CATHOLIC SPRINT DUO LOOKS FOR A REPEAT
Catholic High's Alex Huffine and Joshua Dowdell are looking for a repeat of their performance two weeks ago when they return to Lake Charles to take part in Saturday's McNeese Indoor No. 2. Huffine and Dowdell both made the finals the last time out at McNeese with Huffine coming away with a win after running a 6.66. Dowdell finished third with a 6.72.
GOING FOR THE BELT...BUCKLE!
McNeese State University head coach Brendon Gilroy came up with a unique way to honor record-breakers at the two indoor meets this year. He is giving out belt buckles, which is usually what you would expect to be passed out at a rodeo. Gilroy passed out belt buckles to Parkview Baptist's Lucy Cramer (1600m), Barbe's Kennedi Burks (400m), Scotlandville's Ferzell Shepard (triple jump), and Joaquin's Maximus Garvin (pole vault). Of the record breakers, Shepard and Garvin are the only athletes to return for this Saturday's meet.
Shepard, who came into the season as the No. 5 ranked returner in the nation in both the long jumper and triple jumper, is scheduled to compete in the l
BUCKLE UP FOR MONISTERE!
Nobody in Louisiana has had a better indoor season than Parkview Baptist's Aiden Monistere. He has the No.1 two mile time in the nation of 9:00 after his performance at the Virginia Showcase two weeks ago.
After a weekend off from racing last weekend, Monistere will enter the fray once again. Unlike his last time where Monistere battled Las Cruces, New Mexico's Corbin Coombs, Monistere will be racing the clock-something he has been accustomed to doing.
LORDS OF THE RING!
East Ascension's Kiristen Mcgirt is the No. 1 shot putter in Louisiana by over 13 feet. The future University of Tennessee Lady Vol is also No. 3 in the nation with her 49-7.25. That throw came at the LSU HS Classic and earned Mcgirt MVP honors. The distance is eight feet further than the listed meet record of 41-11 by Zoe Shanklin in 2019.
On the boys' side, Catholic's Jack Torrance will return to Lake Charles, La. where he came away with a McNeese T-shirt after taking first place two weeks ago with a personal record and then Louisiana No. 1 throw of 56-3. Central Lafourche's Kaden Adams was at powerlifting meet when he heard the news that Torrance had leaped frogged him to Louisiana's No. 1 sport.
At last week's LSU HS Qualifier, Adams regained La. No. 1 spot with a throw of 56-6.
GET YOUR POPCORN READY
After looking over the heat sheets for Saturday's McNeese Indoor No. 2, the first heat of the 400m looks to be one of the most highly contested races on the docket. Hamilton Christian's Kaleb Bigwood, who won the 400m (50.76) on his birthday during his last visit to the McNeese Recreation Complex, and Catholic's Henry Mensman (50.17) are the favorites.
AND SO IT BEGINS
It's Week No. 4 of the La. high school indoor season and the large majority of athletes have competed, but there are a few athletes who have not competed. One of those athletes is Highland Baptist junior Tyler Blissett, who is scheduled to compete in the 800m and 1600m. Coming into this season, Blissett is ranked as the No. 3 1600m in Louisiana with his season best of 4:26 in 2024. The two milers ahead of Blissett on that list are Monistere and Parkway's Brennan Robin, who has yet to compete this year.