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Freedom coach, athletes scoff at makeup state track meet

Tribune file photo by BILL WARD

Freedom junior Perri Rothenberg has qualified for the state finals in the girls pole vault.

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By BILL WARD | TBO.com

Published: May 4, 2009

Updated: 05/04/2009 06:55 pm

Freedom High School track coaches and athletes say they are feeling a mix of anger, sadness and frustration over the prospect of being forced out of Friday's Class 3A state track and field championships due to a possible case of swine flu at their school. And they scoff at the idea of a "makeup meet" being offered to them and any other athletes who might miss the state finals due to the spread of the illness.

On Sunday, the Hillsborough County Health Department and school district officials ordered the closure of Freedom, as well as Wilson and Liberty middle schools. One student at Freedom and one at Wilson are among the five probable cases of swine flu from Hillsborough County being tested.

The decision to close Freedom meant it could not participate in any extracurricular events, including such things as athletic team practices and contests, for the remainder of the week. Freedom has already canceled spring football drills this week and now its track athletes could have to sit out Friday's state finals at Winter Park's Showalter Field. Hallandale High School in Broward County also had a confirmed case of swine flu and has qualified several athletes for the state meet. Freedom has qualified 11, nine girls and two boys.

The Florida High School Athletic Association said student-athletes whose school is closed by the department of health in its county through May 8 will be allowed to compete in a makeup state track meet, scheduled for Saturday, May 16th, also in Winter Park.

FHSAA spokesperson Cristina Alvarez said athletes would compete individually and based on times or distances, the athlete would be placed according to the results of the previous week's state meet. Medals will still be distributed at the state series this weekend but if an athlete at the makeup date had the same mark or better time as an athlete that already won a medal, they would share the place and a duplicate medal would be issued.

Alvarez said the FHSAA sought to determine whether the health department could clear the affected athletes individually through health screenings in time for the state meet. According to Alvarez, the health department told the FHSAA "absolutely not."

However, Hillsborough County School District spokesperson Linda Cobbe said the district is trying to work out a compromise with the health department to allow the athletes to compete.

Freedom senior Trent Wiseman, who is one of the favorites to win the 3A state pole vault title, said he couldn't imagine sitting out Friday's state finals or competing later in a make-up meet.

"Honestly, I love the pressure. I love seeing someone clear a height before me and saying 'OK, it's on,' " Wiseman said. "I don't be one to complain but to go out there and compete alone wouldn't be any different than going to practice. It just wouldn't be the same."

Freedom coach Chris McComb said a makeup meet was "a slap in the face" of his athletes and if left to that alternative, they would likely not attend.

"That's crazy. They've got to be kidding me," McComb said. "We qualified to compete against the best, not against ourselves."

Alvarez said the organization considered postponing the state track meet -- as Texas did recently with a swine flu outbreak there -- but said the association ruled out that option due to the uncertainty of the flu's future.

While stressing that she has no jurisdiction on this issue, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said there should be a way to clear the athletes to compete.

"It's not like we're dealing with 100 kids, Iorio said. "There's often a common sense solution to these things.That's just my opinion."

The situation has reached a critical point for the Freedom athletes, who say they need this final week to prepare physically, as well as mentally.

"I'm really upset and furious," said Freedom junior Perri Rothenberg, who qualified for the state finals in the girls pole vault. "So maybe I've been exposed. But they held SAT tests at both Wharton and Freedom on Saturday, and students from both schools went to either school for the test. Are the Wharton kids exposed now? I took my test at Hillsborough. Does that mean Hillsborough is exposed now?"

Rothenberg says she doesn't have any flu-like symptoms. She says the same is true for her teammates.

Patriots junior Jessica Baumann said she and her teammates are waiting anxiously for news on their fate.

"We've worked so hard all year and this is the first time Freedom has had this many girls make the state meet," Baumann said. "We understand the concerns but if we're not sick, we feel like we should be able to go."

Wiseman's father, Todd Wiseman, is a former pole vaulter for Florida State. Now a sports agent, he believes officials should be looking harder at ways to allow the Freedom athletes to compete in the state finals.

"If any of these athletes have the flu, that's a much bigger issue," Todd Wiseman said. "But if these students are OK -- which it appears they are -- then more work needs to go into a decision. That's my only problem with this. I don't think there was due diligence on the decision. I think it was a quick bureaucratic response to an issue. We have administrators in place who are supposed to deal with adversities and find solutions. Do it."

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