Baton Rouge bound

After a grueling track season in 2016, several area athletes have competed well enough to earn the right to go for the gold at the 2016 LHSAA state track and field meet this coming week.
Classes 1A, B and C will compete on Thursday. Classes 3A and 2A have their competition on Friday, while 5A and 4A begin on Saturday.
For Class 3A Ville Platte High, three deserving athletes will don their purple and white uniform to tackle the crowds and other competitors from around the state to represent the Bulldogs.
Leading the way for the Lady Bulldogs will be Antoinette Joseph. The junior will be competing in two events at the state meet; the 100 meter hurdles and the high jump.
Joseph earned that honor by placing first in the regional meet held last Thursday in both events.
For Joseph, this is not a new occurrence, as she has been to the state meet the last two years. Even with all of that experience, the Ville Platte star still gets nervous for her competitions.
“I was nervous thinking about the meet last night,” said Joseph. “So, I can imagine how it will be on the day of the meet. But, my approach is the same as always. I go there to win and do what I know I can do.”
Two other Bulldog athletes will also compete at the state meet for Ville Platte High. Junior Rondrekus Ben and sophomore Keenan Markray will also be on the oval and inside the oval this weekend.
Ben punched his ticket to the state meet after winning the 400 meter dash in a time of 51.17. Markray finished second in the high jump with a leap of 6’4”.
According to Ben, competing at the state meet is a dream come true.
“At the beginning of the season, my main goal was to be able to compete at the state meet,” stated Ben. “I started off running some, where around 53 seconds at the start of the season, but just kept improving. I think that I will have to run somewhere around 49 seconds to have a chance to get on the podium.”
Markray re-enforced Ben’s sentiment.
“I am so excited to be able to compete at the state meet,” commented Markary. “I am going there to jump to the best of my ability and hopefully that will be enough for me to have a chance to place.”
Joseph knows that other teams throughout the state have an advantage on her and her teammates at Ville Platte High because of the atrocious track conditions that they must practice on every day.
“Sometimes I feel like other schools have an advantage because they have great facilities to practice on and we have to run on the grass not to hurt ourselves,” stated Joseph. “But, it motivates me even more when I beat other athletes that have better facilities. I know what we have to overcome.”
In addition to those three Ville Platte High athletes going to state, Pine Prairie’s own Dylan Doucet will be competing in the javelin event in Class 3A.
Doucet the regional winner in that event, qualified with an amazing throw of 168.3 feet.
Doucet has been to the state meet the last two years, placing second in 2014 and third in 2015. However, Doucet says he is poised to try and take home the crown this year.
“I have one mission and that is to go there and take home the title,” said Doucet. “I just have to make sure my arm is rested after having just completed baseball season. But, I am familiar with the throwing surface and hopefully that gives me an advantage.”
In Class 1A, the Basile Lady Bearcats will send two relay teams and an individual competitor to the state meet on Friday.
Rylie James will compete in the triple jump and will join Carley Bazinet, Aliah Sam and Rheagan Ortego on the 400 meter relay.
Ortego and Sam will team up with McKayla Adams and Jasmine Sias to compete in the 800 meter relay.