Senegal sizzles with record race, paces St. Louis to victory
Rodrick Anderson
IOWA — St. Louis Catholic senior Halyn Senegal crushed the meet record in the 800-meter run with one of the best times in state history Friday, and the Saints stayed perfect, winning the St. Louis Catholic/Taussig Relays at Iowa High School.
The St. Louis girls broke two records and scored 213 points to add to their win last week at the Oil City Relays in Lafayette and the Byrd Relays two weeks ago in Shreveport. Barbe was runner-up with 104 points.
The Bucs ran away with the boys title with 162 points, while St. Louis was runner-up with 88.5.
Senegal clocked in at 2 minutes, 10.84 seconds, easily beating the old meet record of 2:21.05 by Sulphur’s Mary Newton in 2008. The state meet composite record set by Mandeville’s Chelsey Jones (2:12.04, 2014).
Senegal was also part of the record setting 4×400 relay team that ran a 3:59.19, knocking .41 seconds off Lake Charles-Boston’s 1995 record.
Senegal almost added a third record, coming within .19 seconds of the 200 record of 24.61 by LaGrange’s Myra Combs in 1996. Senegal’s time of 24.80 seconds was 1.35 better than the rest of the field.
The Saints also got strong performances from Emma Freeman, Kenzie Touchet and Tia Reder.
Freeman won the discus (110-4), placed second in the javelin (124-10) and shared outstanding field honors with Sulphur’s Bridget Trahan, who won the triple jump (33-5½) and placed second in the long jump (15-6¾).
Touchet swept the hurdles, running season bests in the 100 (15.64) and 300 (46.37) and won outstanding track honors.
Reder jumped a Southwest Louisiana best 16-8 to win the long jump and placed third in the 100 (12.99).
The Barbe boys built an early lead using strong field performances, winning four of seven events. Barbe scored more than 80 points in the field, led by winners Noah Nelson (shot put), Payton Todd (discus), Kaleb Goodly (high jump) and Kolby Reed (pole vault).
Goodly won the outstanding field honors with 18 points.
Lake Charles College Prep’s Dillon Simon won the outstanding track award. He placed second in the 100 (11.13) and 200 (22.44).
St. Louis Catholic’s Halyn Senegal set the 400-meter dash Class 3A record Friday at 54.89 seconds.