LHSAA State Outdoor Meet! Class C Meet Preview!

Class C Boys Preview

Last year, Gibsland-Coleman head coach Margo Malone led her team to a Class C state championship. Many of the same talented young men on last year's team will compete tomorrow when the 2024 LHSAA Class C State Championships take place at Bernie Moore Stadium.

In the sprints, look for GC to be well represented with the No. 1 ranked sprinter in both the 100m and 200m. Demarquis Durham will lead a talented field. He has a season best of 10.83 in the 100m. His season best in the 200m is 22.33.

Durham also lead the Gibsland-Coleman sprint relay teams which are ranked No. 1 in Class C. The 4x100m has a season best of 46.03 while the 4x200m in No. 1 with a 1:34.90.

But Gibsland-Coleman is going to need every single point they can get in order to hold of Simpson, led by senior Ean Allain. Last year, Allain was the meet's MVP winning the 400m (54.37), 800m (2:06.51), 1600m (4:54.48), and 3200m (11:07.68). 

Allain, who has the top time in Class C in both the 800m (2:08.27) and 1600m (4:40.25), is looking to for a final encore in his last state outdoor meet. 

Simpson is anything but a one-trick-pony. Aiden Martin leads Class C in the 300m hurdles (45.59), second in the triple jump (40-11), and fourth in the long jump (19-10). Marin is the defending champion in both the triple jump (40-10.25) and long jump (20-5.75) from last year's LHSAA Class C Championships. 

While Gibsland-Coleman should dominate in the shorter relays, look for Phoenix to compete for a state championship in both the 4x400. The have the No. 1 time in the state in the 4x400m with a 3:50.13..

Phoenix Derrick Encalde is one of the main leaders on both relays. He has a season best of 55.81 in the 400m at the Region 3-C Meet where he finished second to Jehova Jireh's Montrell Woods (54.90).

Hackberry should be very strong in the throwing events. Two different throwers lead each event. Ely Walker is ranked No.1 in the discus with a season best of 152-0 and he also leads the shot put with a throw of 45-2. Brant Thomas has the best javelin throw of the year in Class C with a best of 143-0.

The winner in the Class C boys shot put will have to go through the defending champion--Summerfield's Marquez Tate, who has a season best of 40-6.5. 

No Class C preview would be complete without mention of South Cameron's Chad Lapoint, who won the 100m (11.29) and 110m hurdles (15.72) at last year's state outdoor championships. Lapoint also finished second in the boys long jump (20-5.25). 

Going into his final state outdoor meet, Lapoint is ranked No. 1 in both the 110m hurdles (16.09) and long jump (20-10.75). He is also ranked No. 2 in the 100m (11.37). 

Class C Girls Preview

The team competition in the LHSAA Class C Girls State Outdoor Meet appears to be too close to call. Evans, led by Reese Jean, should score a ton of points in the girls distance events.

Jean leads the Class C rankings in the 800m (2:34.24), 1600m (5:37.03), and the 3200m (12:01.96). At last year's meet, Jean won the 3200m (13:20) and finished second in the 1600m (6:07) behind Simpson's Dakota Miller (5:51). 

Last year, Reeves left Bernie Moore Stadium with the Class C girls championship. They used strong performances by their 4x200m (1:54.88) and 4x40m (4:37.39) to propel them to the win. 

Going into this year's meet, Reeves' 4x200m is ranked No. 4(1:57.14). Simpson has the No. 1 ranking a present with a 1:52.85. However, Reeves is ranked No. 1 in the 4x400m with a season best of 4:47.66. 

One of Reeves' state champions last year was Hope Cauthron, who won the 200m with a time of 27.35. Reeves finished third in the event at last week's Region 2-C Meet with a time of 28.83. She also qualified in the javelin with a throw of 105-8. 

Gibsland-Coleman looks to repeat their 2023 performance in the girls' Class C hurdles. As a freshman, Jordan Allen won the 300m hurdles with a time of 51.71. She also finished third in the 100m hurdles (17.94). 

At the Region 1-C Meet, Allen won the 300m hurdles with a time of 52.50 and finished second to her teammate and defending Class C state champion Samora Sampson (17.43) in the 100m hurdles with a 17.45.

In the sprints, keep an eye on sophomore Ashley Miller. She lead Class C in the 100m with a season best of 13.59. Simpson has another in the top ten--Reagan Clutter, who has a season best of 14.03. 

It's no wonder that Simpson's sprint relays lead Class C in both the 4x100m (52.77) and 4x200m (1:52.85).

Starks is also dangerous in the sprints with Sadie Barrow, who is ranked No. 4 in the 100m (13.84) and Madelyn Nolen, who is ranked No. 11 (14.06). 

Nobody in Class has broken 28 seconds in the 200m other than Summerfield's Akeirah Jones, who won the Region 1-C Meet with a time of 27.91 last week. 

In the field events, Clutter is the favorite to win the high jump. She has a season best of 5-4. Nobody else in Class C has jumped higher than 4-8. 

Clutter's teammate, Olivia Edwards should also score a bunch of points in the triple jump. Edwards is the No. 1 ranked triple jump in Class C with a season best of 34-1. Edwards (106-2) is also ranked No. 2 in Class C in the javelin behind South Cameron's Reagan Veronie (113-8) 

Sampson is ranked No. 1 in the long jump (16-7) and ranked No. 2 in the triple jump ( 33-6.5). 

In the throwing events, Hornbeck should be the team which accumulates the most points. Hornebeck has the No. 1 ranked discus thrower and the shot putter in Class C. Cali Wedgeworth leads in the discus with a season best of 108-0. Hannah Mitchell leads the shot put with a season best of 33-3.25.