By DAVID FOLSE II

Sports Editor

RESERVE-The River Region will be well represented on day one of the LHSAA State Track and Field Meet on the campus of Louisiana State University beginning on Friday.

In Class B competition, the Reserve Christian Lady Eagles will be sending their 4X100 girls relay team. The team is composed of Allison Young, Ashley Wilking, Antwanette Moten and Rebecca Simon.

Moten will also be participating in two other events in which she is one of the favorites to take home state honors in the 100m and in the hurdles.

“We are really excited to have some of our athletes competing for a state championship,” Reserve Christian Track and Field Coach Mary Smith said. “Our girls have a lot of chances for success, particularly Antawnette. She is not just participating in the 4X100. She also qualified for the 100m dash as well as the hurdles.

“Last year she took home the state championship in hurdles, so she is actually going back to defend her title. We are excited that she earned the opportunity to defend her title. Our sprinters coach has been working very hard and she has a really good chance of winning the state title again.”

Running well in the district 12-B meet but struggling in the regional competition, Smith said it has been an up and down season for her relay squad.

“It is really hard to read them right now,” Smith said. “Because in district we fared really well, but facing 16 different teams in our regional meet we ran up against some really tough competition.

“They didn’t fare as well as we wanted them to in the regionals, but we just wanted them to qualify and get here. It is kind of up in the air for me on how they will fare at the state championships. We hope that they will do the best that they can and at least place.”

Down the road at Riverside Academy, Rebels Head Coach Aaron Paladino will be sending a pair of jumpers and a javelin thrower to LSU.

Senior Josh Labiche, who won his regional, will be participating in the high jump while Lee Haydel will take aim at the long and triple jump.

Monica Millet rounds out the Riverside contingent as she is participating in the javelin.

“Lee and Josh both have legitimate chances to win,” Paladino said. “They both really have the chance to have a lot of success. They both have had excellent years. I think that this is Josh’s best year at Riverside. He is really jumping well.

“Lee I actually think could get better. It all has to do with his steps that you have before the jump. If he can work on that this week, he has a legitimate chance to win.”

Participating in two jumping events Paladino said he is not worried about Haydel.

“It is not really that difficult,” Paladino said. “I am sure that he gets a little tired as it goes along, but he’ll be fine.”

Paladino said Millet may be peaking in the javelin at just the right time.

“She actually threw her best at regionals,” Paladino said. “And that was 119′. She is a very strong girl.”

One of the smaller schools in the area, Paladino said he is very excited that they were able to qualify as many athletes as they did for the state championships.

“We are definitely proud of all three of our athletes,” Paladino said. “We are a very small school and it is almost like we too many sports and not enough kids.