Bridgeport's Noah Kintz captured the Class AAA state championship in the pole vault during Day 1 of the state track and field meet at Laidley Field at the University of Charleston Stadium.
 
Kintz cleared 14-00 to take the title.
 
It's the first state title in a field event for the BHS boys since 2018 when Chris Trent won the Class AA shot put.
 
The BHS girls received points on Day 1 from Haydn Henderson placing eighth in the long jump at 16-05.50, Abigale Stewart with a sixth-place finish in the high jump at 5-00.
 
Myleigh Smell had the fourth best qualifying time in the 100 hurdles at 15.76 to advance to Saturday's finals. 
 
Giana Cox advanced to the 100 finals after a fourth-place qualifying time of 12.45, which also established a new PR for the standout sprinter, and advanced to the 200 finals with a fourth-place qualifying time of 25.69.
 
Also on Day 1, the BHS girls 4x800 team of Bethsayed Dankiewicz, Abigale Stewart, Ashley McBrayer and Mikaela DeMoss finished 15th with a time of 10:49.94 and the boys 4x800 team of Quentin Collier, William Northey, Ethan Smell and Troy Zorick came in 10th with a time of 8:22.40.
 
The girls shuttle team of Bria Smell, Katie Backus, Carley Lattea and Myleigh Smell finished 10th at 1:10.30. The boys shuttle team of Sawyer Culicerto, Aiden Gorby, Carter Zuliani and Gabe Martin came in 11th with a time of 1:00.52.
 
Donovan Williams cleared 6-00 to finish 10th in the boys high jump. Backus was ninth in the girls high jump, clearing 4-10. 
 
DeMoss came in 14th in the girls 3,200 with a time of 11:59.09 and Zorick was 13th in the boys 3,200 at 9:58.21.
 
Will George had the 13th best qualifying in the boys 100 at 11.43 and 11th in the 200 at 22.81 but did not advance to the finals in either race.