In February, Barbe High junior Kennedi Burks burned the field to set the indoor 400-meter run state composite record.

She wants to do the same today at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association outdoor track and field championships in Baton Rouge.

Burks is the top seed and will be in lane 5 for the 400 at LSU’s Bernie Moore Track Stadium. The state composite and Class 5A record is 53.73 seconds set by Zachary’s Janie O’Connor (2016) and McDonogh 35’s Marcquita Stalbert (2012).

While Burks’ seed time is 54.19 seconds, setting the record is not out of the question as she ran a 53.64 at the District 3-5A meet two weeks ago. LHSAA state records are taken from the state championships.

Burks’ record-setting indoor time was 55.87 seconds, beating the field by 1.39 seconds.

According to la.milesplit.com, Burks is 14-1 in the outdoor 400. The lone time she didn’t take first was at the Barbe Buc Relays on March 11 when she finished second to St. Louis Catholic’s Hannah Boullion.

In her sophomore season, Burks won the 400 state championship by more than a second, an eternity in sprints.

“What impresses me the most is her work ethic,” Barbe girls track coach Mitch Amy said. “She is a straight-A student and athlete.

“When it hurts, she gets better. When times get real tough, she gets better. It is amazing. Her work ethic is amazing for a young athlete, and she is one of a kind.”

Amy said Burks will also anchor the Bucs’ top-seeded 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams. Barbe is the defending 4×400 champion.

Aniyah Lavan will also run on the Bucs’ relay teams and will try to medal in four events. She is seeded third in the long and triple jumps.

Class 4A

Leesville has two athletes favored to win state championships.

Lina Mills-Zacapa is the top qualifier in the girls 1,600 (5:28.35), while Keeton Johnson is the top seed in the boys 800 (1:56.03) and will run on the Wampus’ Cats top-ranked 4×400 relay team.

Barbe’s Jolie Jones is the two-seed in the girls shot put (38-4) and discus (138-9), while Darryl Washington is seeded second in the boys 400 (47.74). Michael Fulton is the three seed in the boys shot put (52-91/2).