Bridle, Semenza Go 1-2 At Division 2 State Track Meet

Just when it seemed as though in a Tewksbury High track uniform, the TMHS senior speedster added yet another accomplishment to her long list of achievements by taking first place in the 400 meter dash at the MIAA Division 2 State Championship meet Sunday afternoon at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School.

Bridle had already done more in her four-year career at TMHS than any other female track athlete, winning 10 different Merrimack Valley Conference championships, six individually and four on relay teams.

"You could try to squeeze Jessie's (track) resume onto one page, but even if you typed it single spaced in a 10-point font, it wouldn't fit," TMHS coach John Byrnes said. "She's been knocking on the door (of a state title) a couple times, but this time she got it, which is pretty awesome after all she's done." 

And what made Bridle's first career individual state championship all the more remarkable was the fact that she beat out sophomore teammate Sara Semenza by just .42 seconds to take the state championship. Semenza finished second, in what Byrnes believes is the first-ever 1-2 state championship finish in Tewksbury High history.

"It's pretty rare, especially with all the talent you see in the sprints at the (Dvision 2) state meet every year," Byrnes said. "I can't recall it ever happening at Tewksbury, and definitely not in a running event."

Semenza came in as the top seed in the race, having won the MVC 400-meter championship in a time of 59.31 on May 17. Bridle captured the MVC 200-meter title that same evening, but Byrnes believed that both Semenza and Bridle had a shot at the top spot in the 400 at the Division 2 state meet.

"To be honest, I'm a bit surprised they went 1-2," Byrnes said. "I told them before the meet that there were about about 14  kids capable of breaking 60 seconds, which is incredible depth."

Four of those kids ended up breaking the 59 second mark, led by Bridle with a personal best 58.18 and Semenza with a personal best 58.60.

Not surprisingly, the unassuming Bridle credited Semenza with pushing her to victory.

"She definitely pushes me, because she's only a sophomore and she's so talented," Bridle said. "It's pretty cool to run with her, though. I'm pretty ecstatic about the way it turned out."

Bridle, Semenza, Sarah Hogan and Kelly Quigley also teamed up to take fifth place in the 4x400 meter relay with a lightning fast time of 4:01.39. Mansfield won the event in a meet record 3:56.05.

The Redmen girls tallied 29 points to take 10th overall as a team. MVC rival Central Catholic won the team state championship with an even 100 points.

Tewksbury's other point scorers included senior Devin Kelly, who took fourth in the pole vault at 8-feet, six inches, and senior Courtney Spinelli, who took seventh in the javelin with a toss of 109-7.

CENTRAL GIRLS

Three Tewksbury girls contributed to Central Catholic's state championship. Alexa Poulin and Melissa Mackey, both juniors, scored in two events each. Poulin ran a leg on Central's 4x100 meter relay team, which finished fourth, and also ran a leg on Central's 4x400 meter relay team, which finished eighth.

Mackey took seventh in the 100 meter hurdles in 16.44 seconds and also ran a leg on the 4x400 meter relay team. Sophomore Aly Spencer cleared 8-0 in the pole vault, good for fifth place in that event.

TEWKSBURY BOYS

The Tewksbury High boys team mustered only five points in the meet. Senior George Kuegler took eighth in the 110 meter high hurdles in 15.39 seconds. Junior Cory Cataldo was seventh in the 400 meter hurdles in 57.91 seconds. Junior Brian Amaral took eighth in the two-mile in 9:40.25.

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