Breaux Bridge boys win 4A title
Breaux Bridge High rode strong performances from its relays and a pair of LSU football signees to the class 4A boys team title Saturday evening at the LHSAA/State Farm track and field meet.
The Tigers won the 4x200 relay, and added three individual firsts including one each from Kavahra Holmes and Travin Dural, who signed football letters-of-intent in February to play for LSU.
In the girls competition, McDonogh 35 sprinter Marcquita Stalbert won three events, and was named outstanding female performer as the Roneagles held off Northside and Plaquemine to win their championship.
The meet was suspended because of inclement weather prior to the final two events, the 3,200-meter run and the 4x400 relay. When action resumed, no one could catch the Breaux Bridge boys or the McDonogh 35 girls, each of whom had built double digit leads.
Breaux Bridge won the 4x400 to post a winning score of 62. Edna Karr (41), Opelousas (37) and Bastrop (34) were the closest pursuers.
The final girls tally had McDonogh 35 scoring 61 points, just enough to edge Northside, which won the 4x400 to finish with 59. Plaquemine was third with 50 points.
The first win for Breaux Bridge came from Darrian Thomas in the triple jump (46 feet, 9¼ inches).
Then, behind Holmes’ anchor leg, the Tigers won the 4x200 relay (1:26.76). Holmes finished with 21 points and was named outstanding male performer.
Dural won the 200 (21.16), and Holmes broke his own Class 4A record, winning the 400 (46.18) with the second- fastest time in the country this year.
“I had high expectations,” said Holmes, who set the previous 400 record of 46.31 last year. “This year I wanted to work harder and go for the composite record. I got close, but I ran better than last year so I won’t complain.”
Also posting a Class 4A record was Blair Henderson of St. Louis, who won the 800 (1:51.16), breaking the 1988 mark of 1:51.58 set by Parkway’s Rocky Johnson.
Stalbert’s day was highlighted by her winning performance in the 400 (53.73), a mark that broke the composite class record of 54.11 set by McDonogh 35’s Maudeva Jackson in 1980.
Stalbert also had firsts in the 100 (11.67) and 200 (23.96), and ran the first leg of the Roneagles’ winning 4x200 relay (1:38.89).
Stalbert’s time in the 100 was the fastest of any of the classes Saturday.
Following the 400, McDonogh 35 and Plaquemine were tied at 44 points. The Ronaeagles surged ahead after the 200, where Nicole Henderson backed up Stalbert’s win with a third-place finish.
Plaquemine was led by Tori Williams and Alissa Williams. The duo combined for top
five finishes in the 100 and 200, and Tori Williams provided one of the day’s best comebacks with her anchor leg in the 4x100.
Tori Williams took the final exchange 20 meters behind McDonogh 35’s Jamara Lewis, but ran a blazing final leg as Plaquemine won with a time of 48.04.
“(Lewis) was so far ahead I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it, but I made something shake,” said Tori Williams, who was second in the 100 with a time of 12.06.
“I didn’t do as well in the 100. I normally run 11.9 or 11.8,
so I was disappointed with that.”
Alissa Williams’ opening leg in the 4x200 helped Plaquemine score 22 points early in the meet. The Green Devils also picked up points in the field thanks to Jamira Russ (second in discus), Brianna Arnold (fourth in triple jump), and Marissa Batiste (fifth in long jump).