By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur
THIBODAUX – East St. John will send four individual athletes and four of its relay teams to compete at the Class 5A state track and field meet after a strong day at Thursday’s 5A regional at Thibodaux High School.
The top three finishers in each event advanced to state.
JeVaughn Albert and Darius Lipps qualified to compete in the boys’ 800 and 100 respectively, while Ra-Jane’ Morris and Elizabeth Scioneaux will compete in the 800 and the long jump.
All three boys relay teams qualified, while the girls saw their 4×200 team advance.
Albert captured second place in the regional 800 with a time of 1:59. Lipps took third place in the 100 (10.96).
“We knew JeVaughn had a great chance. When he wan a 1:57 at Tad Gormley, we knew he was one that should be there,” said East St. John boys track and field coach Greg Gathers. “Darius was a little more of a surprise only because the 100 has some top, top competition. But at the end of the day, he was up to the challenge.”
All three boys relay teams placed third in their events. The 4×100 team was comprised of Xavier Lewis, Lipps, Jacob McNeil and Troy Gerard. The 4×200 team was made up of Lewis, Lipps, Leonard Davis and McNeil and the 4×400 team was Davis, Albert, Donald Stirgus and Darren Darensburg.
Gathers said he is optimistic about the relay teams’ chances at state.
“The good thing about our team is that we have so much depth,” he said. “I’ve talked to the guys this week and they know … we’re gonna have a race off for the relay spots. The fastest man wins.
“So guys like Leonard Davis, who ran in the 4×200, maybe he ends up on all three. A guy like Elex Carter, who was in the triple jump but has a great stride, maybe he’s in the 4×4. This week is about putting our guys in the best position to win at state.”
The girls 4×200 girls relay team (Ayonte Thomas, Morris, Scioneaux and Ann Marie Jenkins) ran a time of 1:47.17, good for third place.
Morris’ time of 1:32.20 was good for second place in the 800. Scioneaux’s mark of 17-3 in the long jump netted her third.
“We had our ups and downs,” said East St. John girls track and field coach Mark Creecy. “We came up just a bit short of going in the 4×4, and (Thomas) didn’t jump as well as she did at district in the triple jump. But she made up for it, the way she ran in the 4×2.
“I felt like we have a number of girls advancing, which was the ultimate goal. They’re going to be able to concentrate on one event, so we should have a good week of practice upcoming.”
Creecy also said his team got a little more good news over the weekend as senior Leiah Turner was offered a track and field scholarship by Southeastern. Turner, a four-year volleyball player, is in her first year on the track and field team.
“She ran her best time in the 300 at the regional,” said Creecy. “She was at 59 seconds in our first meet this year and she was down to 50 this time, so she knocked off nine seconds. I think they saw that … She’s 5-9 and has the grades, so I think all of that made her someone they wanted to offer.”