The Louisiana track and field team is off to a terrific start at the Sun Belt Conference Championships at the Groseclose Track at Brown Stadium in Monroe, Louisiana. The women lead with 38.5 points, a 14.5-point lead over Texas State. The day was shortened due to weather.
The women built that lead thanks to a dominating performance in the javelin, taking the top four spots and five of the eight scorers. Blair LaFleur was the champion with a throw of 147.5/44.93, becoming the third Cajun in four years and the sixth Cajun overall to win the event.
Louisiana wasn't done in the event. Marin Barras was second at 143-7/43.77, Sarah Dupuy third at 141-6/43.14, and Ellie Manuel fourth at 139-9/42.61 to sweep the top four spots. Emma Bacilla also scored in the event, placing eighth at 135-0/41.15.
Lily Murray started Louisiana's day with a fourth-place finish in the hammer with a throw of 183-3/55.86. Jordan Brown also picked up points in the pole vault at 12-2.5/3.72 to place fifth. Tyren Hannah was the only Cajun on the men's side to score, placing seventh in the hammer at 181-7/55.34, a personal best.
Taylor Walls is second in the heptathlon with 3,084 points, trailing the leader by 231. The senior was fourth in the high jump (5-4.5/1.64) and third in the 200 (25.41). She also placed sixth in the 100H (14.65) and the shot put (34-5.75/10.51).
In the decathlon, Federico Bovo is fifth after five events with a score of 3,663. The freshman finished second in both the 100 (10.89) and 400 (49.84). He took fourth in the long jump (22-6.25/6.86), fifth in the high jump (6-3.5/1.92), and seventh in the shot put (30-6.5/9.31).
Before the rain came the Cajuns were strong in qualifying. They dominated the women's 400H, with Moseiha Bridgen qualifying first and setting a facility record at 58.46. Ta'La Spates was second at 59.66. The duo were the only runners in qualifying to break the minute mark.
Louisiana had three women qualify in the 1500. Ella Segura crossed the finish line seventh at 4:39.60, Skylar Delgado was ninth at 4:40.13, and Haley Salsbury 12th at 4:42.20. Three men also qualified in the 1500. Reece Shelby led the Cajuns in fifth at 3:55.48 while Andrew Leck was 11th at 3:58.58 and Peyton Chiasson 12th at 3:58.65.
The weather forced the postponement of the men's and women's 10,000 finals, the men's javelin finals, and the qualifying round of the men's 400H as well as the men's and women's 200. Those events will be made up Friday morning beginning with the women's 10,000 at 8 a.m.