West St. John High’s 100 meter champ Austin Alexander proves who’s fastest
Published 12:06 am Saturday, May 14, 2016
- West St. John High School track and field athletes Austin Alexander, from left, Jabari Walters, Kie’Ave Harry, Lamore Boudoin and Marcus Boudoin show off the medals they earned for the Rams’ second place team finish at the Class 2A State Track meet in Baton Rouge.
EDGARD — “He got me.”
That’s all West St. John senior sprinter Kie’Ave Harry had to say about his teammate and biggest competition, Austin Alexander, this week.
Austin Alexander
The two had run virtually neck-and-neck all season, finishing first and second in nearly every 100 meter dash and a couple of 200 meter runs, each trying to best the other.
Usually, though, Harry was the one and Alexander was the two.
At the Class 2A State Track Meet in Baton Rouge May 6, Alexander ran just a little bit faster, winning the race with a time of 10.95 seconds to earn the title of state champion. He was the only athlete from St. John the Baptist Parish to win an individual state championship.
“That’s an amazing feeling,” Alexander said. “I have to pride myself on working hard. I give all the credit to God and my preparation.”
The prize came with a cost, however. As he stretched for the finish, Alexander strained a hamstring, forcing him to withdraw from the 4×100 meter relay and the 200 meter dash, which is normally his best race.
Rams coach Ulysses Frontha said Alexander begged him and the team’s trainer to let him run.
“I really wanted to compete,” Alexander said. “I wanted to go out there and give it my all. I felt like I would have gotten another medal.”
The 200 meters is another event in which he and Harry have pushed each other all season. Harry finished third with a time of 22.32.
“It was weird not seeing him in the lane next to me,” Harry said. “It was weird not seeing that blue in front of me or in my peripheral. I know he was disappointed. I was disappointed because I knew we both would place and that would be even better for our team.”
Alexander did get another medal. His finish, and his run in the 4×200 meter relay, helped the West St. John team finish as the Class 2A state runner-up for the second time in school history. The Rams didn’t learn of their win, however, until they were halfway home from the meet.
“We found out when we were on the bus,” Alexander said. “We just went crazy.”
Harry said he had no hard feelings about Alexander’s day.
“He came to get it,” said Harry, who was behind by less than one second.
Said Alexander: “It was a good feeling beating him. We compete every day at practice. At the end, we just congratulated each other and I was his biggest supporter when he ran the 200.”
