Five individual championships and a pair named outstanding performer were the highlights for the Ragin’ Cajuns men’s and women’s track and field squads at the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships held Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 25-26 at the Murphy Center on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
Senior Jasmine Manuel was named the Women’s Most Outstanding Field Performer on the strength of a school record mark in the triple jump and personal-best in the long jump. She became the first Cajun to claim outstanding women’s field performer honors since the league began awarding the honor in 2002.
It’s the second straight season the Cajuns took home a women’s most outstanding performer. Last season, Jasmine Anderson was named outstanding track performer.
Freshman Sander Maes took home Men’s Most Outstanding Freshman honors with titles in the high jump and heptathlon.
Manuel won the women’s triple jump with a 13.07m/42-10 ¾ jump and topped the school record of 12.78m/41-11 ¼ she set earlier this season at Arkansas State. It’s the fourth time in the past calendar year that she’s broken the school’s triple jump record.
Manuel outleaped Middle Tennessee’s France Makabu who finished second with a 13.05/42-9 ¾ meter jump to claim the SBC indoor triple jump title for the second straight season.
Manuel’s long jump effort of 6.10m/20-0 ¼ just missed the school record of 20-3 ½ set by Twilet Malcolm in 1991 and topped her previous personal best 6.01m/19-8 ¾ set as last season’s SBC meet.
After two days of competition, Maes emerged as the winner in the men’s heptathlon. Maes was the leader in the competition after the first day and completed the event with a school-and Sun Belt-record 5,368 points. He outlasted Arkansas State’s Ethan Thurpen (5,276) and William Oliver (5,144) for the crown.
Maes had the winning leap in the high jump at 2.05m/6-8 ¾ on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, Albert Fournette was the victor in the men’s shot put competition with a throw of 18.4m/60-4 ½. Fournette picked up his first Sun Belt shot put title – indoor or outdoor – and notched a toss of 60-plus feet for the third straight weekend. It’s the second straight season the Cajuns take home top honors in the men’s shot put (Myles Melancon, 2011).
On Sunday, Chris Roy had the top height in the men’s pole vault with a championship vault of 5.25m/17-2 ¾. Roy collected his third SBC indoor pole vault title (won in 2009 and 2010). He bested teammate Michael Vani who finished runner-up in the event at 4.95m/16-2 ¾
The five titles bring the total of individual championships in head coach Lon Badeaux’s inaugural indoor season with the Cajuns to 20.
In other Cajuns highlights, Petrona Layne qualified for the women’s 800 meter run finals and placed third after clocking in at a personal-best 2:13.87.
Freshman Stacy Imagbe joined Manuel in the Top 5 of the women’s long jump as she leaped to a personal-best 5.99m/19-8 for a fifth place finish. It’s the second straight week she recorded her personal best, topping the 5.75m/18-10 ½ at the LSU Twilight.
All UL participants in the women’s triple jump placed in the Top 10 as joining Manuel were Jasmin Fusilier (12.32m/40-5 in 6th), Tarvia Conway (12.13m/39-9 ¾ in 8th) and Ta’Shania Bean (11.96m/39-3).
On the men’s side, Justin Jones ran a 6.42 in both the preliminaries and finals of the 55 meter dash, equaling his personal-best set in the 2010 SBC indoor meet.
Keyondrick Boykins and Louis Stevens both advanced to the men’s 55 meter hurdles finals. Boykins finished fifth in 7.52 seconds.
Freshman Joshua Sigler collected a pair of Top 5 finishes in both the men’s high jump (1.90m/6-2 ¾) and men’s long jump (7.30m/23-11 ½).
O’Daylon Thibeaux was the runner-up in the men’s triple jump with a leap of 15.40m/50-6 ¼. For the third straight season he finished in the Top 3 (champion in 2010 and third in 2011).
UP NEXT FOR LOUISIANA
The Ragin’ Cajuns are finished competing as a team in the 2012 indoor campaign. Select individuals may attend the LSU Invitational on Friday, March 2 for a last chance at earning an NCAA automatic qualifying berth of the national championships scheduled for March 9-10 in Nampa, Idaho.
Louisiana’s next team competition marks the start of the 2012 outdoor track and field season. The Ragin’ Cajuns are set to begin the outdoor campaign on Saturday, March 10 in Lake Charles competing in the McNeese Cowboy Relays.
RAGIN’ CAJUNS PERFORMANCE LIST
Women 55 Meter Dash Preliminaries
10, Alexis Malone, 7.20q. 11, Morgan Breaux, 7.22
Women 400 Meter Dash Preliminaries
14, Amanda Roberts, 58.57. 20, Krystal Chevis, 59.87. 24, Stacy Imagbe,1:01.14.
