DESTREHAN'S MARLEY RICHARD COMES THROUGH THE LINE AT THE 2024 LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER
60m
Holy Cross' Josh Brown , aka "Turbo", has turned in the fastest time in Louisiana this year. He did it early in the season at the LSU HS Classic. Destrehan's Phillip Wright III delayed his opener until the LSU HS Qualifier. He did not disappoint winning both the 60m and the 400m. Barring any hiccups, both should be in the finals of Saturday's LSU Last Chance Qualifier. The key to the 60m is the start. Whoever has the best start and drive phase should come out on top.
If either Brown or Wright flinch, you can expect Rummell underclassmen Micah Green and Nasir Ceazer to take advantage and pull off the upset.
Rummel isn't the only sprint group with two of the fastest sprinters in Louisiana. Have you seen the Catholic High Bears in action? Sprinters Alex Huffine and Joshua Dowdell have turned in impressive times this season. The Bears also have Amari Clayton, who is one of only three sprinters in Louisiana to break the 50 second barriers indoors. This group is going to be hard to beat Saturday in the 4x200.
On the girls side, West Feliciana's Tristen Harris has demonstrated she is Louisiana's fastest high school girl this season, but Harris got away with one at the LSU HS Qualifier when she flinched in the finals of the girls 60m. Harris started to walk away because she knew that she had jumped the gun. However, officials walked to Destrehan's Marley Richard and told her that she was disqualified.
A couple of young longshots to watch: Warren Easton's Daijah Robertson and Scotlandville's Bayleigh Byrd. Both are sophomores and have made finals in other indoor meets this year. They both continue to get better with every meet.
And of course there is Lafayette's Lyric Louis, who is Louisiana's fastest freshmen.
400m
The Kennedi Burks vs. Hannah Boullion is scheduled to happen again on Saturday as two of Louisiana's best ever will go at it in the first heat of the girls' 400m. The Ladies from Lake Charles were scheduled to compete against one another at the LSU HS Qualifier before St. Louis Catholic's Hannah Boullion injured herself in the 4x200 and was not able to compete.
Thrown into the Burks vs. Bouillon mix are some underclassmen with bright futures ahead of them including Robertson, Louis and Woodlawn's Jaleyia Woods
Catholic's Amari Clayton is the only one of three sprinters in Louisiana who have run under 50 seconds this season. And he is the only one who is entered in Saturday's LSU Last Chance Qualifier.
While Clayton will not have to worry about the other two sub 50 quarter milers-Hamilton Christian's Kaleb Bigwood and Wright, he will have to worry about John Curtis' Gabriel Gonzalez, who has shown he has the chops to win an open 400m at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse. He opened his season with a win in the venue. Others to watch include Hammond's Jaylen Jackson, who is ranked No. 10 in Louisiana with a season best of 51.29, and Lake Charles College Prep's Careion Franklin, who finished third at the McNeese Indoor No. 1 with a time of 51.21.
60m Hurdles
Mansfield's Jaden Youngblood is No. 1 in Louisiana and tied for No. 37 nationally after running a 8.02 at Texas Tech back on January 24th. Youngblood's competition on Saturday should come from a familiar foe--his summer age group teammate Zion Smith (8.12). Both hurdlers compete for the River Cities Track Club during the summer.
If you are looking for a longshot--or a hurdler who will is expected to dominate the hurdling scene for the next two years, look no further than Scotlandville sophomore Fayden Brown. Brown picked up from former Scotlandville hurdler Broderick Davis, who is now at the University of Tennesse. But even before Brown arrived at Scotlandville, he had several national titles on his resume. Brown has a season best of 8.37.
Madison Prep's Dynasty Wilfred ran the 300m hurdles last spring, but she had never run the 60m hurdles until the LSU HS Qualifier. Now, she is Louisiana's No. 1 ranked hurdler and the only hurdler in Louisiana who have broken 9 seconds in the event.
If Wilfred has a hiccup, look for Mandeville's Joelle Adegboye or Warren Easton's Khai Brown to take advantage. They are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in Louisiana respectively. Adegboy has a season best of 9.09 while Brown's best mark in 2025 is 9.17.