Contact: Matt Hebert
 
MIAMI, Fla. – The Ragin’ Cajuns track and field team saw the women’s squad finish in sixth place with 67 points, while the men ended the day in eighth with 44 points at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championship on Sunday at the Ansin Spors Complex.
 
“On the women’s side, I thought we did really well,” head coach Lon Badeaux said. “We maximized our points there with a young squad that will only get better next year. We finished seventh last year so we are slowly moving in the right direction.”
 
Senior Kacey Elphage was the runner up in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.41 just sixteen hundredths of a second behind the winner Sharika Nelvis of Arkansas State. With the time, Elphage qualified for the regional meet.
 
“Kacey had a great race,” Badeaux added. “She is running against the girl from ASU who is top 4 in the nation. She continues to do some good things and was with her going through the last hurdle just caming up short against a great runner.”
 
In the 100-meter dash, Morgan Breaux placed second with a time of 11.82 to score eight points. Alexis Malone also scored in the event finishing eighth with a time of 12.58.
 
“Morgan took a huge step forward this year,” Badeaux said. “If this team is going to make a run at the championship we need for her to continue to get better and be a factor. She was great in the 4x100-meter relay and almost won it for us.”
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns placed second in the 4x100-meter relay as Stacy Imagbe, Breaux, Malone and Tia Mitchell combined to run a time of 45.54.
 
Krystal Chevis placed eighth in the 400-meters turning in a time of 57.51, while the 4x400-meter relay team of Amanda Roberts, Chevis, Abi Brown and Danielle Castaldi combined to finish eighth running a time of 3:52.24.
 
In the field events, Tarvia Conway turned in a third place performance in the women’s triple jump earning a mark of 12.76m/41-10½. The mark qualifies Conway for the regional meet. Jasmin Fusilier also scored in the triple jump finishing in sixth with a jump of 12.34m/40-6.
 
“We’ve been waiting for that big breakthrough all season long,” Badeaux stated. “I can’t say enough about her. Hopefully we will be able to solidify that position with one of the best jumpers in the conference.”
 
On the men’s side, the 4x100-meter relay team turned in a fifth place finish as Morgan Cormier, Justin Jones, Antoine Jackson, and Zach Mech combined to run a time of 41.34.
 
In the men’s hammer, Justin Victor finished on the podium in third place with a throw of 57.01m/187-0.
 
“Victor didn’t really have a great series of throws, but he was one of the guys who came in and did what we expected of him.” Badeaux mentioned.
 
Sophomore Cody Nickel earned points in the men’s javelin with a mark of 54.35m/178-4 to finish in fourth place.
 
Morgan Comier scored four points in the 400-meter hurdles tallying a time of 53.24 to finish fifth. Justin Jones ran a time of 10.77 in the 100-meter dash to place seventh.
 
The 4x400-meter relay team of Cormier, Keygan Keys, Mech and Jackson notched a time of 3:18.28 to place seventh.
 
Nicolas Laurant scored in the men’s pole vault placing eighth with a jump of 4.58m/15-0¼, while Matt Rice notched a seventh place time in the men’s 1,500-meter running a time of 3:57.36.
 
In the 800-meters, Jackson scored his second points of the day finishing in eighth with a time of 49.37.
 
“I think this was the worst meet I have had with a men’s team,” Badeaux noted. “We knew that we were redshirting some kids and had some injuries, but we are a much better team than what we showed this weekend and today. The school and fans deserve more than what we did this weekend.
 
“I can’t fault the efforts of the kids. They really came out and competed hard despite the results and I thank them for the hard work they put in all year long.”
 
Louisiana returns to action on May 23-25 at the East Regional in Greensboro, N.C.
 
-- Ragin’ Cajuns --