Women 800 Meter Run Preliminaries
9, Petrona Layne, 2:15.92q. 15, April Colomb, 2:19.86.
Women 800 Meter Run Finals
3, Petrona Layne, 2:13.87.
Women 1 Mile Run
29, Genevieve Roy, 5:50.81.
Women 4x400 Meter Relay
Louisiana 'A' (Jasmin Fusilier, Krystal Chevis, Stacy Imagbe, Amanda Roberts), DNF.
Women Distance Medley
8, Louisiana 'A' (April Colomb, Morgan Breaux, Genevieve Roy, Petrona Layne), 12:47.68.
Women High Jump
14, Madalyn Trisler, 1.57m, (5-01.75). Tarvia Conway, NH.
Women Pole Vault
5, Amber Laurent, 3.25m, (10-08). 11, Mary Clements, 2.95m, (9-08).
Women Long Jump
3, Jasmine Manuel, 6.10m, (20-00.25). 5, Stacy Imagbe, 5.99m, (19-08). 10, Ta'Shania Bean, 5.69m, (18-08). 13, Jasmin Fusilier, 5.54m, (18-02.25)
Women Triple Jump
1, Jasmine Manuel, 13.07m, (42-10.75). 6, Jasmin Fusilier, 12.32m, (40-05). 8, Tarvia Conway, 12.13m, (39-09.75). 9,
Ta'Shania Bean, 11.96m, (39-03).
Women Shot Put
9, Essence Torres, 12.76m, (41-10.50). 12, Brandi Frank, 12.26m, (40-02.75). 17, Asja Whitmore, 11.44m, (37-06.50).
Women Weight Throw
7, Brittany Blunt, 16.41m, (53-10.25). 14, Jana Jones, 14.76m, (48-05.25).
Men 55 Meter Dash Preliminaries
8, Justin Jones, 6.42q. 20, Kelvan Turner, 6.97.
Men 55 Meter Dash Finals
7, Justin Jones, 6.42.
Men 200 Meter Dash Preliminaries
10, Justin Jones, 22.02q.
Men 400 Meter Dash Preliminaries
17, Antoine Jackson, 50.89. 20, DeMarcus Runnels, 51.97. 21, Willie Allen, 52.30.
Men 800 Meter Run Preliminaries
12, Michael van AsWegen, 1:58.02.
Men 1 Mile Run
14, Michael van AsWegen, 4:35.87. 18, Patrick Spiller, 4:53.43.
Men 5000 Meter Run
16, Zach France, 15:40.42. 23, Kail Kidd,17:08.40.
Men 55 Meter Hurdles Preliminaries
5, Keyondrick Boykins, 7.57q. 8, Louis Stevens, 7.68q.
Men 55 Meter Hurdles Finals
5, Keyondrick Boykins, 7.52. 7, Louis Stevens, 7.80.
Men 4x400 Meter Relay
7, Louisiana 'A' (DeMarcus Runnels, Antoine Jackson, Willie Allen, Justin Jones), 3:22.07.
Men Distance Medley
8, Louisiana 'A' (Michael van AsWegen, Willie Allen, Kail Kidd, Zach France), 10:43.62.
Men High Jump
1, Sander Maes, 2.05m, (6-08.75). 5, Joshua Sigler, 1.90m, (6-02.75). 6, Devin Davis, 1.90m, (6-02.75).
Men Pole Vault
1, Chris Roy, 5.25m, (17-02.75). 2, Michael Vani, 4.95m, (16-02.75). Westmoreland Gonzales, NH.
Men Long Jump
3, Joshua Sigler, 7.30m, (23-11.50). 7, Devin Davis, 7.20m, (23-07.50). 12, Micah Thomas, 6.95m, (22-09.75).
Men Triple Jump
2, O'Daylon Thibeaux, 15.40m, (50-06.25). 8, Joshua Sigler, 14.73m, (48-04).
Men Shot Put
1, Albert Fournette, 18.40m, (60-04.50). 9, Myles Melancon, 15.78m, (51-09.25). 15, Tyler Guidry, 14.95m, (49-00.75). 19, Scotty Williams, 13.78m, (45-02.50).
Men Weight Throw
12, Jacob Fontenot, 16.19m, (53-01.50). 13, Albert Fournette, 15.81m, (51-10.50). 15, Myles Melancon, 15.21m, (49-11). Tyler Guidry, FOUL.
Men Heptathlon
1, Sander Maes, U L L, 5368.00.