Track season is among us, and the Ragin’ Cajun women and men’s track team have started their season off right. The 2024 indoor season has begun for the Cajuns, starting off their season in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Friday, Jan. 12.
The season began with the Purple Tiger Invite in a field that featured fellow Louisiana schools: LSU, McNeese, New Orleans, Nicolls, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern and ULM.
The Ragin’ Cajuns coming off a 2023 indoor season that saw the men have their best finish at the conference championships in recent memory. They placed second, their best finish since 2004, and scored 126.5 points, the most at the championships since 1996.
The women finished sixth in the SBC and set three program records. Ta’La Spates became the fastest woman to run the 400-meter with a time of 54.63 seconds, just ahead of teammate Moseiha Bridgen at 54.93.
The duo was instrumental in the 400-meter relay squad breaking the school record, running the event in 3:43:28. Jacqueline Pokuaah also broke the 32-year-old record in the long jump with a distance of 20 feet, 5.75 inches. In total, the women had 13 top-five scores during the indoor season.
The Cajuns return a lot of talent from last year’s team. Coming back for the men are sprinters Warrick Baker, Jamhad Booth, Christopher Gravois, Antoni Hoyte-Small, Javed Jones, Trejun Jones, Floyd Pond and Caemon Scott.
The talented group is joined by Albany transfer Garry Munro. Timothy Cola returns for hurdles while distance runners Peyton Chiasson and Reece Shelby are also poised for big seasons.
Jermey Nelson is back to defend his SBC indoor and outdoor long jump championships and is joined by Joshua Mason. In the pole vault, Timothy Gale and Nick Russell are expected to score for Louisiana. Throwers Tyren Hannah, Oliver Jack and Daunte Parish are poised to score come the conference championships as is Luke Benoit in multi-events.
The Cajuns are continuing their indoor season, and have had a recent meet in Birmingham, Alabama on Jan. 19. The Cajuns ended that meet with one first-place, one second place and three third-place finishes.
Trejun Jones came away victorious in the 200-meter while the women’s 4 x 400 relay took home second. Jones won the event with a time of 21.58 seconds. It was a tightly contested race with teammate Jamhad Booth just missing a top-three finish by 0.09 seconds.
The quartet of Ta’La Spates, Kenzie Touchet, Quincy Simon, and Moseiha Bridgen crossed the finish line second with a time of 3:48.90. The Cajuns also had a trio of third place finishes on the day. Freshman Lauren Robert’s took third place in the pole vault, clearing 12 feet, 6.25 inches.
Taylor Davis jumped 5 feet 5.25 inches in the high jump for her third-place finish. Kayla Meyers got on the podium in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.755 seconds, narrowly beating out teammate Bridgen’s time of 8.77 seconds. The Cajuns continued their season at their third indoor meet at the Houston invitational on January 26.
The women and men’s track team is really looking up this year and is expecting a great season.
Jarell Joseph, a freshman majoring in kinesiology, is one of the new sprinters for the Ragin Cajuns. He shared that he’s ready for the season but has more work to do.
“I feel extremely prepared and ready for the upcoming season, as well as the rest of indoor season. My biggest fear would have to be my risk of getting injured again and not being able to come back from it, but I am looking forward to traveling and going up against new and bigger competitors,” Joseph said.
The Ragin’ Cajuns 2024 season is truly looking great for both men and women. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings and what else each athlete has to offer for this year.