Gents, Lady Pios win Bobcat Relays

EUNICE – The Crowley Gents got a strong showing across the board and the Notre Dame Lady Pios pulled away in the distance races as both claimed titles at the Eunice Bobcat Relays Friday evening.
The Gents racked up 157 points to run away with the title in the nine-team boys’ field. Oakdale was second with 111 points and Beau Chene was third with 93. Notre Dame finished sixth (53) and Rayne was eighth (25).
The Gents dominated the relay events, sweeping all three races in convincing fashion.
Crowley’s 4x100-meter relay team of Ty’Von Griffin, Xavier Johnson, Chris Lewis and Jacq’Co Price ran a 43.97, a little over two seconds faster than runnerup Oakdale, while their 4x200 team of Terrell Thomas, Johnson, Tra Lewis and Price were nearly five seconds faster (1:30.79) than second place Beau Chene.
The Gents capped the evening off with a 3:39.72 in the 4x400-meter relay which was nearly 10 seconds faster than Beau Chene’s runnerup time. Damon Guidry, Tra Lewis, Mikal Hebert and Thomas ran that event.
“I was pleased because we’ve never run this good this early,” said CHS coach Jeptha Wall of his relay teams. “Last week we kind of split the teams up and ran two teams in each event.
“They did good but none of the relays were really pushed. You would hope that you can run better but you just don’t know. But it was a good night because there was no wind and it wasn’t real cold.”
Not even frigid temperatures could have cooled off the Gents.
Aside from the three relay titles, they also picked up wins in the 200-meter dash (Price, 22.5), the 800-meter run (Quentron Gallow, 2:12.37), the triple jump (Chris Lewis, 41-7 1/2) and the high jump (Damon Guidry, 6-4).
“Chris is exciting to watch,” said Wall of Lewis, who is a freshman. “His numbers aren’t astronomical yet but coming out and winning a meet this early, the potential is there to be really good down the line.
“And Quentron (Gallow) ran well. It looked like he still had a good bit in the tank so that was good to see.”
An added bonus was the performance turned in by Paul Goodley, who was injured most of last season. The junior placed third in the high jump (6-2) and fourth in both the 110-meter hurdles (16.43) and the 300 hurdles (44.03).
“One thing that is kind of helping us is that we have a second high jumper now,” said Wall of Goodley. “And he runs both sets of hurdles and he did well.”
Earning second-place finishes for the Gents was Guidry in the 300 hurdles (42.03), John Marceaux in the triple jump (39-11) and Eric LaCombe in the javelin (141-1).
Darrid Romero was third in the pole vault (10-6), Yefri Sanchez was third   in the 400-meter dash (55.31) and Marceaux was fifth in the long jump (19-1).
Notre Dame’s top finisher on the boys’ side was Hayden Bourgeois with a winning throw of 172-1 in the javelin. Claiton Johnson placed second in the long jump (19-4) and Paul Guidry took runnerup honors in the shot put (48-11). Nate Link added a third-place showing in the discus (118-3) while the Pios’ 4x200 relay team of Steven Zaunbrecher, Connor Fay, Hunter Miller and Lance Bertrand was also third (1:36.04). Jakob Didier was fifth in the 3200-meter run (12:28.03).
Rayne logged one first-place finish by Cordracus Thomas in the 400-meter dash (52.91) while Charles Jones was second in the 200-meter dash (23.34). Paton Duhon was fourth in the discus (117-1 1/2) and Desmond Cole was fifth in the shot put (45-4).
In girls’ competition,  the Lady Pios scored 112 points to win the meet while Opelousas Catholic was second with 104. Eunice finished third (97).
Rayne scored 74 points for a sixth-place showing while Crowley followed in seventh with 40 points.
“Our girls work really well as a team,” said ND coach Matt McClure, whose team also won the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Relays on Monday. “But the distance events, that’s really our strength. We are good enough in the other events, but coming out of the field, being really strong in the distance races really helps us out a lot.”
In the three distance races, the Lady Pios racked up 42 points.
Freshman Leann Gray won the 800-meter run (2:49.68) while her sister, junior Madison Gray was second (2:51.50).
“It’s kind of funny because the best Madison has run in high school is this year running with her sister because they challenge each other,” said McClure of the Gray sisters.
Erin Trahan took home top honors in the 1600-meter run (6:06.50) while Madeline Gautreaux was fifth (6:50.50). Aline Gossen placed first in the 3200-meter run (13:26.10) and Anna Claire Gossen was fifth (15:19.0).
The Lady Pios’ 4x400 relay team of Trahan, Madeline Higginbotham and the two Gray sisters placed second (4:43.930) while the 4x100 relay team of Hana Hazlet, Brooklyn Owens, MacKenzie Habetz and Margaret Higginbotham was fourth (54.78).
Also scoring on the track was Alyssa Williams with a fourth-place showing in the 400-meter dash (1:10.97).
The Lady Pios also picked up points in the field events.
Grace Morgan won the high jump for the third straight week (5-0) while Josie Lamm was second in the triple jump (32-8) and third in the long jump (15-8 1/2).
Morgan Oliver rang up another runnerup showing in the javelin (102-2) and Laura Stevens was fifth (87-5).
Claire Lalande added a fourth-place finish in the discus (72-10 1/2) while Alexis Leblanc was fifth (72-10).
Jalasia Hebert did most of Crowley’s scoring with a second-place showing in the 100-meter hurdles (16.12), a third-place finish in the 300 hurdles (49.98) and she was sixth in the triple jump (30-0).
Bailee Villejoin was second in the high jump on misses at 5-0, Lindasia Price was third in the discus (77-4) and Brooklyn Johnson was fifth in the pole vault (8-0).
Rayne was led by Tristan Mouton with victories in both the 100 hurdles (15.78) and the 300 hurdles (48.22). She also joined Charlesha Dugas, Hannah Benoit and Jasmine Shaw on the Lady Wolves’ second-place 4x100 relay team (53.00). That same team also placed second in the 4x200 relay (1:50.00).
Shaw also won the 400-meter dash (1:06.34) while Dugas was fourth in the 200-meter dash (28.01). Imari Jackson placed second in the pole vault (9-0).