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If swine flu free, Freedom athletes can compete in state meet

Tribune file photo by BILL WARD

Freedom High School senior Trent Wiseman is the state's No. 2-ranked boys pole vaulter.

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By BILL WARD | TBO.com

Published: May 5, 2009

Updated: 05/05/2009 03:12 pm

TAMPA - Following a solution worked out between the Hillsborough County School District and the county health department, Freedom High's track athletes will be permitted to compete in Friday's state championships if they are found free of any swine flu symptoms, school district spokesman Steve Hegarty said.

Freedom athletic director Eli Thomas said the athletes will be tested at the school Wednesday morning. Once the athletes are determined not have symptoms of the flu, they will be cleared to compete at the Class 3A state finals in Winter Park.

A total of 16 Freedom track athletes are scheduled to be tested, 14 girls and two boys. Some of those athletes are alternates. The Patriots have earned berths in the state finals in both the girls 4x100- and 4x800-meter relays, the girls and boys pole vault and the boys 800.

They were all initially barred from competition and training when their school was closed this week after one student was believed to have a case of swine flu.

If they had been kept out of the state finals, the Florida High School Athletics Association had planned to stage them -- and any other athletes whose school had been closed for the swine flu -- a makeup meet the following week in Winter Park. Even though they would be eligible for places and medals based on their performances, Freedom athletes and coaches scoffed at participating in such an event.

"If the health department clears them, then they are more than welcome to attend the finals," FHSAA spokesperson Cristina Alvarez said. "We were just trying to take pre-emptive measures. The makeup date was a backup plan for any schools infected this week."

"I'm ecstatic that it's over and we can go," said Trent Wiseman, a Freedom pole vaulter who is one of the event's favorites. "It's been a bit of a distraction because it's cut into my practice time. I'm going to do some running today but these last few days are crucial and I need to be in the [pole vault] pit."

Wiseman said he did not practice Monday and with Freedom still closed, was unsure where he would find a facility with pole vault equipment to train at this week. Patriots girls coach Chris McComb said the episode has caused his athletes to miss valuable training time but he was trying to look at it in a positive light.

"The good thing about all this is that it might have taken their minds off the meet for a little while,'' McComb said. "Some athletes over-think the big meets. I just hope it didn't take their minds off it too much."

One other Florida high school, Hallandale in Broward County, has been affected by the swine flu outbreak. That school was closed and is scheduled to reopen Thursday. Hallandale Boys track coach John Battle said his school has qualified two girls and two boys athletes for Friday's meet but they have not been cleared to compete.

"We're still waiting to hear for sure that we're going," Battle said. "We have every reason to believe we will be going but we still have to wait for that approval."

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