Track & Field: Leleux’s Record Leads Ragin’ Cajuns At Ted Nelson Invite
Matt Sullivan, Associate Director of Athletics Communications
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Cajuns finish fifth in men’s events, tied for ninth in women’s competition
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Freshman Reagann Leleux set a school-record in the women’s pole vault and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns track and field team officially opened its 2019 indoor season on Friday in the Ted Nelson Invitational at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium.
Shaquille Singuineau and Damon Guidry each turned in second-place performances in their respective events while Kyle Baudoin earned a third-place finish in the men’s pole vault.
Louisiana, in its 2019 season debut, finished fifth overall in men’s events with 53 points and earned a ninth-place finish in women’s competition with 32 points.
Leleux, the sister of 2016 Ragin’ Cajuns All-American Morgann Leleux, cleared the bar on her final attempt at 12-8 ¼ to break the previous record (12-7 ½) set by Meredith Driskell in 2014. The true freshman – a 12-time state champion at Catholic High of New Iberia – finished second overall to Northwestern State’s Regan Darbonne, who cleared 13-1 ¼ on her final attempt.
Teammates Alexa Johnson and Kimberly Rushford helped Louisiana place three athletes in the scoring column in the pole vault, with each clearing the bar at 11-2 ½ to finish in a sixth-place tie.
Frankie Griffin posted a seventh-place finish in the women’s high jump after clearing the bar at 5-5 ¾. Newcomer Kalei Matthews recorded the top individual finish in running events for the Ragin’ Cajuns after posting a time of 24.84 seconds to finish fourth in the women’s 200-meters.
Senior Hailey Hesterman claimed fifth-place in the women’s mile run for Louisiana, crossing the finish line in 5:21.87 with the distance medley relay team finishing third (13:00.74) and 4×400-meter relay team seventh (3:58.84).
Singuineau earned a second-place finish in the men’s shot put for Louisiana, posting a throw of 52 feet, 6 inches. Guidry, competing in the high jump, cleared the bar at 6-6 ¼ to finish in a second-place tie with Henry Brown of Prairie View.
Baudoin, a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference performer in the men’s pole vault, finished third overall for the Ragin’ Cajuns after clearing 16-2. Freshman John Joseph earned a pair of top-eight finishes for Louisiana, finishing fifth overall in the triple jump (48-5 ½) and eighth in the long jump (23-0).
Louisiana claimed the men’s distance medley relay with the team of Key Alfred, Franz Beyer, Jonathan Kimutai and Hannes Burger posting a time of 10:25.77.
Three other Cajuns scored points in their debut, with Obdarius Ware finishing seventh in the long jump (23-2 ½), Terrell Jolla seventh in the 200-meters (21.96) and Graham Sokol eighth in the men’s weight throw (51-7).
Dominique Williams finished one spot ahead of Sokol in the men’s weight throw, posting a mark of 52-8 ¼, while Jonathan Kimutai was fifth in the mile run (4:23.34) and George Femmer sixth in the 5,000-meters (16:00.97).
Louisiana will return to action on Jan. 17-19 when it travels to Birmingham, Ala., to compete at the Samford Multi (Jan. 17) and Samford Invite (Jan. 18-19).
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Men’s Results
1., Sam Houston State 94; 2., Louisiana Tech 58; 3., Northwestern State 57; 4., Incarnate Word 56; 5., Louisiana 53; 6., UT Rio Grande Valley 48; 7., Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 40.5; 8. McNeese State 40; 9., Lamar 35; 10., Texas A&M-Kingsville 32; 11., Western Texas College 28; 12. Prairie View 27.5; 13., Texas Southern 20; 14. ULM 18; 15., Houston Baptist 13; 16. Texas A&M 2.
Women’s Results
1., Northwestern State 78; 2. McNeese State 76; 3., Sam Houston State 68; 4., Louisiana Tech 54; 5., Incarnate Word 49; 6., UT Rio Grande Valley 46; 7., Lamar 37; 8., Texas Southern 36; t9., Louisiana 32; t9., New Mexico Junior College 32; 11., Houston Baptist 24; 12., Prairie View 15.5; 13., Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 15; 14., Texas A&M-Kingsville 14.5; 15., ULM 13; 16., Western Texas College 13; 17., Texas A&M 2.
