By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

Led by Dynekia Sanders and Christy Joseph, the East St. John Ladycats track and field team captured the Wildcat Relays championship at Destrehan Friday.

West St. John also put forth a strong showing on both the boys and girls side. The boys placed second (behind champion St. Augustine, 149-101), and the girls finished fourth.

Sanders took first place in the girls triple jump with a mark of 36-09 despite nursing a leg injury.

“I had confidence in myself,” said Sanders. “I knew I wasn’t at 100 percent going in.

“To be able to win despite that feels pretty good.”

Joseph captured the girls discus event, pacing the field with a throw of 97-01.

The ESJ 4×100 relay team (Journae King, Darichelle Sampson, Sanders and Deznee Wilson) took first place with a time of 48.57. The 4×200 relay squad consisting of the same four took third with a time of 1:45.48.

The Rams’ Damon Scott took first place in two events, the long jump (22-.05) and the triple jump (43-02), while finishing second in the high jump (6-06). Demiere Gordon captured first in the discus (135-09).

West St. John’s Kyla Morris took first place in the girls shot put (35-0), two spots ahead of Joseph (28-11), who collected a third-place finish in that event to go with her discus crown. Morris also finished second in the 300-meter hurdles (41.45).

Ambria Major captured second in the triple jump (35-09). Taj Howard’s discus throw of 90-0 was good for second place in the discus, and her javelin throw of 82-06 also took second ahead of teammate Janeeka Jones (third, 70-01). Arnelle Jack took third in the 100-meter hurdles (17.08).

King took third place in the girls high jump (4-08).

Other high Lady Cat finishers included Darichelle Sampson, who finished third in the 100 (12.55); Deznee Wilson, who was second in the 400 (59.51); Darilyn Sampson, who placed third in the 800 (2:43.15); and Briana Pierre, who took third in the 3200 (15:28.99)

West St. John’s Blake Carter took second in the boys shot put (45-10), just ahead of teammate Ronnie Feist (third, 44-06).

Blandy Young took third in the 300-meter hurdles (42.14). The Ram 4×100 boys relay team (Chris Gauthier, Ravane Owens, Corey Warmington and Blandy Young) took third (43.65).