---

May 26, 2004

A day when sports & the prom were nearly in conflict

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist


Ocean City High School sports teams were involved in tournament competitions on Saturday – the track teams in NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 Championship Meets and the baseball team in the opening round of the Group 3 baseball tournament.

It was a good day for the Raiders in the final weeks of the school’s 2003-04 athletic season.

But there was more going on Saturday. The OCHS prom was scheduled at the Atlantic City Sheraton that evening. “A Knight For a Princess” it was called and it was followed by the school’s highly successful after-prom party at the Intermediate School.

And there is the potential conflict. Athletes who ran 3200 meters in Buena or made clutch pitches in Hammonton were in gowns and tuxes a few hours after the games were over. It is something that happens every once in a while during the spring season.

“There weren’t too many problems,” said Brenda Briney, the senior distance runner who took a sixth in the 3200 meters at Buena for Ocean City’s second place team. “We cut back our limo time so it wasn’t as big a rush as it might have been. We didn’t have to be ready until 7:30 or so.”

But there must have been times when the tight schedule popped into Briney’s mind during the track meet.

“Sure,” she said. “You’re trying to focus on the race. This is one of the events we’ve trained for all season. But you try to relax in a distance race and, in the back of your mind, you’re thinking, ‘I’ve still got to get my hair done. And my nails. And I’ve got to finish packing for the after-prom.’ But doing your best in the race had to come first.”

Meanwhile, in Hammonton, Andrew Bednarek had his hands full. The senior relief pitcher came on with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, Ocean City leading by just a run. He coaxed a couple of pop-ups from the Devils to end the inning.

Then, in the seventh, he loaded the bases with no outs with a walk and two hits. After talking Coach Craig Mensinger out of replacing him, Bednarek got the next three hitters on a popup, a strikeout and a ground ball back to the mound.

“That win was so awesome,” Bednarek said, “that I didn’t think about the prom once. Not until I got into the bus. The schedule was pretty tight, especially considering we had to return from Hammonton. We got the bus driver to honk the horn at Mr. Mensinger when he kept talking to the reporters after the game.”

Both Briney and Bednarek made the prom on time. “I was a little late for the photos,” Bednarek said, “but everything worked out great. I live in Sea Isle, about 20 minutes from the high school, so I got home about 4:30.”

Bednarek brought Katie Iacona to the prom, well-known for singing the National Anthem at home basketball games and as a former Miss Ocean City. Briney came with Spenser Popeson of Mainland, who had run 3200 meters himself earlier in the day.

Wait a minute! Did she say Mainland? She brought an athlete from Mainland to the Ocean City prom? “I did hear some comments about that the last few weeks,” she said, “but it was all in fun.”

Briney’s table at the prom was filled with successful track athletes. In addition to Popeson, Brittany Sedberry, Molly Minehan, Renee Tomlin and Allie Moreland were among those seated together. “I think we all cleaned up pretty well,” Briney said.

A soccer star, Jessica Davis, was named the prom queen and Brian Worley was the king. After the prom, it was into the buses and back to the after-prom where the night was filled with arcade games, obstacle courses and lots more food.

“We were there until about 2:30,” said Bednarek. “It was great”. Briney hung around until nearly 5 a.m. “We had plenty of time to sleep on Sunday. And besides, we can go to the beach on Monday. It’s Senior Cut Day.”

Well, not for everybody.

The lacrosse team was scheduled to play on Monday and the baseball team had practice. While the school may sort of look the other way on Senior Cut Day, athletes still have to be in school by 11 a.m. in order to play or practice that day. And missing practice on Monday with a game on Tuesday is not a good idea.

So, Briney and most of the seniors had a day to themselves on Monday. But Bednarek had to be in school by 11.

“My timing is pretty good,” he said. “I know how to get there at exactly 10:58.”



Read more of Tom Williams' columns