News Post

The St. Joseph’s Academy track and field team won the first state outdoor championship in school history on May 4. The Redstickers scored 71.50 points to capture the Class 5A Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held at LSU’s Bernie Moore Track & Field Complex. 

Thirty-two teams competed for the state title. Rounding out the top five were John Curtis with 64 points, Zachary with 52, Ruston with 40 and Alexandria and Pineville, tied with 26.

Sophomore Sophie Martin captured the 1,600-meter run title. 

“This championship win is huge for us,” Martin said. “We have worked all season for this moment. This win really bonded our team and made us stronger, and now we feel that we are capable of anything. I am extremely proud of my teammates. We all performed to the best of our ability and left everything we had out on the track.”

Head coach Charlie Daigle said this year’s team was a special group. “This team had both unity and a special bond,” he said. “They lived up to their great potential with this historic win.” 

Scoring points towards the team’s total were the following:

4x800m Relay: Lauren Hendry, Virginia Dirks, Maddie Kate Gardiner and Taylor Winters, 2nd place, 9:46.63

1600m Run: Sophie Martin, 1st place, 5:13.58; Isabelle Brown, 2nd place, 5:13.60

800m Run: Taylor Winters, 2nd place, 2:18.87; Lydia Poche, 3rd place, 2:19.88

4x100m Relay: Claire Holder, Alexis Barbay, Sydney LaFleur and Hannah Jones, 5th place, 49.12

300m Hurdles: Sophie Kronenberger, 4th place, 47.05

3200m Run: Lauren Hendry, 2nd place, 11:37.55; Sophie Martin, 3rd place, 11:38.97

4x400m Relay: Alessandra Purnell, Ava Moreau, Olivia Cook and Taylor Winters, 3rd place, 4:03.50

High Jump: Catherine Couvillion, 5th place, 5-00.00

Shot Put: Kayleigh Mims, 4th place, 36-06.00

Purnell said she was proud of her team’s effort and heart exhibited throughout the meet and the season as a whole. “Everyone performed outstandingly to the best of their abilities, from the running events to the throwing events,” she said. “Everyone put forth all the effort we trained for all season so we could win the state title. Our coaches have pushed us so hard all year just for these races. We won not only for ourselves but, most importantly, for our team. After receiving the trophy, everyone was so ecstatic. This was truly the highlight of the year.”

Moreau said the 4x400-meter relay team needed to finish fourth or higher to secure the state title. It finished third. “We knew we had to work together and work hard in order to make history for our team,” she said. “I am so very proud of all the effort our entire team put into this. We all worked so hard. To be a part of this team and this historic win is so special.”
 

Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director

Photos courtesy of Tina LaHaye and Nan Murtagh