MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / May 27, 2000

DESTREHAN – A year ago, Destrehan’s Traun Smith set a Class 5A state meet record with a jump of in the triple jump. Smith is now a member ofthe perennial national title contender LSU track team and is planning to try out for the AAU Junior Olympics this season.

But before Smith was a Wildcat or a Tiger, he was a St. Charles Strider.The St. Charles Striders is a summer track team of the St. CharlesDepartment of Parks and Recreation. It got its start in 1992 when UlyssesFrontha became the head track coach at Destrehan High School. The parishalready had a small track team before that when Frontha was asked to coach the team.

Since then, the program has really took off. Over the years, such futureathletic stars as Smith, Amanda Spivey, Brian Wesco, Rondell Mealey and Edward Reed have been Striders. Ironically, when Smith competed with theStriders, he did so on the track rather than as a jumper.

“It was good,” Smith said of the time he spent with the Striders. “Ithelped me a lot. My brothers did it and I watched them come out andpractice. Back then, I thought I would be a sprinter. When I came toDestrehan, I still wanted to be a sprinter. But when coach (Frontha) sawme jump, it was all over.”Smith has come back this year to help with the more than 70 participants ages 8-18 that are competing with the team. He is working with thejumpers, giving them tips on technique.

“I wanted to give something back to help the kids out,” Smith said. “Idon’t want them to run off to another path. I want to help keep them on theright path.”One of the jumpers that Smith is working with is DeQuincy Noble, a high jumper for Destrehan this past season.

“It’s good for me,” Noble, who is competing for the Striders for a second year, said. “It helps me prepare for the upcoming season.Smith is not the only former Destrehan athlete who has come back to help Frontha out. Diamondique Pollard, who competed for the Lady Cats thispast season, is serving as an assistant coach this summer. Pollardcompeted with the Striders the last two seasons.

“It helped me a lot in improving in the relay and the javelin,” Pollard said.

“I wanted to help the kids out. I want to be a teacher and I’m learning howto work with the kids.”Any youngster age 8-18 is eligible to practice with the Striders.

Participants must have a USA Track and Field card in order to compete in meets.

Frontha said one of the things the team members like is the traveling the team does. A number of events each year are held in Mississippi and theStriders have traveled to Cleveland and Richmond in past years to compete in Nationals.

“It’s fun,” Frontha said. “They get to go a lot of places and meet a lot ofpeople.”The Striders started its season this year May 6. The team will play host tothe USATF-Southern Association Championships today at the Destrehan Track Field. Frontha said the team has been asked to hold a meet for yearsand is getting the help of the recreation department. Field and trackevents both begin at 8 a.m.Frontha said the team will compete in two or three other meets before the qualifying meets begin. The team is also planning to go to nationals at theend of July.

The Striders usually practice Monday through Wednesdays beginning at 4:30 p.m. Besides the help he gets from former and current athletes,Frontha said he gets a great assist from Nat Henry, a coach in Kenner.

“It’s a good training program for the kids,” Frontha said. “They can learnsomething about track and have an interest when they get to high school.

“It’s a great program. The kids enjoy it and it’s something for them to do.”

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