SOUTHERN LAB BOYS AND GIRLS CELEBRATE ON THE PODIUM AFTER THE 1A STATE OUTDOOR MEET
WATCH DAY TWO OF THE LHSAA STATE OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS LIVE
INTERVIEWS from Day One of The LHSAA State Outdoor Championships
Notes from Day One of the LHSAA State Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Jonesboro Hodge's Ciara Gray Leaves her Mark in Final HS Meet
Jonesboro Hodge's Ciara Gray was the MVP at last year's LHSAA Class 1A State Outdoor Championship, but she wanted to do something special and leave a name for herself in her final high school meet before beginning her college career at LSU.
Despite finishing as the runner-up in her first event of the day-the 100 meter hurdles to Vermilion Catholic freshman Kelsey Bomersbach, Gray kept her composure and overcome the adversity in her specialty--the triple jump.
While she had some hiccups in the prelims, Gray and her coach was able to figure things out in the finals where she broke her own Class 1A record on her fourth and fifth attempt. But it was was her the final jump of 41-3 on the final attempt of her high school career that the fans in the stands at Bernie Moore Stadium will remember. Gray broke the LHSAA state meet composite record of 40-8.5 set by McMain's Danielle Brown in 1997.
Those who have followed Gray's career are not surprised. She jumped 41-9.5 earlier this year the Mangham Invitational. But jumping at Mangham High School is little different from doing it under the lights at Bernie Moore.
Gray also won the long jump with a personal record of 18-9.25--just two inches away from the Class 1A record set by Ecole Classique's Mitzi Plaeger's 18-11.5 set in 1987.
Mission Accomplished for Highland Baptist's Tyler Blissett
Highland Baptist's Tyler Blissett is headed to West Point. That will include some missions with fellow soldiers in the U.S. Army, but Thursday night Blissett's mission was breaking the 46-year old Class 1A 1600 meter record set by University Lab's Mark Newman (4:19.90). It was mission accomplished for Blissett after his first race of the day as he came through the line at 4:19.25.
Blissett's father and coach, Toby Blissett, was not surprised that his son broke that record. And while nobody knows Tyler Blissett and his ability better than his father, even Toby Blissett was surprised that his son had enough in the tank to break the class record in the 3200 meters which was set by Cedar Creek's Frankie Garcia (9:36.54) set in 1988.
Oh by the way, Blissett (2:00.22) won the 800 meters between the two record breaking performances. Sacred Heart's Jackson Soileau (2:00.95) made him earn it.
18...that is the final number of LHSAA State Championships for Blissett. What a career!
Sweeps Just Mean More at Quitman and Southern Lab
Southern Lab swept both the girls and boys divisions in Class 1A. Quitman did the same in Class B. But that's not the only thing the schools have in common. Both track programs are led by alumni, who take great pride in what they were able to accomplish on Thursday night.
"What stands out it is that it is the first time since 1994 that these girls were on this podium and I cannot be prouder of them," Quitman head coach Cynthia Pardue said. "I'm just so excited. We had great performances from everybody. I told them there are things that are going to go great and there are going to be things that don't go our way, but if something goes South, we just got to get back up and you got to do what you can do in your next event."
"It means the world to me, personally. I don't want to say my age, but I already said it was 1994--myself and Coach Jessica Sims were both on that team, so it means the world to us."
Despite winning the 4x400 relay, it wasn't enough for Bell City, who finished five points behind Quitman in the Class B girls division. Quitman, who was the runner-up in the 4x400 relay, finished the meet with 70 points.
The Class B boys team race was not as close. Led by Gage Horton, who won the 400 meters (52.38) and the 1600 meters (4:40.69), Quitman scored 103 points. Castor (77 points) was the runner-up.
Southern Lab head coach Jacob Davis stood up from the podium after taking pictures, he paused and looked down at the LHSAA State 1A State Championship trophy he was holding in his hands.
