The Book: TrackFieldXC 2005-06

[NewsCopy]

Once-dominant UL program hopes host role will help. Between 1991 and 1998, the University of Louisiana filled the trophy cases at Cajun Track past the overflow point. The Ragin' Cajun men and women won a total of 17 conference track and field championships, indoor and outdoor, in both the old American South and Sun Belt Conferences. The men's squad claimed seven straight Sun Belt outdoor titles between 1992-1998, the longest streak for any UL sport in league history, after winning the final American South title in 1991. The Cajun women won the American South in 1991 and added Sun Belt outdoor crowns in 1993 and 1997. Since then, those trophies have gathered dust and no new awards have joined those shelves. None will be hoisted this weekend, either, when the Cajuns serve as host team for the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships which begin today at the Cajun Track Complex. The league coaches pick the Cajuns to finish 10th - last - in both the men's and women's meets when the final results are tallied Sunday night. That's happened twice with the women since 2000, but the men have never finished lower than sixth in the outdoor meet. However, this is a very different program from the one that was the envy of the Sun Belt less than a decade ago. "It's definitely a combination of a lot of things since 1998," said UL track coach Lance Veazey, who as a student assistant under coach Charles Lancon from 1990-93 helped the Cajuns start that impressive streak. "Back then we weren't fighting a lot of things that we have to fight now." Veazey, an assistant the last time UL's men won the outdoor title in 1998, cited restricted budgets and enrollments, additions to the league that brought established track powers to the Sun Belt, and a reduction in multi-sport athletes as factors in the Cajuns' recent struggles. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[CrewChief]

"the last time UL's men won the outdoor title in 1998"

That is almost as bad as the string of bad years the football team had. I don't no what it will take but if the football team could get better again so can the track squad.

[cajunref]

Lancon never had to worry much when hosting conference because he built up fabulous relationships with people, drummed up support, and had a team that would go and work for him...no additional comment.

Wrong person driving the bus??

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SATURDAY SCHEDULE 3 p.m., Women's Long Jump finals 3 p.m., Women's Shot Put finals 6 p.m., Men's Shot Put finals 6 p.m., Men's Long Jump finals 6 p.m., Women's 100 Hurdles prelims 6:15 p.m., Men's 110 Hurdles prelims 6:30 p.m., Women's 400 Dash prelims 6:45 p.m., Men's 400 Dash prelims 7 p.m., Women's High Jump finals 7 p.m., Women's 100 Dash prelims 7:15 p.m., Men's 100 Dash prelims 7:30 p.m., Women's 800 Run prelims 7:45 p.m., Men's 800 Run prelims 8 p.m., Women's 400 Hurdles prelims 8:15 p.m., Men's 400 Hurdles prelims 8:30 p.m., Women's 200 Dash prelims 8:45 p.m., Men's 200 Dash prelims 9 p.m., Women's 3000 Steeple finals 9:25 p.m., Men's 3000 Steeple finals Friday's results

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The University of Louisiana's Justin Lemaire and Joshua Falgout provided the Ragin' Cajuns with their first points of the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships late Friday. Lemaire took a sixth-place finish in the grueling 10,000-meter run in a 32:51.27 time in his last 10K at Cajun Track, while Falgout finished one spot behind with a 33:05.98 clocking. Lemaire, a senior from Kaplan, narrowly missed his personal best of 32:40 he ran at last year's Louisiana Classics meet. "All I wanted to do was score," Lemaire said. "For cross country the competition was really stiff, so I just wanted to place somewhere. I felt really good, and the weather was the best you could ask for...no humidity and cool." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[DaddyCajun]

Wrong person driving the bus??

Veazey gives a bunch of excuses like NCAA rule changes affecting athletes from out of Country, construction of the track, etc, but most of what he said if not all affects ALL university track programs. UNO is rated above UL and they certainly suffered more during this past year '05 hurricanes.

I do not see Veazey as the type to go out and hustle up funds/support. I went early last year prior to their season and asked about some things to be done in specific, pressure washing the facility. I then spoke with the good people that went out of their way to help me pressure wash the Baseball stadium. We took this to Gerald Hebert, found more help and more things to do at the soccer/track complex. Veazey was appreciative but just has not formed the network of support that Robe, Bustle, Steph, etc have.

DaddyCajun

[CajunNation]

Veazey gives a bunch of excuses like NCAA rule changes affecting athletes from out of Country, construction of the track, etc, but most of what he said if not all affects ALL university track programs. UNO is rated above UL and they certainly suffered more during this past year '05 hurricanes.

I do not see Veazey as the type to go out and hustle up funds/support. I went early last year prior to their season and asked about some things to be done in specific, pressure washing the facility. I then spoke with the good people that went out of their way to help me pressure wash the Baseball stadium. We took this to Gerald Hebert, found more help and more things to do at the soccer/track complex. Veazey was appreciative but just has not formed the network of support that Robe, Bustle, Steph, etc have.

DaddyCajun

Our track program is simply flat-out embarrassing.

[NewsCopy]

The University of Louisiana stands 10th in both the men's and women's team competitions, the women picking up eight points Saturday and the men not scoring on Saturday after getting five points in Friday's 10,000-meter. The rest of the story

[Xlettrman]

Doesn't that just say it all. We need a real coach.

I laughed when I read the paper today...I saw the picture of the shotputter and looked at the results and saw that he threw 43 feet; How can a track program in south LA not have one guy that can throw 50 ft.?

[NewsCopy]

Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships results

[NewsCopy]

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). The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

[king kickz]

I'd be willing to bet that those point totals from this year's conference meet are an all-time record for lowest amount scored. And this coming from the team that once owned everybody in the conference. Is the UL administration blind?