Indoor meet a warm-up for spring

March 5, 2020

By Ron Brocato
Photo courtesy of RomaPics

In preparation for the start of the 2020 outdoor track and field season, many of Louisiana’s best high school runners, jumpers and throwers converged on the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on Feb. 22 to compete in the LHSAA state indoor championship meet.

For many of the participants competing in two divisions, the event was a warm-up for what’s to come May 7-9 at the state outdoor championships. But for two of the best at their specialties, the meet became a glowing showcase for their talents.

The performances of seniors Leah Kennedy of De La Salle and Hope Shales of Mount Carmel were as sparkling as the gold medals that were placed on them by LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine that evening.

Shales, the reigning Class 5A girls’ cross country and 3,200-meter outdoor champion, finished ahead of her competitors in the indoor 3,200-meter run for Division I girls.

Her winning time of 11:22.39 set a meet record for that event. Earlier in the meet, Shales placed second in the 1,600-meter run.

Another outdoor champion, Kennedy, won the Division II indoor shotput with a longest toss of 38 feet, 8 1/2 inches. The Lady Cavalier outdistanced her nearest competitor by a foot.

Mount Carmel finished seventh in team scoring with 19 points. De La Salle’s 10 points all came on Kennedy’s throw.

The meet, which featured the best teams and athletes throughout the state, had a few more outstanding performances by athletes representing schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Patrick Elliot, the third-place finisher in the Class 5A cross country championship meet earlier in the school year, won the Division I indoor 1,600-meter run in 5:26.70. His teammate, Evan Pardo, placed second in the 3,200-meter run. Together, they accounted for the Wolves’ 18 team points, which gave the school seventh place.

Academy of the Sacred Heart’s Olivia McGoey, the Class 3A individual cross country champion, took home a silver medal as runner-up in the Division II indoor 3,200-meter run. She recorded a 12:05.83.

Another Sacred Heart athlete, Mykhala Coleman, scored points for the Cardinals by placing third in the girls’ Division II shotput. Her best throw was 35-8.

Brother Martin’s Ethan Dupas’ time of 2:00.17 earned him a silver medal in the boys’ Division I 800-meter run, and Jesuit’s Aiden Devine’s clearance of 14 feet, 7 1/4 inches was the Division I bronze medal performance in the boys’ pole vault.

Ruston and St. Joseph’s Academy were Division I team champions.