Ruston boys take state indoor title
Photo by AMY VESSEL
The Ruston High School boys track and field team shows off the state championship trophy earned after finishing first in Division I at the Louisiana Indoor Championships held Saturday in Baton Rouge.
Courtesy photo
Cedar Creek’s Ansley Long placed first in the girls’ 3,200-meter run with a time of 11.59.20 and third in the 1,600-meter run at the Division II Girls State Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at LSU.
BATON ROUGE — The Ruston High School boys team capped off a strong indoor track and field season by winning a Division I state championship Saturday at the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Carl Maddox Field House on the campus of LSU.
Ruston edged out Zachary 56 - 53.3 for the boys Division I championship.
The Bearcats finished in fourth place on the girls side.
It was Ruston’s first state title since 2004 and their first indoor state championship ever.
“It feels awesome … unbelievable,” said RHS head coach Allen Whitaker. “It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work by our boys and that effort paid off in the best way possible.”
The RHS boys got first-place finishes by Stephen Rogers in the long jump (21-8.5); Brandon Green in the triple jump (45.5); Terrance Armstrong in the high jump (6-4); and the boys 3,200-meter relay team consisting of Caleb Babineaux, William Ayim, Triston Duvall and Dylan Nimmers (8.18.16).
Now, after turning in a second-place showing at the state Cross Country Championships last fall, Whitaker said the Bearcats want more.
“This gives us solid momentum heading into the outdoor season,” Whitaker said. “Now they want another trophy. They want to cap the year off with a third trophy by winning first place at the outdoor championships.”
Ruston’s girls team of Shinaya Branch, Jada Williams, Erica Davis, and Tyra Fields got a first-place finish in the 800-meter relay (1:43.46).
In Division II, Cedar Creek’s girls finished in a tie for ninth place with 16 points.
Cedar Creek’s Ansley Long placed first in the girls’ 3,200-meter run with a time of 11.59.20.
Following are team scores and top three finishes from this weekend’s indoor championships:
Division I Boys
Team totals: 1. Ruston 56. 2. Zachary 53. 3. Catholic (BR) 42. 4. Thibodaux 22, Ouachita Parish 22. 6. John Curtis Christian 20. 7. St. Paul’s 18. 8, Natchitoches Central 16, Belle Chasse 16. 10. Westgate 14. 11. Brother Martin 12. Broadmoor 12. 13. Dutchtown 10, Barbe 10, Live Oak 10, North DeSoto 10. 17. Woodlawn-BR 8, Hammond 8, Ben Franklin 8, Warren Easton 8. 21. Jesuit 7. 22. Mandeville 6, Parkway 6, Alexandria 6. 25. St. Amant 4, Sam Houston 4, Lakeshore 4, Lafayette 4, Comeaux. 30. East Ascension 2, St. Augustine 2, Airline 2, Lusher Charter 2, Carver 2, Hahnville 2. 36. Scotlandville 1, Holy Cross 1.
Field events
• Shot put: 1, Johnny Mitchell, North DeSoto, 56-8 1/2. 2, Yaseem Jackson, Broadmoor, 55-2. 3, Jacobian Guillory, Alexandria, 54-0 3/4.
• Long jump: Stephen Rogers, Ruston, 21-8 1/2. 2, Devin Sowell, Natchitoches Central, 21-5. 3, Keydrain Calligan, Westgate, 21-4¼.
• Pole vault: 1, Clayton Simms, Live Oak, 15-9. 2, Beau Dominigue, Hammond, 15-5. 3, Aiden Devine, Jesuit, 14-7 1/4.
• Triple jump: 1, Brandon Green, Ruston, 45-5. 2, Stephen Rogers, Ruston, 44-10 1/2. 3, Demarion Sowell, Natchitoches Central, 44-5.
• High jump: 1, Terrance Armstrong, Ruston, 6-4. 2, Damien Trahan, Barbe 6-4. 3, Adam Machowski, Parkway, 6-3.
Track events
4×200-meter relay: 1, Zachary 1:29.10. 2, Catholic (BR) 1:29.46. 3, Westgate 1:29.53.
• 1,600 meters: 1, Patrick Elliott, St. Paul’s, 5:26.70. 2, Luke Sweatman, Thibodaux, 5:26.83. 3, Louden Boudreaux, Belle Chasse, 4:27.30.
• 800: 1, Luke Sweatman, Thibodaux, 1:59.31. 2, Ethan Dupas, Brother Martin, 2:00.17. 3, Isiah Travis, Ben Franklin, 2:00.57.
