Louisiana UnLimited: Effort from All Sides has Led Track and Field to Record-Setting Season
Coming off a second-place finish in the men's Sun Belt Conference indoor track and field championships in February, head coach Lon Badeaux knew his team could be special once the outdoor season came around. With 23 scores among the top five in the record books, the most in program history, they were.
"We had the expectation we were going to be good this season and the indoor season solidified it," said Badeaux. "After that, we knew we would compete in the top three and be in the conversation for a conference championship."
The Cajuns did just that. The men finished third in the SBC, their highest finish since 2017, while scoring more points than they did in a decade. The women re-wrote the record book every time they competed, including four school records and 13 other top-five scores.
"This group has been special, they've been fun," said Badeaux. "You see all those school records and top-fives and it makes everything much more enjoyable."
Badeux gives credit to his coaching staff to help push the team to where it needs to be.
"We've got a really good staff that's been here a few years now," he said. "They've gone out and recruited and helped change the way we do things and it's paid off."
The men's 4x100-meter relay team qualified for the national championships over the weekend, grabbing a bid with a third-place finish in their heat. If it wasn't for the coaching style of one of the assistants, their season may have ended in Jacksonville, Florida.
"Coach (Tommy) Badon has really worked hard with the 4x100 team. He's used several different lineups in case someone isn't 100 percent to go that day. We had that happen at the regional and knew we were prepared and didn't miss a beat."
Joining them in Austin, Texas, is Maria Bienvenu, who makes her second national championship appearance after missing last season due to an elbow injury.
"She made it easy," Badeaux said. "Every throw she made this spring would've qualified her and that was coming off major surgery."
Track and field isn't the only program having a great spring. Four sports saw postseason success with men's basketball, softball, and men's golf winning SBC championships to go to the national championships while baseball received an at-large bid to the postseason.
"It's been an exciting spring here," said Badeaux. "Everybody feeds off everybody a little bit and it builds a life of its own. We had people on the bus watching softball at regionals for the first time and getting really into it and wanting to be a part of that kind of environment."
With all the success, only one meet remains for the Cajuns, the national championships in Austin, Texas, starting June 7. They know the goal ahead of them is the chance to win a national championship.
"The guys were excited last week when they qualified," said Badeaux. "They took a minute to celebrate but then refocused knowing the job's not done yet."
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Re: Louisiana UnLimited: Effort from All Sides has Led Track and Field to Record-Setting Season
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