Track & Field: Leleux Breaks UL, SBC Record In Pole Vault; Cajuns Go Basic In Javelin

LAFAYETTE – For the second time in less than a month, Morgann Leleux set a school and Sun Belt Conference record in the women’s pole vault, clearing the bar at 14 feet, 10 inches to highlight the first day for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns track and field at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships on Friday at the Ragin’ Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility.

Bartul Basic earned the SBC men’s javelin title for Louisiana after posting a throw of 217-10 as the Ragin’ Cajuns finished the first day in second place on the men’s side with 23 points and trailing first-day leader South Alabama (28 points).

 
Leleux’s performance on the women’s side helped Louisiana to a third-place showing (15 points) after the first day following South Alabama (69.5) and Appalachian State (23.5) in the standings.
 
"Anytime you can win a championship, especially on the first day to kind of get started, it’s awesome," head coach Lon Badeaux said. "Bartul, with him being young and he came in at mid-semester last year and had a little bit of a rough season, and then to come back and show that he’s going to be a force to reckon with the next three years and win it, that’s awesome.
 
"As for Morgann, what can you say? She PR’s again and breaks the conference record … she did a phenomenal job."
 
The tandem of Franz Beyer (3,648 points) and Angus Sinclair (3,559) were 1-2 after the first day of the decathlon for Louisiana with freshman Kaden Frasier fifth (2,981). In the women’s heptathlon, seniors Jasmin Fusilier (2,330 points) and Kaitlyn Moreau (2,257) were first and third respectively, with senior Alexandra Harrell (2,054) in ninth.
 
"We put ourselves in position (Saturday) to do well early," Badeaux said. "That’s always been the thing … to get off to a good start the first day and start of the second day to put in position to do well coming into Sunday. The good thing for the men today is we didn’t strike out. We got a bonus point in the hammer (throw). Tomorrow will be focused on finishing the multi and qualifying (in prelims) because we have a couple of rough events in the field that we’re probably not going to do well in, but we think we line up pretty well for Sunday."
 
Leleux, who set the Ragin’ Cajuns and SBC record (14-9 ½) last month at the LSU Alumni Gold, barely missed on her first attempt at 14-10 before clearing the bar on her next try. The mark kept her in fourth nationally and third overall on the NCAA Division I East Qualifying List.
 
Louisiana earned three top-5 finishes in the men’s javelin as Hunter Stelly (199-2) finished fourth and Cody Nickel (192-10) fifth. Beau Robinson finished sixth overall for Louisiana in the men’s 10,000-meter run (31:31.61) while Richard Delphin gave the Ragin’ Cajuns a point after recording an eighth-place finish in the men’s hammer throw (178-6).
 
Madison Meche narrowly missed All-SBC honors in the women’s javelin after she posted a fourth-place finish with a throw of 128-6 with teammate Chelcie Sonnier finishing ninth (117-7).
 
Saturday’s action starts at 9 a.m. with the conclusion of the decathlon followed by the final day of the women’s heptathlon at 9:30. Field events will begin at 12:30 p.m. with preliminaries in running events set to begin at 5 p.m.
 
The final day of the three-day event will start on Sunday at 10 a.m. with the finals in the men’s discus and concluding with the men’s 4×400-meter relay at 8 p.m.
 
Live results and a free live video stream for the three-day event is be available at RaginCajuns.com.

Women’s Team Standings through Day 1 (4 Events Scored)
1. South Alabama, 69.5
2. Appalachian State, 23.5
3. Louisiana, 15
4. Georgia State, 13
4. Texas State, 13
6. Arkansas State, 8
7. Troy, 7
7. UT Arlington, 7

Men’s Team Standings through Day 1 (3 Events Scored)
1. South Alabama, 28
2. Louisiana, 23
3. Arkansas State, 20
4. UL Monroe, 17
5. UT Arlington, 11
5. Texas State, 11
7. Troy, 6
8. Little Rock, 1