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Andree Bonvillain entered the University of Louisiana track and field season expecting to do well in her senior year.
Quenton Jones, fresh out of Berwick High School, didn't have such expectations for his freshman season.
When the two finished their competition Sunday at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, each had earned all-conference honors.
Bonvillain finished tied for second in the women's pole vault with an 11-9 3/4 clearance in earning her second all-league honor in her final collegiate competition. Jones, meanwhile, finished a surprising third in the men's 400-meter hurdles with a 53.68 clocking.
The two provided the high points for the hosts in the league meet that wrapped up Sunday at the Cajun Track Complex with UL finishing 10th out of 10 teams in both the men's and women's competition. That's where the Cajuns had been predicted in the pre-meet coaches' poll.
Also as predicted, Middle Tennessee ran away with the men's team title with a total of 163 points, almost 60 ahead of runner-up Troy (104 1/2). Not as predicted, Western Kentucky rallied on the final day to claim its first-ever women's outdoor crown with 141 1/2 points, just ahead of Florida International (131 1/2).
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060515/SPORTS/605150325/1006" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
Dan McDonald
dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com
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Bonvillain's runner-up effort was only two inches off her personal best, and she narrowly missed on her third attempt at a regional-qualifying 12-5 1/2 mark. That's the height that Arkansas State's Sara Young cleared to win the event.
"I felt good the whole day," said Bonvillain, a senior from Houma. "I only had one miss all day, and that was only when my run and steps were way over. I was pretty excited on that last clearance."
Bonvillain, Young and South Alabama's Erin Kinnear moved the bar to the regional qualifying height as the final three competitors.
"I was way over on my third attempt," she said, "but I hit it with my shin coming down."
Jones was not even ranked among the league's top 10 in the 400-meter hurdles entering the meet and narrowly qualified for the finals on Saturday. But in the finals, running out of lane one, he took advantage of that position.
"That's the worst lane you could have," he said, "but I was able to see everybody and I could see some of those guys slowing down in the last curve. I had them in my sights."
Jones finished behind Middle Tennessee's Pete Senatus, the league's Freshman of the Year who won the event in 52.76, and Jason Browhow of Western Kentucky (52.84).
"Early in the season I was dying in that curve," Jones said. "I've been working hard on my endurance, and I was able to kick it on the straightaway. It kind of surprised me that I was where I was coming off the curve."
"He's been working hard on his endurance, and on switching lead legs over the hurdles," said UL coach Lance Veazey. "When those two guys faced, he seized the opportunity."
Middle, winning its second-ever men's title, got a double-win effort from sprinter Orlando Reid and also swept both relays. South Alabama's Vincent Rono, who added the 1500 title to his 10,000 win Friday, was the Top Track Performer and the Top Point Scorer, while Troy's Michael Acree swept the horizontal jumps to earn Top Field Performer honors.
Western Kentucky only had two wins on Sunday, those from Courtney Wood (170-1) in the hammer and from the 4x100 relay squad (45.27), but got enough places to overhaul FIU. Golden Panther sprinter Donita Harmon won the 100 and 200 to earn Top Point Scorer honors while South Alabama's Ajoke Odumosu, who set meet records in both the 400 and 400 hurdles, was the Top Track Performer. North Texas' Deidra Wesley and Brandi Stanfield were named Top Field Performer and Freshman of the Year respectively.
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