Catholic school girls shine in state’s track arena

By Ron Brocato
Clarion Herald

Catholic high school girls are not necessarily the swiftest athletes in Louisiana, but when it comes to their long-distance stamina, they are virtually unrivaled. And among the best to circle the Bernie Moore Stadium oval at the state track and field championship meets have been competitors from schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The roll call of gold medal winners is loud and clear. Of the 10 fastest times recorded for 3,200-meter champions from the Crescent City, eight belong to Catholic school students: Mia Meydrich (2014) and Julie Hotard (1996) of Dominican; Staci Cusimano and sister Krisie Cusimano (1998), Kerianne Langley (2003) and Hope Shales (2019) of Mount Carmel; and the Academy of the Sacred Heart distance record-holders Simone Dominique (2006), Meggie Schmidt (2007) and Mary Nusloch (2018).

Not only were several of these athletes capable of winning gold medals in the eight-lap 3,200, but they also won individual state championships at 1,600 meters.

When it comes to speed and power, the local Catholic and public schools have also produced individual titleholders over the last three decades. So, who are the best of the metro New Orleans’ three parishes? Let’s take a look, by event:

• 100 – No one has run faster than Aleia Hobbs of McMain, whose 11.49 reigned in 2014. The best of the Catholic schools is Xavier Prep’s Hilary Woods, who turned in an 11.57 in the 2009 state meet.

• 200 – McDonogh 35’s Marquita Stalbert is the unquestioned queen of the sprints, whose time of 23.47 won that event in 2012. But St. Katharine Drexel Prep’s Shannon Ray came close to beating that mark in 2014 when she won the event in 23.89.

• 400 – Again, Stalbert established herself as the best in 2012 by stopping the clock in 53.73 seconds. Then, in 2013 and 2014, Keterra Harris of St. Mary’s Academy won back-to-back 400s in the Class 3A meet. Her best time was 56.66.

• 800 – One of the oldest records in the book was set in 1986 when Countess Commodore of Lawless High turned in a 2:14.68. St. Mary’s Allison Richardson leads the Catholic school times with a 2:16.0, set in 2005.

• 1,600 – As for this four-lap event, local runners will be hard pressed to match Meydrich’s 5:04.06, accomplished for Dominican in the 2014 Class 5A finals. But the state’s fastest time belongs to Gabrielle Jennings of First Baptist in Slidell, a blazing 4:40.81, set in 2015.

• 3,200 – Langley’s 11:03.17 is the fastest time run by a New Orleans distance runner. Her performance for Mount Carmel is more than 21 seconds faster than the outstanding gold medal effort of 11:24.43 by Meydrich in 2014.

• 100- and 300-meter hurdles – The undisputed greatest woman hurdler from the city and archdiocese is Alia Armstrong of Drexel Prep. Her respective times of 13.33 (2019) and 42.47 (2018) ranked among the top 10 times in the U.S. during those years.

When it comes to the three relays, New Orleans public schools have the most dominant teams. But the fastest Catholic schools finishers are just a step behind.

• 4x100 – Warren Easton’s 47.26 set a state record in 1996. Best among the Catholic schools is Cabrini’s foursome of Charlynn Miller, Lisette Hrapmann, Taylor Odum and Janecia Neely, who ran a 48.29 in 2010.

• 4x200 – Carver set a composite mark of 1:38.72 in 1986 to lead the city and state. In 2005, the St. Mary’s exchange team of Danielle Keller, Jessica Washington, Jasmine June and Quina Fortune won that event in 1:42.11.

• 4x400 – Although John McDonogh (1989) has the overall best time of 3:50.2, St. Mary’s foursome of Allison Richardson, Deana Powell, Keller and June was clocked in 3:57.77 to win that event in 2005.

The best in field events:

• Shotput – Overall from the metro area is Henrietta Mitchell of Ehret, a 44-4 3/4 in 1986. De La Salle’s Leah Kennedy, the state champion in 2017 and 2018, has a best of 38-6 3/4.

• Discus – Judy Szollosi of Andrew Jackson leads the city with a 135-11 1/2. Caroline Standley of Archbishop Hannan earned All-State honors with her 134-8 in 2017.

• Javelin – The No. 1 athlete in this sport is undoubtedly St. Scholastica’s Samantha Zelden, whose 150-4 distance in 2015 has yet to be equaled.

• High jump – The best among local Catholic schools has been Sacred Heart’s Ellie Silvia (2016) and Dominican’s Andrea McDonald (2015), whose summit is 5-6. The overall best, however, is Riverdale’s Susan Hackett, who cleared 5-11 in 1974 when her alma mater was an all-girls’ school.

• Long jump – Mitzie Plaeger of Ecole Classique, who in 1986 scored 40 points in Class 1A events, has an area best of 19-10 1/2. Cabrini’s Devinn Rolland tops the local Catholic school athletes with a best of 18-11 1/2.

• Triple jump – McMain’s Danielle Brown landed a 40-8 1/2 winner in 1997. Ursuline’s Alysia Terry won in 2017 by leaping 38-4 1/2.

• Pole Vault – One of Louisiana’s best is Country Day’s Merritt Van Meter, whose highest vault was a 13-8 1/4 in 2010. Dominican’s Katelyn Rodrigue reached a height of 12 feet in 2006.

Nico Van Thyn, who is authoring a track and field record book for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, and my personal records are sources of these marks.

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