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NATCHITOCHES -- Two Class 5A state runner-up competitors, distance standout Allison Fontenot of Baton Rouge and sprinter Constance Seibles from Natchitoches Central High School, have signed collegiate track and field scholarships with Northwestern State.
Fontenot, of Saint Joseph's Academy, and Seibles officially committed to Northwestern Wednesday on the first day of the new signing period for track and field. This is the first year that the sport has shifted to signing prospects in February rather than April, when other spring sports have their signing period.
Fontenot, a 5-foot-1 All-State runner, finished seventh in the 2008 state Class 5A cross country championships held at NSU's Walter Ledet Track Complex with a 19:08 time over three miles. Her best three-mile time is 18:51.
Last spring, Fontenot ran second in the 3200 meter run at the state Class 5A track and field championships hosted in her hometown at LSU's Bernie Moore Track Stadium. She clocked an 11:47 time.
Allison Fontenot happily signs her scholarship
"Allison is one of those girls that just loves to run. She actually just completed a half-marathon in New Orleans last weekend, for fun!," said NSU cross country and assistant track coach Haley Blount. "We have not had a female distance runner place in the top eight at the conference meet in any distance over 800 meters in the past two years, so we are looking to Allison to fill that void. She will be a very positive addition to our team, both mentally and physically."
Fontenot made the 2008 All-Metro Cross Country Team selected by the Baton Rouge Advocate, and was on the 2008 Allstate Sugar Bowl Cross Country All- State Team.
Seibles took second in the 400 meter dash at the 2007 Class 5A state outdoor championships with a 56.61 time. She also runs on the Lady Chiefs' 4x200 meter and 4x400 meter relay teams.
The NCHS 4x400 relay foursome was state runner-ups in the 2007 Class 5A championships. Seibles made the 2007 All-State track team.
"Constance is one of the most dedicated high school track athletes we have come across in a long time," said Blount. "She already understands that it takes great sacrifice to achieve great accomplishments in this sport.
"She ran times as a sophomore in high school that would place her in the top five in our conference in both the 200 and the 400. We are excited to see how well she runs during outdoor track this year, and even more excited to see what she will do for us next year as a Lady Demon," said Blount.
Coach Haley Blount
Northwestern expects to soon add more signees, she said, working alongside head women's coach Mike Heimerman and head men's coach Leon Johnson.