kieran Moore (4th, 41.06 seconds), Sawyer Culicerto (7th, 42.25 seconds)
Boys 110 meter hurdles finals (1:21 p.m.): Gabe Martin (8th, 17.37 seconds)
Boys 100 meter dash finals (1:41 p.m.): Gavin Williams (2nd, 11.27 seconds), Will George (3rd, 11.32 seconds)
Girls 4x200 meter relay (2:10 p.m.): Katie Backus, Ellie Bongiorno, Emma Kniceley-See, Haydn Henderson (7th, 1:49.39)
Boys 4x200 meter relay (2:50 p.m.): Kieran Moore, Gavin Williams, JT Ritter, Will George (1st, 1:29.75)
Girls pole vault (3 p.m.): Isla Tobrey (7th, 9-00), Ellie Bongiorno (9th, 8-00)
Girls 4x100 meter relay (3:40 p.m.): Katie Backus, Ellie Bongiorno, Haydn Henderson, Emma Kniceley-See (5th, 50.56 seconds)
Boys 4x100 meter relay (4 p.m.): Gavin Williams, JT Ritter, Carson Bastin, Will George (3rd, 43.70 seconds)
Boys 800 meter run (4:40 p.m.): Troy Zorick (did not compete)
Boys 200 meter dash (5:02 p.m.): Will George (1st, 21.99 seconds), Gavin Williams (2nd, 22.15 seconds)
Girls 4x400 meter relay (5:34 p.m.): Emma Kniceley-See, Kennedy Wolfe, Aria Selario, Haydn Henderson (6th, 4:19.84)
Boys 4x400 meter relay (6:22 p.m.): JT Ritter, Sawyer Culicerto, Henley Hinkle, Kieran Moore (5th, 3:32)
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