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Track & Field: : Victor, Castaldi Lead Ragin’ Cajuns At A-State InvitationalVICTOR, CASTALDI LEAD CAJUNS AT A-STATE INVITATIONAL
JONESBORO, Ark. � Justin Victor claimed his second individual title in the men�s weight throw in as many weeks while Danielle Castaldi earned the individual title in the women�s 800-meter run relay to pace the Louisiana Ragin� Cajuns track and field team at the A-State Invitational on Friday at the Arkansas State Convocation Center.
Competing in its second meet of the indoor season, the Ragin� Cajuns earned three first-place finishes with the women�s distance medley relay team clocking a time of 12 minutes, 30.40 seconds to outdistance second-place Central Arkansas by nearly 10 seconds.
The Cajuns also received five second-place performances, including freshman Dionte Heath, who finished second overall in the men�s high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 11.75 inches.
�Dionte (Heath) and Danielle (Castaldi) each had huge breakthrough days for us,� head coach Lon Badeaux said. �For just his second collegiate meet, he eclipsed his best (6-6.25) by over five inches. That�s pretty unheard of for a young athlete.
�Danielle took over three seconds off her indoor best in the 800 and came close to matching her best that she ran outdoors. Overall, as a team, we had some solid performances from a bunch of athletes. We had a few out there with tired legs, so our training is catching up to us.�
Victor, who set the school record last week (64 feet, 5.25 inches) in the season-opening Texas A&M 12-Team Invitational, recorded a throw of 67-4.75 to claim his second overall title.
Matt Rice finished second overall in the men�s 800-meter dash (1:57.86) with Jacob Chicola earning a second-place performance in the mile run (4:26.66).
Keygan Keys (400-meter dash, 50.17) and Logan Pearce (5,000-meter run, 15:40.68) each finished third overall for the Ragin� Cajuns with Morgan Cormier (55-meter hurdles, 7.77) and Kenneth Nassar (shot put, 52-1.25).
Castaldi, who also ran the opening leg of the women�s distance medley relay team, claimed the 800-meters after she clocked a time of 2:14.53, breaking her previous indoor best (2:17.04) and finishing nearly five seconds ahead of second-place finisher Jordan Chadwick of Central Arkansas.
Senior Morgan Breaux finished second for the Ragin� Cajuns in both the 55-meter dash (7.04) and the 200-meter dash (25.26). Alex Harrell earned a third-place finish in the high jump (5-4.25) with Tarvia Conway (5-2.25) and Lindsey Harmon (5-2.25) finishing fourth and eighth overall.
Sophomore Meredith Driskell (12-0) and Emily Gale (11-6.25) finished 4-5th respectively for the Ragin� Cajuns in the pole vault while Jana Jones was fourth (52-7.25) in the weight throw.
The Ragin� Cajuns will return to action on Friday (Jan. 31) when it travels to Lake Charles to compete in the Jeff Davis Invitational, hosted by McNeese State.
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Matt Sullivan
Assistant Sports Information Director
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Cox Communications Athletic Center
201 Reinhardt Drive
Lafayette, LA 70506-4297
Office – (337) 482-6330
Mobile – (985) 981-0009
Twitter – @MattSulli123
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