Track & Field: Cajuns Earn Five First-Place Finishes At McNeese Invite

LAKE CHARLES – The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns indoor track and field team collected five first-place finishes during action on Friday at the 2016 Cameron Communication McNeese Invite at Ralph O. Ward Rec Center.
 
Danielle Castaldi claimed the women’s 800-meter run for the Ragin’ Cajuns after crossing the finish line in 2:22.44. She was joined by freshman Hannah Siegmund who captured her first individual title in the 400-meter dash (1:00.85) and Amie Leitko, who earned her first individual title of the season with a mark of 53-0 ¾ in the weight throw.
 
Two newcomers for Louisiana – Tristan Whitehall and Kyle Baudoin – each claimed titles in the men’s shot put and men’s pole vault, respectively. Whitehall earned his third individual title during the indoor season after posting a throw of 57-5 ¾.
 
Baudoin earned the title in the pole vault after clearing the bar at 16-0 ¾ with teammate Josh McDaniels finishing second at 15-7.
 
Kaylei Esfeller earned a second-place finish in the women’s 800-meters (2:27.37) with Kaitlyn Moreau finishing second overall in both the long jump (18-4 ½) and shot put (41-7 ¼). Jasmin Fusilier earned a third-place finish for the Ragin’ Cajuns in the triple jump (38-8 ¾), D’Sharee Collins finished fourth in the 400-meter dash (1:01.92) with teammate Joya Tardieff finishing fifth (1:05.37).
 
In the men’s 1-mile run, the Ragin’ Cajuns earned a 2-3-4 finish as Christian Bergeron (4:22.19), Jacob Chicola (4:31.14) and Cole Stafford (4:42.31) each posted season-best times. Caleb Wisecarver (14-6) and Kody Breaux (14-6) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the pole vault with Ricky Theyard finishing second in the triple jump (50-1 ¾). Kenneth Nassar placed third overall in the shot put (47-1), followed by Spencer Nezat (46-6) and Richard Delphin (45-10 ¾).
 
Delphin added a fourth-place finish in the men’s weight throw (55-1) and was followed by Landon Carroll (50-1 ¼), Whitehall (49-10) and Brad Harp (44-3 ½).
 
Louisiana will return to action on Feb. 7 when it competes in the South Alabama Invitational that will take place at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala.