2024 TOP STORIES: WE's Smith-Mata Gone With The Wind!

GERMAIN SMITH-MATA COMES THROUGH THE LINE AFTER RUNNING A 10.13 AT THE 2024 LHSAA CLASS 4A STATE OUTDOOR MEET

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Seven months after the 2024 LHSAA Class 4A State Outdoor Meet, there is still one question hanging out there--and probably always will. If the wind had not gusted during the Class 4A boys' 100m would Warren Easton's Germain Smith-Mata's name have replaced Fair Park's Rod Richardson's in the record books?

Smith-Mata ran a wind aided 10.13. Richardson's time in 1980, 10.20, remains one of the oldest state meet records on the books. 

I guess we will never know the answer to the question.



Even though his name will not appear in the state meet record book due to the +3.9 reading on the wind gauge on that day, Smith-Mata is still at the top of the rankings for Louisiana all-conditions 100m list.

Smith-Mata, who is now competing for the University of the Houston, did not have the best start to his senior season as he finished second to Texan Jelani Watkins at the LSU High School Classic. To add a little insult to injury, Watkins glanced over at Smith-Mata as both crossed the finished line on that day. 

The showmanship on the part on the part of Watkins only fueled Smith-Mata, who later went to the Lone Star State and put Texans on notice as he went to Austin and became the first Louisiana sprinter to win the Division I 100m (10.21).

"I did it for Louisiana, mainly," Smith-Mata said back in April after his performance at the Texas Relays. "People talk about Texas and Florida, but Louisiana has some heat too."

READ MORE: GERMAIN SMITH-MATA MAKES HISTORY WITH TEXAS RELAYS 100m WIN!

At the LHSAA Class 4A State Outdoor Championships, Smith-Mata put on a sprint exhibition at the state outdoor meet. Not only did he win the 100m (10.13), he also won the 200m (21.74), and the 400m (47.70). To say the Sprint Triple at the LHSAA State Outdoor Meet is difficult is an understatement. 

Smith-Mata almost left Bernie Moore Stadium with four gold medals. He ran a leg on Warren Easton's 4x400m relay, but the Eagles (3:21.32) finished as the runner-up to St. Thomas More (3:21.37) 

RACE VIDEO: Watch La.'s No. 1 All Condition Time in the 100m at the 2024 LHSAA Class 4A State Outdoor Championships


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