Here are my favorite performances from the 2024 LHSAA State Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Between the track and field events, you will find insight from a couple of state championship coaches.
TOP FIVE MOST INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES ON THE TRACK...
1. JESUIT'S BRADY MULLEN'S COMPOSITE STATE RECORD IN THE 3200m!
I didn't have my "poker face" on when interviewing the Jesuit junior after he ran a 8:48 to break Robby Leblanc's 28-year old 3200m composite record by twenty seconds. While nobody was surprised that Mullen won--or even broke the record--it was the manner in which did it. Mullen was all alone and running in a very hot and humid environment at LSU's Bernie Moore Stadium.
2. SCOTLANDVILLE'S SADE GRAY BREAKS 200m COMPOSITE RECORD!
If there was any doubt who was the fastest high school girl coming into the outdoor season, Scotlandville's Sade Gray removed all doubt with her performance at the 2024 LHSAA State Outdoor Track & Field Championships. In her last individual race, Gray broke the LHSAA composite state meet record for the 200m with her time of 23.57. Earlier in the meet, Gray won the 100m with a wind aided 11.54. In the final race of her career, Gray teamed up with Makeriah Harris, Layden Jack, and Karlise Davison to win the 4x400 composite record with a 3:45.52.
3. BARBE JUNIOR KENNEDI BURKS BREAKS 400m COMPOSITE RECORD! 53.44!
She has been amazing all season, proving to everyone that when it comes to the 400m--she is the best of all-time. I'm a believer. The only La. HS girls who has run faster than Burks did so in late July--not during the high school season. It's going to be fun to see how she she tops her amazing junior in her encore at Barbe High School in 2025.
4. WARREN EASTON'S GERMAIN SMITH-MATA RUNS LA#1 ALL CONDITIONS 100m-- 10.13!
Smith-Mata's 10.13 is the fastest all conditions 100m ever run at an LHSAA State Meet. While it is not an officia record because it was wind aided, I believe Smith-Mata would have broken Fair Park's Richardson's 10.21, which has been on the books for 44 years, if there had been no wind at all. As if that wasn't enough, Smith-Mata went on to win the 400m (47.70)and the 200m (21.24) as well.
5. SCOTLANDVILLE GIRLS' 4X400m BREAKS COMPOSITE STATE RECORD!
How fitting was it that the last race on the track for Sade Gray and Makeriah Harris at an LHSAA State Outdoor Track & Field Championship ends with composite record? It just makes sense. Scotlandville won with a time of 3:45.52, erasing the old composite record of 3:47.38 set by Baton Rouge in 2002. Other members of the relay team included Davison and Jack.
ASK THE COACHES...
I asked two state championship coaches to give me their top five.
First coach.
"1. Germain Smith-Mata, 2. Brady Mullen, 3. Sade Gray, 4. Broderick Davis, 5. Tristen Harris. Most admirable were all those distance kids who quadrupled for their teams!! Incredible and selfless. I became a HUGE fan of Michelle Daigle who ran 4x8, 800, 3200, and a 4x4 after her 3200!
Brady Mullen set himself apart at the gun. I cannot recall ever seeing a distance runner separating himself literally and figuratively from his opponents at the gun the way he did. His cadence/rhythm, running gait, mechanics, and efficiency was obvious as I glanced at him and the chase pack. The chase pack looked like they were laboring and he looked like he was bouncing on clouds effortlessly. He ran his first 1600m faster than winning times in the open 1600m the day before. It was amazing to watch his even split 4:23/4:25!"
Second coach.
"1. Sade Gray sprint double. 2. Jeremiah Boudreaux: 36.76 (300 hurdles). 3. Most definitely Tristen Harris' 20-10 long jump. 4. Germain Smith-Mata 10.13. 5. Michael Vocke 4th straight 1600m victory. I finally got to witness the epic battle in the discus in 5A. Hunter Rivet solidified his status on his last throw--179-10."
TOP SIX MOST IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES IN THE FIELD EVENTS!
1. WEST FELICIANA'S TRISTEN HARRIS BREAKS COMPOSITE STATE RECORD IN THE LONG JUMP!
Actually, Harris did it twice. However, the first big jump of 20-9, which exceeded Teresa Foster's 33-year old record, was wind aided. So Harris, who is only a junior, did it again. Without the wind, she jumped even further--20-10.75.
2. ALEXANDRIA'S HUNTER RIVET UPSETS DEFENDING CHAMPION ON FINAL THROW!
The defending Class 5A state champion--Parkway's Devon Oliver-- moved into first place on his last throw. There was only one problem. ASH's Hunter Rivet had one throw remaining. Most discus throwers will tell you that they could tell when the discus leaves their hand that it will be a good throw. Not Rivet. He knew that he was going to win the competition on his first rotation out of the back of the ring. His 179-10 was good enough to beat Oliver. The last throw of his high school career will be one that Rivet always remembers.
3. BARBE'S MICHAEL FULTON PR'S BY TWO FEET TO WIN 5A BOYS SHOT PUT!
What a difference a week makes! Fulton left Natchitoches dejected after the Region 1-5A Meet. Even though he had a better throw than he did at the 2023 LHSAA State Outdoor Track & Field Championships--where he finished as a runner-up, Fulton finished fourth in the discus at regionals and failed to qualify for the state meet.
He used the frustration, hurt, and anger and channeled it into the the Class 5A shot put, where he had personal record by over two feet to upset Louisiana's No. 1 ranked thrower--Central Lafourche's Kaden Adams.
4. SCOTLANDVILLE'S BRODERICK DAVIS COMES FROM BEHIND TO WIN 5A LONG JUMP!
Davis, who will soon move to Knoxville where he will compete for the University of Tennessee, didn't even know that Ruston's Aidan Anding had moved passed him in the Class 5A boys long jump. Davis stepped on the runway and got the Bernie Moore Stadium crowd going with a clapped which helped carry him down the runway before popping a jump of 24-9. The jump moves Davis to No.1 in Louisiana and No. 10 in the nation.
The long jump got him started. He kept the momentum going in the 110m hurdles where he won his second state championship of the day. To wrap things up, he finished fourth in the 200m.
5. HUNTINGTON'S DEMETRIA HARRIS .25 SHY OF COMPOSITE 5A TRIPLE JUMP RECORD!
After picking up the new event during the off season, Harris began breaking records in the event immediately. It started during the indoor season with her performance at the McNeese Indoor No. 1 Meet. In her final high school, she jumped the No. 2 mark in LHSAA State Meet history-- .25 shy of Danielle Brown's composite state meet record of 40-8.50.
Harris, who will continue her career at Southern University, also won a state championship in the 100m hurdles.
6. TEURLING CATHOLIC'S ADDISON RICHEY IN THE 4A GIRLS POLE VAULT!
Last year as a junior, Richey won her first state championship in the girls' pole vault. In the stands watching her was her older brother, who would tragically pass away two months later after an accident on a Florida beach. Richey allowed MileSplit LA to talk to her afterwards and share her brother's story. She said said that he would have the best seat in the house to watch her compete during her during senior.
And what a show his little sister put on...
She won the Division I state indoor title in February and followed that up with her third straight pole vault title on Saturday.
Both of those meets were great, but I will never forget the show that she put on the McNeese State Indoor Meet when she jumped 13-3. It looked like she was jumping up into the rafters at the McNeese Recreation Center.
I cannot wait to see how the next chapter will turn out as she heads to the University of Arkansas.