GABE FALTING, NELSON BLACKBURN, MASON HALEY, AND 3200 WINNER CALEB BABINEAUX
"Way to stick with the plan!"
The sarcasm from Ruston's Nelson Blackburn's comment was comical as he "congratulated" his teammate Caleb Babineaux (9:46.12) after winning the 3200 at Saturday's Yellow Jacket Relays. Babineaux had just demolished the old meet record of 9:59 set last year by Byrd's Trent Wells.
Babineaux laughed.
"I wanted to run fast," Babineaux replied, almost apologetically, to his teammate, knowing that he had not followed through on whatever the prerace plan was between the Bearcat harriers.
Benton's Mason Haley (9:50.52), who finished second, didn't mind. Neither did Parkway sophomore Gabriel Falting (9:51.90), who finished fourth. Both Bossier parish distance runners set new personal records.
Ruston's Blackburn (9:51.47) finished third in the race. It was his personal best as well.
All four runners posted faster times than Well's 2021 time.
"I just wanted to get out," Babineaux said. "It's a tough year for running in Louisiana. There is a lot of good competition. I was hoping Trent Wells would be here to help us run a little faster. Unfortunately, he wasn't here so we had to improvise and do what we can."
Wells was at the meet, but did not run as Byrd head coach Juan Plaza kept him out of competition to rest a nagging injury. It may be a week or two before Wells returns.
Babineaux, who ran his way to Track MVP honors at the YJR, helped his Bearcats run away with the team victory. Ruston scored 236 points 165 points more than runner-up North Desoto.
Byrd's Ja'Michael Davis was the meet's Field MVP in the boys division. Davis won the high jump (5-10) and came in second in the long jump (18-1). Davis also finished second in the 400 (53.19).
On the girls side, it was a much closer race as the LHSAA Division I state indoor champions, Ruston, and the LHSAA Division II state indoor champions, St. Louis came down to the meet's final event. The Saints came out on top, scoring 152 points and edging out the Lady Bearcats by one point. Host C.E. Byrd finished third in girls division with 82 points.
Babineaux wasn't the only Bearcat to break a record, sprinter Jada Williams, who will head to TCU to continue her career this fall ran away from some quality competition in the girls 200 and into the record books. Her 24.57 bettered the old mark of 24.69 by Byrd's Kyah Loyd set in 2017.
RUSTON'S JADA WILLIAMS
"I was tired because I've been running all day," Williams said. "I felt like I pushed out pretty good. It could have been better, and I just did what I had to do to get first place."
Williams was the meet's Track MVP in the girls division.
If she is running this fast, this early, how fast can she go as she closes the chapter on an amazing high school career?
"I feel I can go pretty fast because it's my senior year," Williams said. "I'm going to give it all I got every race."
Loyd almost lost another meet record in the 100 hurdles, where St. Louis' Kenzie Touchet won the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.66. Loyd's 14.48 will remain in the Yellow Jacket Relays record book for another year, but the record will be in jeopardy in 2023 if St. Louis--and Touchet, who is only a junior--make their annual mid-March trek to Shreveport for the biggest regular season event in northwest Louisiana.
Touchet had busy week, travelling to Baton Rouge on Thursday to face one of the best hurdlers in the nation, Scotlandville sophomore Makeriah Harris at the Clarence Antoine Relays. Touchet (14.62, 43.78) finished second to Harris (14.02,42.40) in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
ST. LOUIS' ELLA SEGURA
Although not quite able post the personal record she wanted, St. Louis' Ella Segura did break the meet record in the 3200. Segura ran a 11:40.55, breaking the old record of 11:57.65 set by Loyola's Kaitlin Tanner in 2014.
"It was hard because it's cold out here," Segura said. "I was kind of by myself. I didn't have someone to pace off of, but it was really good. I was hoping to PR today, but considering the wind, I'm happy with it."
Segura's teammate, Emma Freeman, came into the meet with a Yellow Jacket Relays PR under her belt. She threw 125-0 last year as a junior. This year, Freeman won the event with a throw of 124-3, 10 inches of breaking her own record.
Freeman, who won the meet's Field MVP honors, also won the discus with a throw of 110-4.
ST. LOUIS' EMMA FREEMAN
Ruston's girls DMR ( Anna Naff, Zoie Holstead, Marina Givens, and Sydney Owens) were able to better their own meet record. They won the event with a 13:14.70, bettering the time of 13:31.78 set a year ago.
BE ON THE LOOK OUT! -Gaven Hammond's Photo Album for the Yellow Jacket Relays coming Monday