Track & Field: Cajuns Men’™s Track Finishes Second at SBC Track Championships

Cajuns Men’s Track Finishes Second at SBC Track Championships

Contact: Matt Hebert

LAFAYETTE, La. – The Ragin’ Cajuns men’s track and field team led for much of the third day but ultimately couldn’t hold off a late surge by Western Kentucky as UL finished second at the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Ragin’ Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility.

“Looking back at the whole weekend, I don’t think we left any points out there,” head coach Lon Badeaux said. “I thought we did really well on the men’s side, and on the women’s side there were surprises all over the place.

“I wanted to make sure the kids had fun and believed in what we were doing and that they maximized their potential. That’s really what we did. I think things look great for the future and I’m totally satisfied with our performance today.”

Western Kentucky grabbed the men’s SBC outdoor team title with 147 points, while the Cajuns finished the three-day meet in second with 122 points. Middle Tennessee rounded out the top 3 finishers with 108 points.

Head coach Lon Badeaux was honored as the Men’s Track and Field Coach of the Year after his team had its highest finish in the conference meet since UL won it in 1997. UL’s Devin Davis also received 2012 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships honors as he was named the Men’s Most Outstanding Freshman.

Chris Roy picked up the third outdoor pole vault championship of his career with a mark of 17-5 to edge out UL’s Michael Vani for the honor. Vani placed second with a jump of 16-5 ¼.

“What can you say about a guy that has already done so much here at UL,” Badeaux said. “Michael had him for a while, but Chris stepped in and said this is my fifth year and I’m going to go ahead and win.”

In the triple jump, the Cajuns scored 16 points as both Kenneth Bellard and O’Daylon Thibeaux made it to the award stand. Bellard finished first with a personal-best jump of 50-10 ¼, while Thibeaux was third with a mark of 50-6.

“Both Kenneth and O’Daylon did a great job,” Badeaux stated. “If it wasn’t for a late jump by Golden of Middle Tennessee we would have finished 1-2 in yet another jumping event. Kenneth is a fifth-year senior. He just wanted it more than the others, so he went and took it.”

Justin Jones added to the list of Louisiana men’s champions as he edged out Troy’s Neko Freeman by two-hundredths of a second to win the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.46.

Jones turned around and posted the second fastest time in the 200-meter dash with a personal-best time of 21.17 to give the junior 18 points on the day.

“The most surprising result of the day to me was Justin Jones,” Badeaux stated. “He came to me emotional and said coach what am I doing. I told him before the 200-meter dash that lane eight is the straightest curve you can run and the fastest lane if you think about it so just get out there and run.

“Two or three weeks ago he told me that he was starting to believe, and after the Cole Lancon meet he said this is my track and I have to protect my track. Boy did he sure did do just that.”

Sander Jones closed out the medalists for Louisiana as he finished second in the high jump behind Troy’s Larry Henry with a mark of 6-11.

The Hilltoppers claimed the team title in the final individual running event of the meet posting 28 points in the 5,000-meter race to distance themselves from the Cajuns.

On the women’s side, North Texas claimed the team title with a final score of 121 points to edge out Western Kentucky (117). UL finished in seventh with 70 points after three days at the SBC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Jasmine Manuel found the award stand for the second straight day as she completed the sweep of the 2012 triple jump championships claiming the title with a jump of 42-7.

“It was good to see Jasmine pick up another championship in the triple jump,” Badeaux added. “She has achieved many goals already and she still has a few more to go.”

In the javelin, Mayme Cook placed second with a personal-record throw of 142-5 to pick up eight points for the Cajuns.

“We are very young on the women’s side besides Jasmine, and I think Mayme Cook has a lot of potential,” Badeaux said. “She could possibly end up being one of the best javelin throwers in the country.”

“If we can get some people to go with the girls we already have, I think we have a shot at competing for a championship in the years to come. It may take a little time, but we are going to get there.”

Morgan Breaux, Jasmin Fusilier, Stacy Imagbe and Alexis Malone combined to finish third in the 4×100-meter relay running a season-best time of 45.45.

Kacey Elphage added six more points in the 100-meter hurdles coming in third with a time of 13.78.

“I just really appreciate the seniors that we had,” Badeaux stated. “They had great character and leadership and I wish them luck in anything that they do.”

MEN’S TEAM SCORES

Place   Team                           Points

1          Western Kentucky        147

2          Louisiana                    122

3          Middle Tennessee         108

4          Troy                            90.33

5          Arkansas State            84.83

6          South Alabama            79.50

7          North Texas                 59

8          La.-Monroe                  50

9          UALR                           48.33

10         FIU                             27

WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES

Place   Team                           Points

1          North Texas                 121

2          Western Kentucky        117

3          South Alabama            104

4          Arkansas State            101

5          FIU                             90

6          Middle Tennessee         75

7          Louisiana                     70

8          Florida Atlantic             51

9          Troy                             43

10         La.-Monroe                   30

11         UALR                           14

MEN’S PERFORMANCE LIST

100-Meter Dash

Justin Jones (1) 10.46

200-Meter Dash

Justin Jones (2) 21.17

110-Meter Hurdles

Keyondrick Boykins (8) 14.93

1500-Meters

Michael van AsWegen (15) 4:12.21

4×100 Meter Relay

DeMarcus Runnels, Joshua Sigler, Justin Jones, Antione Jackson (4) 41.00

4×400 Meter Relay

DeMarcus Runnels, Antoine Jackson, Wilile Allen, Justin Jones (5) 3:15.09

Pole Vault

Chris Roy (1) 5.31m/17-5

Michael Vani (2) 5.01m/16-5 ¼

High Jump

Sander Maes (2) 2.11m/6-11

Hammer Throw

Tyler Guidry (8) 52.83m/173-4

Triple Jump

Kenneth Bellard (1) 15.50m/50-10 ¼

O’Daylon Thibeaux (3) 15.39m/50-6

WOMEN’S PERFORMANCE LIST

100-Meter Dash

Alexis Malone (2) 11.61

100-Meter Hurdles

Kacey Elphage (3) 13.78

800-Meter Dash

Petrona Layne (4) 2:14.13

April Colomb (7) 2:15.42

1500-Meters

Petrona Layne (9) 4:49.47

Genevieve Roy (24) 5:08.31

4×100 Meter Relay

Morgan Breaux, Jasmin Fusilier, Stacy Imagbe, Alexis Malone (3) 45.45

4×400 Meter Relay

Jasmin Fusilier, Krystal Chevis, Stacy Imagbe, Amanda Robets (4) 3:50.21

Triple Jump

Jasmine Manuel (1) 12.98m/42-7

Tarvia Conway (6) 12.19m/40-0

Ta’Shania Bean (7) 11.95m/39-2 ½

Jasmin Fusilier (11) 11.42m/37-5 ¾

Hammer Throw

Brittany Blunt (8) 51.03m/167-5

Precious Lollis (19) 25.76m/84-6

Javelin

Mayme Cook (2) 43.41m/142-5

Kirsten Meche (7) 40.83m/133-11

Amber Sharp (13) 35.90m/117-9

— Ragin’ Cajuns —

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