"As a proud Southern Lab alum, it's always a great thing to contribute to your school in a positive way," Davis said. "And to come out today and win the boys back-to-back, but not only the boys--the girls. The girls came up a little short last year. We set that as a goal. Second place wasn't going to cut it this year. We put that out there early and they lived up to it. And to bring two state championships home to my school in one year--that's a proud accomplishment and we are looking to do it again."
Whatever you call him, just call him a CHAMPION
The people back home in the pine cone hills of North Louisiana call him "Juicy." His teammate and cousin calls him "The Goat." Whatever you want to call Gibsland Coleman's Demarquis Durham, just make sure you put "the champ" behind it. Durham showed both strength and speed at Thursday's Class C State Outdoor Championship by winning the shot put (42-11.75), 100 meters (11.12), and 200 meters (22.78).
It was the third-straight 100 meter state championship for Durham, and his first 200 meter title since 2023. His appearance in the shot put ring was a new experience for Durham.
Durham had some company on the podium. His cousin, De'Avery Durham finished as the runner-up in both the 100 meters (11.29) and 200 meters (22.98).
The Durham boys led Gibsland Coleman's dominant 148 point performance. Nearly twice the number of points from runner-up Hackberry.
It was Distance Triple Day on Day One of the LHSAA State Outdoor Championships
Blissett wasn't the only one getting in on the distance triple action. Hathaway's Kaitlyn Sawyer and Evans' Reese Jeane did what they always do--win state championships at Bernie Moore. It's usually a tougher task on the first Thursday in the Baton Rouge with the heat and humidity, but the weather was perfect on Thursday. Overcast with a slight breeze to keep the distance runners body temperature cool during their races.
Sawyer won the 1600 meters (5:13), 800 meters (2:22), and 3200 meters (11:50). Reese ran a 5:30 to win the 1600 meters. She followed that up with a time 2:27 in the 800 meters. In the final individual events of her high school career, she ran a 12:09 to win the 3200 meters.
Put a "plus one" on the "Distance Triple" tag for both Sawyer and Jeane. After competing in the 3200 meters on Thursday they were not quite done. Jeane brought Evans from behind on the anchor leg of the 4x400 to give her four gold medals on the day. Sawyer also ran a leg on the Hathaway 4x400 relay team which finished seventh in Class B.
For many seniors competing at the LHSAA State Outdoor Championships, it will be the last time they lace up a pair of spikes but that is not the case for Sawyer and Jeane. Sawyer is headed to Louisiana Tech where she will compete for the Bulldogs and Jeane will go on to McNeese State University where will compete in cross country and track and field for the Cowboys.
Plain Dealing's Brianna Newton Saves the Best for Last.
Plain Dealing's Brianna Newton found out during her senior year that getting to the top is easier than staying on the top. Last year, as a junior Newton, she won her first state championship in the girls shot put with a throw of 39-8. The week before at Regionals, Newton threw the shot 41-3.25 which is No. 15 all-time for Louisiana high school juniors in the girls shot put.
This year, Newton has struggled through a knee injury, but she wasn't about to let that spoil a successful defense of her title. Merryville's Miranda Williams led the Class 1A shot put through the first four rounds, but Newton was able to get a throw off in the fifth round of 38-4.25. That would be enough to win it for Newton.
Newton returned in the discus where she struggled through prelims and even in the finals before throwing a 105-9 on the final throw of her high school career to win the state championship.
Last year, Newton was the only athlete from Plain Dealing to qualify for the LHSAA state championships, but this year she had company--junior Jakayla Douglas competed in the 1A girls high jump where she cleared a personal record 4-9.75. That puts Douglas at No. 3 in Class 1A for junior girls in the high jump.
Riverside Academy sophomore Bayli Melancon won the 1A girls high jump with a 5-1.75. Melancon is ranked No. 6 in all classifications in Louisiana for sophomore girls in the high jump.
SOUTHERN LAB BOYS AND GIRLS CELEBRATE ON THE PODIUM AFTER THE 1A STATE OUTDOOR MEET
WATCH DAY TWO OF THE LHSAA STATE OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS LIVE
INTERVIEWS from Day One of The LHSAA State Outdoor Championships