Track and Field: Three Record-Setting Cajuns Headed to Indoor Nationals

Contact: Matt Hebert

LAFAYETTE – Three record-setting athletes will represent the Ragin’ Cajuns Track and Field program at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships slated to begin Friday, March 9 at Boise State’s Jackson Track at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho.
 
The event, which wraps up on Saturday, March 10, brings an end to the 2012 indoor season
 
Representing the Cajuns on the men’s side will be Albert Fournette competing in the shot put and Chris Roy competing in the pole vault. Jasmine Manuel, who will take part in the triple jump, is the UL representative on the women’s side.
 
Each athlete broke the UL school record during the season and each picked up the individual championship at the Sun Belt Conference meet in their respective event.
 
“We are very excited for and extremely proud of these three student-athletes,” head coach Lon Badeaux said. “They have excelled over the indoor season and now get the chance to compete against the best athletes in the country.
 
“It’s difficult to qualify for the indoor championships, so that’s an accomplishment in itself. I know that they will not be satisfied with anything less than the Top 8 and becoming an All-American.”
 
Fournette enters the national meet having tossed the shot put 60-plus feet in three consecutive meets.
 
At the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 10 in Fayetteville, Ark., Fournette broke Robert Sippio’s indoor shot put record of 60-8 ½ feet which had stood since Feb. 27, 1985 with a toss of 60-10. A week later her set the school record again with a toss of 63-5 at the LSU Twilight, the mark which earned him a spot in the national meet.
 
Fournette was the victor in the men’s shot put competition at the Sun Belt Championships with a throw of 60-4 ½. He picked up his first Sun Belt shot put title – indoor or outdoor.
 
Roy arrives in Nampa having vaulted over 17-plus feet the last three weekends. He established a new school indoor record at the LSU Twilight with a height of 17-7 ¾ and a week later vaulted 17-2 ¾ to claim the title at the SBC Championships. Roy took part in the LSU Last Chance Meet last Friday and vaulted 17-0 ¼.
 
Manuel has quickly become one of the more established women’s triple jumpers in school history. She has broken the school indoor record in the event four times in the past calendar year.
 
Manuel was named the Women’s Most Outstanding Field Performer at the SBC Championships and claimed the individual title in the triple jump with a distance of 42-10 ¾ jump, topping the school record of 41-11 ¼ she set earlier in the season at Arkansas State.
 
ESPN3 will stream the meet live on March 9 from 6:30-10:45 p.m. CT and March 10 from 7-10:15 p.m. CT. A tape delay of the championship will air Sunday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
 
NCAA.com and broncosports.com will stream what ESPN3 is not covering on Friday (11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. CT) and Saturday (11:30 a.m.-7 pm CT).
 
The complete list of participants is available here. Live results can be followed by clicking here.
 

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