Cajun Men Struggle To 4th Place Track Finish

The Cajuns qualified ONE individual athlete for the Sun Belt mens track finals in texas and aside from five points in relays, scored ONLY FOUR points (from that athlete) on the track for a TOTAL of 9. The only quality points to finish 4th came from field events/

Serious problems in this Cajun sport remain even after the hoopla of hiring a new local coach. The womens program is worse.

UL spent approximately $11,000 per point in the mens running events, which is a waste of athletic department dollars. The Distance running program is in shambles as well. We managed ONLY ONE place in 1 of 10 events and one of a possible 80 places in all individual sprint, hurdle and distance events on the track.

NO points in:

100
200
400
800
1500
3000 steeple
5000
10000
400 hurdles

At least four of the men's top runners (including Roderick Houston and Stacey Fuller) have been hurt, leaving a lot of inexperience on the track. (In the field is a different issue.). Not an excuse, but a fact that adds background to the late-meet struggles.


igeaux.mobi

They knew going into this meet that they were missing their top sprinters. Fourth place with basically only field events is an accomplishment. I believe this is year 2 for recruiting, so we'll see in 2 years where we are with the runners.

For those who have never followed UL track, we usually are not really good on the track, even in years that we win the conference. Very few times have we scored well after the field events end.

That being said, we DO usually score a few points more than we did this year. I count this year as a success on the men's side. Third indoors and 4th outdoors is a big improvement.

We were about 10 points short in the field from our old standard, so we're getting there

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Originally Posted by Parrott

_ At least four of the men's top runners (including Roderick Houston and Stacey Fuller) have been hurt, leaving a lot of inexperience on the track. (In the field is a different issue.). Not an excuse, but a fact that adds background to the late-meet struggles.


igeaux.mobi _

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It's nice of you to come out to their defense. But let's look past those injured athletes who would have only run 100 200 400. What about the six events those guys have nothing to do with? 800, 1500, 3000 steeple, 5000, 10000, Int Hurdles?? LOL! I thought this former HS coach's STRENGTHS were on the TRACK? Injuries happen, but to THAT many "pivitol" players? What happend to the indoor winner in the hurdles. He didn't even make it to the finals.

Something needs significant adjustment. One track qualifier on the womens side too. That's TWO runners on TWO teams needing more than them to make a team. They spend too many dollars on cosmetic issues and not enough to attract people who can score in a conference meet. But then again, old people don't like to travel, leaving other schools in Louisiana beaming from ear to ear. They should have hired Boo Schnexnayder and UL would be the school that is beaming.

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Originally Posted by GetTheFacts1st

_ It's nice of you to come out to their defense. But let's look past those injured athletes who would have only run 100 200 400. What about the six events those guys have nothing to do with? 800, 1500, 3000 steeple, 5000, 10000, Int Hurdles?? LOL! I thought this former HS coach's STRENGTHS were on the TRACK? Injuries happen, but to THAT many "pivitol" players? What happend to the indoor winner in the hurdles. He didn't even make it to the finals.

Something needs significant adjustment. One track qualifier on the womens side too. That's TWO runners on TWO teams needing more than them to make a team. They spend too many dollars on cosmetic issues and not enough to attract people who can score in a conference meet. But then again, old people don't like to travel, leaving other schools in Louisiana beaming from ear to ear. They should have hired Boo Schnexnayder and UL would be the school that is beaming. _

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I am a Boo fan, too; but there is no denying that Charlie and Pat have done a pretty decent job of making the Cajuns competitive. We aren't there yet, but we ARE light years ahead of where we were three years ago.

With Boo, in fairness, you would have had the same thing we have now, except our field event people would have been better, so instead of coming out of the field with 80+ points, we'd have come out with around 100... better, but not earthshattering, and still not much on the track.

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Originally Posted by VObserver

_ I am a Boo fan, too; but there is no denying that Charlie and Pat have done a pretty decent job of making the Cajuns competitive. We aren't there yet, but we ARE light years ahead of where we were three years ago.

With Boo, in fairness, you would have had the same thing we have now, except our field event people would have been better, so instead of coming out of the field with 80+ points, we'd have come out with around 100... better, but not earthshattering, and still not much on the track. _

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How many more points and ergo how many places in the standing we could have moved up had the injured guys run??????----I heard today that LSU got the Rhodes girl from A-Ville----I think that seh was 18'9" in the LJ----Skye beat her HJ by 4-5 "---lol

I didn't write here to "come out to their defense." It's to provide some facts to another one of your online rants.

To provide more facts: Many of these athletes were from the previous coaching staff. This is Charlie's second year, and it's obvious that some steps have been taken in the right direction. Plus, remember that he was limited by his first recruiting class, largely due to timing (not to mention Silvey signing a number of non-qualifiers).