• 400: 1, Sean Burrell, Zachary, 48.71. 2, Chris Hilton, Zachary, 49.97. 3, Chaunavia Lewis, Ouachita Parish, 50.32.
• 3,200 relay: 1, Ruston 8:18.16. 2, Catholic 8:18.96. 3, Mandeville 8:21.36.
• 60 hurdles: 1, Sean Burrell, Zachary, 8.06. 2, Lanard Harris, Woodlawn, 8.12. 3, • Kashie Crockett, Ouachita Parish, 8.21.
• 60: 1, Corey Wren, John Curtis Christian, 6.79. 2, Leon Elloie, Warren Easton, 6.93. 3, Lamar Riley, Dutchtown, 6.98.
• 3,200: 1, Louden Boudreaux, Belle Chasse, 9:33.59. 2, Evan Pardo, St. Paul’s, 9:47.62. 3, Owen Simon, Catholic (BR), 9:50.20.
• 1,600 relay: 1, Zachary 3:23.06. 2, Catholic (BR) 3:24.51. 3, Ouachita Parish 3:27.13.
Division I Girls
Team totals: 1. St. Joseph’s Academy 55. 2. Zachary 41. 3. John Curtis Christian 39. 4. Ruston 26. 5. Lafayette 24. 6. Plaquemine 22. 7. Mount Carmel Academy 19. 8. Baton Rouge 18. 9. Belle Chasse 16, Dutchtown 16, Central Lafourche 16. 12. Vandebilt Catholic 12, Mandeville 12. 14. Karr 11. 15, West Jefferson 10, John Ehret 10, St. Michael 10, Sam Houston 10. 19. Scotlandville 8. 20. B.T. Washington (SH) 6, Riverdale 6. 22. Denham Springs 5. Lusher Charter 5. 24. Ouachita Parish 4, Barbe 4, Tioga 4, Fontainebleau 4, Pineville 4, Salmen 4. 31. Parkway 2, Natchitoches Central 2, 33. Hahnville 1, St. Amant 1, Northside 1, South Lafourche 1, Sulphur 1.
Field events
• Pole vault: 1, Heather Abadie, St. Michael, 13-1½. 2, Jordan Brown, Dutchtown, 12-0. 3, Johanna Duplantis, Lafayette, 12-0.
• Shot put: 1, Laila Guy, Baton Rouge 41-8¾. 2, Nya Terrell, Scotlandville, 41-2 2/2. 3, Jayden Jackson, Zachary, 39-9 1/4.
• Long jump: Amy Warren, Belle Chasse, 18-0. 2, Ke’yona Gabriel, Central Lafourche, 17-11 3/4. 3, Orsciana Beard, Zachary, 17-7.
• High jump: 1, Alacia Myles, Karr, 5-4. 2, Ronye Wright, John Ehret, 5-3. 3, Riley Wilson, St. Joseph’s, 5-1.
• Triple jump: 1, Orsciana Beard, Zachary, 39-2. 2, Ke’yona Gabriel, Central Lafourche, 38-11. 3, Amy Warren, Belle Chasse, 38-9¾.
Track events
• 800-meter relay: 1. Ruston 1:43.46. 2, John Curtis Christian 1:44.51. 3, Zachary 1:46.14.
• 1,600 meters: 1, Sophie Martin, St. Joseph’s, 5:14.25. 2, Hope Shales, Mount Carmel, 5:15.06. 3, Isabelle Brown, St. Joseph’s, 5:19.17.
• 800: 1, Halyn Senegal, Sam Houston, 2:15.78. 2, Laila Jackson, John Curtis Christian, 2:16.55. 3, Isabelle Brown, St. Joseph’s. 2:24.40.
• 400: 1, Makeriah Harris, Plaquemine, 57.13. 2, Jada Williams, Ruston, 58.02. 3, Zoa Adams, Zachary, 58.47.
• 4×800 relay: 1, St. Joseph’s Academy 9:59.93. 2, Lafayette 10:05.37. 3, Mandeville 10:08.06.
• 60 hurdles: 1, Darrione Joseph, West Jefferson, 8.83. 2, Makeriah Harris, Plaquemine, 8.96. 3, Chyler Turner, Washington-Marion, 9.01.
60: 1, Raven Nunnery, John Curtis Christian, 7.57. 2, Arianne Linton, Dutchtown, 7.58. 3, Katelyn Wallace, Riverdale, 7.70.
