Which 5A region is the toughest? This question is often argued across Louisiana. Coaches take up for their "babies" like mama bears at their child's first T-ball game. With the conclusion of the Region 1-5A Championships in Natchitoches yesterday, let's take a look at it.
To answer the question, we are going to use the MileSplit silver standard. That's the measuring stick that you see for high school results highlighted as Elite Performances on the results page.
This year, Region 2-5A gets the nod for toughest region in Louisiana. There were 84 elite performances coming from that meet. In second place-this year-would be Region 3-5A with 71 elite performances. In third place, Region 1-5A with 64 elite performances.
To be fair to Region 1-5A, the meet did take place at a rain soaked Walter Ledet Track & Field Complex on Thursday evening after numerous delays. However, I am of the opinion that had the weather been perfect that Region 1-5A would not have reached the 84 elite performances turned in by Region 2-5A.
But that was this year. Last year was a different story.
Region 1-5A had 108 elite performances in 2025. Region 2-5A had 79 and Region 3-5A had 66. Like this year with Region 1-5A, weather may have played a factor in the Region 3-5A meet last year.
If we take the body of work from every region over the last three years and take an average, Region 1-5A gets the nod...barely over Region 2-5A. The average number of Elite Performances over a three year period is 81. For Region 2-5A the number is 79. Region 3-5A comes in at a distant third with an average of 62.
Here are the most outstanding performances across all three regions...
West Monroe's Jaxon Talley moved to No. 2 in the nation with a massive personal record of 222-10.25. The throw puts him at No. 4 in Louisiana history with the new javelin that has been used since the late 1980s. Talley is only a junior.
Brother Martin's Easton Royal is the fastest man in Louisiana high school. That fact alone has the junior highly sought after by big-time college football coaches across the nation. Royal ran the fastest time in Louisiana this year in the 200 meters at the Region 3-5 Championships posting a 20.82. Earlier in the meet, Royal won his fifth-straight 100 meter race this season with a 10.47. Royal also led a Brother Martin 4x100m that won the Region 3-5A Meet with a 41.62. The Crusaders own the fastest time in Louisiana with a 41.06 at the Grizzly Relays.
Central's Keithon Womack became the first Louisiana high jumper to reach the 7-0 barrier this season. He is also tied at No. 13 with 11 other high jumpers across the nation. All-time in the MileSplit LA database, Womack is tied at No. 5 with nine other high jumpers.
Northshore's Grace Keene, who produced the fastest 1600 meter time in Louisiana earlier this year at the Texas Relays, attempted the distance triple at the Region 3-5A Championships. She won the 1600 meters (5:04.58) and 800 meters (2:17.63). In the 3200 meters, Mt. Carmel's Stella Junius was able to pick up the win with a 11:01.61. Keene was second with a 11:15.62. It will be interesting to see what Keene and her coaches decide to do for the LHSAA State Outdoor Championships. Keene is the defending LHSAA state champion in the 1600 meter (4:59) and she finished third in the 800 meters (2:12.13).
Woodlawn-Baton Rouge's Jaleyia Woods ran Louisiana's fastest time in the 400 meters with a 54.93. That's a half of a second faster than her season best from the District 4-5A Meet. And it puts the junior at No. 15 on the all-time list in the MileSplit LA database.
The freshman from St. Joseph's Academy--Emoiree Rogers- continues to produce incredible performances. She won the Region 2-5A 100 meters with a time of 11.88. That has Rogers at No. 6 in Louisiana, but at least one of the performances ahead of her was wind-aided. All-time in the MileSplit Louisiana database, Rogers' time ranks No. 11. Rogers warmed up for her performance on the track in the long jump where she won with a jump of 18-5. She leads the entire state in every classification with a jump of 19-8 at the Grizzly Relays earlier this year. That's the best long jump ever by a Louisiana freshman-surpassing the mark of 19-2.75 by Tristen Harris at the USATF Southern Association Junior Olympics in 2022.
Alexandria's Noelle Williams overcame the bad weather in Natchitoches to win the triple jump by nearly two feet. She had a best mark of 38-1. She finished as the runner-up in the long jump to Barbe's Aniyha Lavan (18-6) in the long jump. Williams' best long jump was 18-2.5. Williams is ranked No. 2 in Class 5A in both events. In the long jump, she is ranked behind Rogers. In the triple jump, only Zachary's Janiyah Alexander (40-4.5) has a better triple jump.
Which 5A region is the toughest? This question is often argued across Louisiana. Coaches take up for their "babies" like mama bears at their child's first T-ball game. With the conclusion of the Region 1-5A Championships in Natchitoches yesterday, let's take a look at it.
To answer the question, we are going to use the MileSplit silver standard. That's the measuring stick that you see for high school results highlighted as Elite Performances on the results page.