The University of Louisiana Athletic Department announced Monday that assistant coach Paula Ogunbanjo has been named the interim head coach of the track and field program.

Courtesy: RaginCajuns.com http://www.ragincajuns.com The University of Louisiana Athletic Department announced Monday that assistant coach Paula Ogunbanjo has been named the interim head coach of the track and field program.

Ogunbanjo, who joined the program as an assistant in 2007, will oversee the operations of the track and field program. She replaces former head coach Charlie Mahfouz, who resigned due to health issues in October.

"I am blessed to have the opportunity of being the interim head track and field coach at UL," said Ogunbanjo. "I look forward to what is in store for this program and this University. I know that the best is yet to come".

The Houston native has coached jumps and sprints in her previous three seasons at UL. The Cajuns have flourished in three seasons under Ogunbanjo’s direction as she has coached eight athletes to 25 All-Sun Belt Conference honors in three different jumping events.

In 2008, Ogunbanjo oversaw Taryn Simmons’ progression to the NCAA Preliminary Championships in the 400-meter hurdles. The Ragin’ Cajuns were well represented in the 2009 campaign when Antwain Keyes (high jump), Jasmine Manuel (triple jump) and Simmons (400-meter hurdles) competed in the NCAA Preliminary Championships in Louisville, Ky.

Last season, the Cajuns had yet another impressive showing with Jasmine Manuel (triple jump) and O’Daylon Thibeaux (triple jump) at the 2010 NCAA Preliminary Championships in Greensboro, N.C.

Thibeaux along with teammate Myles Melancon were named co-recipients of the 2010 Sun Belt Freshmen of the Year award.

Under Ogunbanjo’s direction, Keyes continues to develop as a leading performer in the Sun Belt Conference. Keyes is the reigning indoor champion in the men’s high jump and holds a personal best mark of 2.14 meters. Thibeaux has also showed vast improvements under Ogunbanjo’s tutelage winning both indoor and outdoor championships in the triple jump during his freshmen season. Thibeaux competed in the 2010 USA Junior National Track and Field Championships where he placed third with a jump of 15.58 meters.

Other Ragin’ Cajuns event performers have also been successful since Ogunbanjo’s arrival in 2007. Among those has been Chris Roy, winner of back-to-back Sun Belt outdoor pole vaulting championships (2009-2010). Roy placed seventh nationally at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., and ranked sixth in the NCAA East Region in the outdoor pole vault event last season.

Prior to joining the staff at Louisiana, Ogunbanjo served as a graduate assistant coach at Emporia State in the MIAA Conference (2005-2007). She helped guide several ESU jumpers to All-American status and recruited top level athletes into the program.

As an athlete, Ogunbanjo competed at Oklahoma State, where she held the outdoor school record in the triple jump and still holds the indoor school record. Ogunbanjo received seven All-Big 12 honors in the triple jump and placed 18^th in the 2005 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Ogunbanjo graduated from Oklahoma State in May 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She also received a master’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from Emporia State in May 2007.

The Ragin’ Cajuns will open the 2010-11 indoor track and field season at the Texas A&M Challenge on Jan. 15 in College Station, Texas.

— Ragin’ Cajuns —