• 3,200: 1, Hope Shales, Mount Carmel Academy, 11:22.39. 2, Maddie Gardiner, St. Joseph’s, 11:31.25. 3, Sophie Martin, St. Joseph’s, 11:35.68.
• 4×400 relay: 1, John Curtis Christian 3:58.78. 2, Ruston 3:59.83. 3, Lafayette 3:05.73.
Division II Girls
Team scores: 1. St. Louis Catholic, 42. 2. Brusly, 39. 3. Episcopal, 38. 4. St. Thomas Aquinas, 30. 5. Martin Luther King Charter, 28. 6. West Feliciana, 23. 7. Newman, 21. 8. East Iberville, 17. 9. Cedar Creek, 16. 9. Parkview Baptist, 16. 11. Sacred Heart (NO), 15. 12. Christ Episcopal, 14. 12. Holy Savior Menard, 14. 14. Northwest, 13. 15. De La Salle, 10. 15. Kaplan, 10. 15. St. Martin’s, 10. 18. Highland Baptist, 8. 18. Church Point, 8. 18. E.D. White Catholic, 8. 18. Crowley, 8. 22. Mentorship Academy, 7. 23. Patrick Taylor, 6. 23. Delcambre, 6. 25. Westlake, 4. 25. Runnels, 4. 25. Ascension Episcopal, 4. 28. Jewel Sumner, 3. 29. Ascension Catholic, 2. 29. Country Day, 2. 29. St. Mary, 2. 29. Lake Charles College Prep, 2. 29. Rosepine, 2. 34. Buckeye, 1. 34. Dunham, 1.
Field events
• High jump: 1. Destiny Mitchell, West Feliciana, 5-2. 2. Ariel Pedigo, Parkview Baptist, 5-1. 3. Amalie Bouton, Delcambre, 5-1.
• Long jump: 1. Simone Pierre, Martin Luther King Charter, 17-05. 2. Genesis Jackson, East Iberville, 16-06.75. 3. Destiny Mitchell, West Feliciana, 16-05.75.
• Pole vault: 1. Karlyn Trahan, Kaplan, 11-09.75. 2. Aly Jo Warren, Holy Savior Menard, 11-05.75. 3. Laura De-Gravelle , E.D. White Catholic, 10-08.00.
• Shot put: 1. Leah Kennedy, De La Salle, 38-08.50. 2. Marin Barras, Highland Baptist, 37-08.00. 3. Mykhala Coleman, Sacred Heart, 35-08.00.
•¨ Triple jump: 1. Francie Oliver, Episcopal, 35-10.75. 2. Genesis Jackson, East Iberville, 34-04.75. 3. Myla Edwards, Brusly, 34-02.00.
Track events
• 4×200 relay: 1. Brusly, 1:48.81. 2. Crowley, 1:51.03. 3. Northwest, 1:51.17.
• 1,600: 1. Svenya Stoyanoff, Christ Episcopal, 5:35.76. 2. Ava Hartman, Newman, 5:37.75. 3. Ansley Long, Cedar Creek, 5:43.30. • 800: 1. Breanna
• 800: 1. Breanna Becerra, St. Thomas Aquinas, 2:23.47. 2. Kenzie Touchet, St. Louis, 2:24.26. 3. Madelyn Nicaud, St. Thomas Aquinas, 2:24.38.
• 400: 1. Simone Pierre, Martin Luther King, 59.53. 2. Paris Auzenne, Episcopal, 1:01.36. 3. Aryn Pitre, Northwest, 1:01.60.
4×800: 1. St. Louis, 10:18.16. 2. St. Thomas Aquinas, 10:28.80. 3. Newman, 10:40.50.
• 60 hurdles: 1. Kylar Coleman, St. Martin’s Episcopal, 9.27. 2. Olivia Bundy, Church Point, 9.56. 3. Ariel Pedigo, Parkview Baptist, 9.84.
60: 1. Mackenzie Jenkins, Brusly, 7.85. 2. Simone Pierre, Martin Luther King Charter, 7.88. 3. Amairi Ashford, Patrick Taylor, 7.94.
• 3,200: 1. Ansley Long, Cedar Creek, 11:59.20. 2. Olivia Mc-Goey, Sacred Heart, 12:05.83. 3. Ava Hartman, Newman, 12:06.70.
4×400: 1. St. Louis Catholic, 4:16.83. 2. Episcopal, 4:17.21. 3. St. Thomas Aquinas, 4:17.53.