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Originally Posted by GetTheFacts1st

It's nice of you to come out to their defense. But let's look past those injured athletes who would have only run 100 200 400. What about the six events those guys have nothing to do with? 800, 1500, 3000 steeple, 5000, 10000, Int Hurdles?? LOL! I thought this former HS coach's STRENGTHS were on the TRACK? Injuries happen, but to THAT many "pivitol" players? What happend to the indoor winner in the hurdles. He didn't even make it to the finals.

Something needs significant adjustment. One track qualifier on the womens side too. That's TWO runners on TWO teams needing more than them to make a team. They spend too many dollars on cosmetic issues and not enough to attract people who can score in a conference meet. But then again, old people don't like to travel, leaving other schools in Louisiana beaming from ear to ear. They should have hired Boo Schnexnayder and UL would be the school that is beaming.

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igeaux.mobi

This abundance of injuries is under this staff. Men and women. They have been here for three years. Non production in middle and distance running is THIS staff as well, and THAT is the pits as far as a once proud distance program goes. The inherited sprinters WOULD have been a factor, but they have to be kept healthy for that to happen. Field event people would have left DURING this year had changes not been made.

For the record, we are a laughing stock outside Lafayette on the recruiting trail. Our teams are made of of people who run 5 minute miles and 11 flat 100 meters and our only concern seems to be keeping our AARP cards current and plugging away. We would not have won an event at AAAA at Northside.

As for Schexnayder, his skills and contacts alone would have put us at another level. Ask any HS coach if athletes (hs & college) don't migrate to him. We are what we are and will remain that way as long as HS criteria are maintained in every corner of the program...al la UL basketball.

With all due respect, you should read your own name here. The last time UL was really a threat on the track was very early in Charles Lancon's tenure as head coach. We have had a few good hurdlers over the years, but usually not much to write home about as far as sprinters go, and 'Once proud distance program'????? When was that? 50-60 years ago? It sure wasn't in the last 20 years.

We have made our living in the jumps, the pole vault and the javelin, with a few fairly good discus and shot guys.

Bob Cole teams had some great sprinters, as did some of the early Lancon teams; but even with those guys it was field events that made their teams excellent.

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Originally Posted by Boomer

_ How many more points and ergo how many places in the standing we could have moved up had the injured guys run??????----I heard today that LSU got the Rhodes girl from A-Ville----I think that seh was 18'9" in the LJ----Skye beat her HJ by 4-5 "---lol _

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Former 400 hurdles champ out.
Former conference sprint champ out
2010 Indoor hurdles champ doesn't make the finals
Both would have contributed to top two or win in 400 and 1600 relays. Throw in a 800 guy who can also place in the middle of the 1500 and decent placers in the distances and you win the meet. And FRESHMEN do score points in their first year. Look at the results from yesterday.

VO do the names Walter Whitfield and Jeanne Menard mean anything to you?

Yes; some of Tim LeMaire's runners. Competitive in the conference, but even then we lacked depth.

I can remember several years in which we scored more points in the javelin alone than we scored on the track in the conference meet, and those were years we were finishing in the top 3. When you say 'a proud distance program' I think of WKU, FIU or USA in the SBC.

UL had a 'proud javelin tradition' and 'a proud jumpers tradition'. ... events in which it was common for UL to place 4 to 6 performers in the top 8 at the conference meet.

We dominated all field events in the early-mid 90's. We scored consistently high #'s of points in the shot and discus; flat-out owned the javelin; with the exception of a here and there (b/c of A-State) we did exceptionally well in the vault; always did well in the LJ; TJ was owned for years; high jump...duh..

Then, at this time, we also dominated the running events as well...heck, in 94 we went 1,2 in the 100, 200, 1, 3, & 4 in the 110's, won the 4 X 100. This dominance began well before then, approximately 1990 and continued from through 1996.

Which pretty well coincides with what I said. .. Bob Cole's teams were strong everywhere but distance; Charles Lancon continued strong in the field, with a gradual drop-off on the track.

I think Coles runners were evenly balanced and scored more than in the field. I rememer seeing them go 844 in the steeple, 403-405 in the mile, a national runner up there, guys named McDonnald, Hopkins, Nolan et al. 149's in the 800. XC championshiips galore. That would be dominating one would think. Most distance records are those guys'.

The runners of the last 10-15-20 years couldn't even stay with those guys even during warmups......except whitfield.

ALL AMERICANS

Cole Track--- 31
Lancon --- 16
Booth --- 0
Veazey --- 0

Lancon Field--- 12
Cole --- 10
Booth --- 6
Veazey --- 3


Cole Distance--- 5
Lancon --- 0
Booth --- 0
Veazey --- 0

Whoever is criticizing our track coach is way off base and must have one heck of an axe to grind.

There is no doubt that the program is on the right track, and it is sure to get a big boost from the new locker room/office building being built.

