State track meet: Ascension Catholic girls win Class 1A with flurry in final two events – The Advocate

On paper, the Ascension Catholic girls didnt appear to have enough points to pull off a Class 1A team championship Friday night at the LHSAA/Allstate Sugar Bowl track meet.

Heat sheets are not always accurate predictors of who wins a meet, and the Bulldogs scored 22 points in the final two events to nip Haynesville at Bernie Moore track stadium.

Were so happy to win this, ACHS coach Janet Daigle said. We thought we were at about a 10-point deficit coming in. The girls were so great. They worked so hard.

The final tally had Ascension Catholic winning with 63 points followed by Haynesville (62) and Lafayette Christian (53).

In the boys competition, Haynesville had a cushion as it won with 96 points. Cedar Creek (77), Southern Lab (52) and St. Frederick (50) were the closest challengers.

Heading into the 3,200-meter run, Ascension Catholic trailed Haynesville 52-41. The Bulldogs finished 1-2 in the 3,200 with Sophie Daigle winning (12 minutes, 2.90 seconds) and Breanna Bernard placing second.

Haynesville won the final event, the 4x400 relay, with a time of 4:14.11.

That meant ACHS had to place no worse than fourth to win the meet, a feat it accomplished.

We had the sixth best (qualifying) time, but we finished fourth. I told the girls they couldnt finish worse than fourth, Janet Daigle said.

Sophie Daigle ran the final leg of the 4x400, and had wins in the 1,600 (5:33.17) and 800 (2:25.03) to go with her first in the 3,200. She was named the meets outstanding girls performer.

A pair of athletes completed their high school careers by winning an event for the fourth consecutive year; White Castles Ariel Bell and Southern Labs Xavier Bell.

Ariel Bell won the girls 100 with a time of 11.94. She was so dominant that she crossed the finish line nearly a full second faster than second-place finisher Tamia Washington of Delhi, who was 10 meters behind.

Afterward, she admitted to being mildly disappointed she didnt break the Class 1A record of 11.91, a time she tied last year.

I didnt run my best race, said Ariel Bell, who also won the 200 with a time of 25.13. I was trying to break the record.

Xavier Bell, who played wide receiver for the Southern Lab football team, won the 400 at 48.44. He pulled off the win win just minutes after running a leg on the Kittens winning 4x100 relay (42.41).

I was happy with the race. I was trying for 47, but it was alright, Xavier Bell said. It was pretty tough (running back to back), but my coach (Henry Combs) worked me really hard and prepared me.

The 4x100 was part of a relay sweep for Southern Lab. The Kittens won the 4x200 (1:28.21) and the 4x400 (3:30.02), where Xavier Bell overtook three runners on the final leg.

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State track meet: Ascension Catholic girls win Class 1A with flurry in final two events - The Advocate