Staff report
The Cedar Creek girls in Class A and the Simsboro boys and girls in Class B are serious state championship contenders today at the at the LHSAA Class A Track and Field Championships at LSU’s Bernie Moore Track Stadium, next to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.
Live video coverage is available at La.Milesplit.com and free live results can be tracked at LHSAA.org/outdoor-track-and-field. Field events in Class B start at 11:45, at noon in Class A, with races starting at 2:30.
Ruston High will challenge for Class 5A titles in both boys and girls competition Saturday.
CEDAR CREEK GIRLS: The Lady Cougars made a strong run at the Division IV state basketball title two months ago. Today, they will actually run, jump and throw with a very real opportunity to capture a state crown.
It’s a familiar challenge with higher stakes: beat Ouachita Christian. Generally speaking, that’s the pivotal matchup for Cedar Creek in district competition in many sports.
Today, it’s projected to be a contest for the Class A girls laurels.
The La.Milesplit.com website broke down the field in each boys and girls classification. Analyst Gabe Poulin sees a two-team race between Creek and OCS, who went 1-2 (OCS prevailing) at the Region I meet last week. But as stockbrokers who love track might tell you, prior performance is not necessarily an indication of future results.
OCS’s state meet qualifiers project to score best in sprints and relays, based on regional performances. The Lady Cougars look strongest in distance races – and relays.
Cedar Creek’s top individual entry is Ansley Long, who has the state’s No. 1 times in the 1600 meter run(5:36.92) and 3200 (12:10.84, with nobody close).
Two Lady Cougars rank second, based on regional performances: Lauren Osafo in the 800 (2:31.50) and Cara Beth Hill in the 400 (1:03.02). Caroline James has the third-fastest 1600 time (5:51.39).
Owning the fourth-ranked regional performances among the state meet field in their events are Rileigh Geis (triple jump, 33-11 ½), Taylor Ramsey (3200, 13:10.29), and the 4×400 relay team (4:30.94).
Entering today with the sixth-best (in a statewide field of nine qualifiers) marks in their events are Annie Jones (javelin, 100-11), Sarah Adams (long jump, 15-10), and Ashlyn Brown (discus, 94-9).
The top six finishers score points, so based on the regional performances, it’s easy to understand why Poulin’s projection forecasts the Cedar Creek girls to be challenging to hoist a trophy this evening.
CEDAR CREEK BOYS: Ethan McCarthy, whose regional time of 11:02.68 in the 3200 is sixth-fastest in the Class A boys field of nine runners, is the only individual entry for the Cougars. Creek’s 4×400 relay posted a 3:37.20 clocking at the regional meet, and that’s the fourth-best time in that race today.
SIMSBORO BOYS: La.Milesplit.com’s Poulin predicts the Tigers paired in a two-team race with J.S. Clark for the Class B championship.
The teams are similar with strength in sprints, jumps and relays, says the analysis, and head-to-head competition could be the difference in a tightly-contested chase for the high point total.
SIMSBORO GIRLS: The Lady Tigers and everybody else in Class B appear to be trying to stay near Christ Episcopal School, says La.Milesplit.com’s Poulin, but Simsboro qualified more out of Region I and its depth could be impactful.
Simsboro’s strengths in sprints and relays contrast Christ Episcopal School and the other top contender, Episcopal of Acadiana, both strong in distances.
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