I see the future of Cajun Track very bright indeed.

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Originally Posted by CajunNation

_ Whoever is criticizing our track coach is way off base and must have one heck of an axe to grind.

There is no doubt that the program is on the right track, and it is sure to get a big boost from the new locker room/office building being built.

I see the future of Cajun Track very bright indeed. _

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I think Charlie and Pat have done a pretty good job. I agree that it is harder for them [given their background as HS coaches] to recruit high profile kids than it would have been for Boo, had he been hired; but they have done an excellent job of coaching the kids they have, especially in the field events.

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Originally Posted by VObserver

_ I am a Boo fan, too; but there is no denying that Charlie and Pat have done a pretty decent job of making the Cajuns competitive. We aren't there yet, but we ARE light years ahead of where we were three years ago.

With Boo, in fairness, you would have had the same thing we have now, except our field event people would have been better, so instead of coming out of the field with 80+ points, we'd have come out with around 100... better, but not earthshattering, and still not much on the track. _

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Great point about the field athletes being better, but the track athletes would be better as well. When your at a school like UL, where the athletes' talents are usually marginal, working hard and training is severely important. There isn't enough hard work nor training being done as far as the track events go. All you have to do is stop by one of the practices and you'll see exactly what I mean! The key to UL track being good isn't the kids because there's plenty of talent. The key is working harder than everyone else because we don't have the quality of athletes as other programs. Plain and simple!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by RaginRunner

_ Great point about the field athletes being better, but the track athletes would be better as well. When your at a school like UL, where the athletes' talents are usually marginal, working hard and training is severely important. There isn't enough hard work nor training being done as far as the track events go. All you have to do is stop by one of the practices and you'll see exactly what I mean! The key to UL track being good isn't the kids because there's plenty of talent. The key is working harder than everyone else because we don't have the quality of athletes as other programs. Plain and simple!!!!!! _

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I'm not so sure the track event guys would have been much better. Remember Boo is a jumps coach. I'll give you that it is likely that his long jumpers would have helped out in the sprints. Part of what you say about hard work is true, as well.... BUT the biggest limitation is that a school like UL [and many more prosperous ones as well] does not have the resources necessary to fund 4 highly competent coaches, and it takes at least that number.... Throws, Jumps, Sprints/Hurdles and Distance are all very different animals, and most coaches specialize in one area, or at most two. Given the nature of the athletes in this area that we can likely get to attend UL, having a Jumps/Throws staff makes MUCH more sense than having one that specializes in Sprints/Distance.

Witness our really poor performances under Lance Veazey, a good Sprints/Hurdles coach with no clue about Jumps/Throws/Distance. We had a good flat Jumps coach for a while under Veazey, and it showed, but our throws fell through the floor.

Our athlete base in Louisiana dictates that you MUST concentrate on technique/strength events in order to win consistantly; hence the jumps/vault/throws/hurdles must be the backbone of your team and the focus of your efforts.

The schools that finished ahead of UL at the Sun Belt meet have no more than TWO competent coaches each. I was there in the cold and saw them. Except for the jumps, most of our field points came from athletes coached by volunteers and not by paid coaches. So back to my point about wasted spending and a suggestion that major adjustments still need to be made. For long-term success building, adjustments mean revitalizing a dormant distance program (I'll believe that when I see it) with a long overdue and courageous coaching change there and hiring a paid throws coach who can communicate new-age techniques to today's youth. Stepping outside a tunnel-vision ancient UL family for these will bring added credibility on the recruiting trail and will support building a tradition of athlete development once they arrive. I doubt either will change, however, so let the yawning continue.

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Originally Posted by GetTheFacts1st

_ The schools that finished ahead of UL at the Sun Belt meet have no more than TWO competent coaches each. I was there in the cold and saw them. Except for the jumps, most of our field points came from athletes coached by volunteers and not by paid coaches. So back to my point about wasted spending and a suggestion that major adjustments still need to be made. For long-term success building, adjustments mean revitalizing a dormant distance program (I'll believe that when I see it) with a long overdue and courageous coaching change there and hiring a paid throws coach who can communicate new-age techniques to today's youth. Stepping outside a tunnel-vision ancient UL family for these will bring added credibility on the recruiting trail and will support building a tradition of athlete development once they arrive. I doubt either will change, however, so let the yawning continue. _

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Is Pat not coaching javelin?

OK, you win.

1 Paid field coach = two events
2 Volunteers = ten

Is that a good investment of tax dollars?

Ten? I only count 8 total field events, 10 if you count the Dec and the Hep as field events. Are you telling me that of these events:

Shot, Discus, Javelin, Hammer, LJ, TJ, HJ, PV, only two are coached by a paid coach?

I know we have a volunteer in PV, and I assume we still do in shot/discus. What other events are volunteers coaching?