Michael Kiral / L’Observateur / June 24, 1998

BATON ROUGE – Destrehan’s Traun Smith, Latoya Breaux and Amanda Spivey capped outstanding track and field seasons recently by being named to the all-state track team by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Smith established a new state record in Class 5A in the triple jump with a jump of 51 feet, 1 1/4 inches in winning the state title this past season.

That jump was the second longest high school jump in the country this year and was almost a foot better than the state’s second longest jump, that of 50-2 by Beau Chene’s Walter Davis.

Zachary’s Leonard Scott was chosen as the state’s outstanding track performer after finishing the season with the state’s fastest times in the 100 and 200 meters. Dunham’s Reggie Griffith and Evangel’s Richard Smithshared outstanding field performer honors. Griffith had the longest throwsin the state in the shot put and the discus while Smith’s jump 25-2 3/4 in the long jump was the best in the state by over a foot.

Joel McFarland was selected as the coach of the year.

Breaux made the state team in both the 100- and 200- meter runs.

Breaux’s time of 11.83 seconds in the 100 meters won her the state Class5A title and was the second fastest time in the state behind Southern Lab’s Dwan Johnson’s 11.82. Breaux also won the state title in the 200meters with a time of 24.49. That was the state’s third-fastest timebehind Johnson’s 24.12 and Baker’s Jemia Ellis’ 24.20.Spivey, Ruston’s Jessie Hunt and Crowley’s Hope Sinclair all made the state team in the high jump by clearing the bar at 5-6. Spivey placedsecond at the Class 5A state meet with a jump of 5-5 behind Hunt.

Acadiana’s Detrina White was named the outstanding field performer.

White has the longest throws in the state in the discus and javelin and the second longest one in the shot put.

Southern Lab’s Johnson and Baker’s Ellis shared outstanding track performer honors. Besides her fastest times in the 100 and 200, Johnsonhelped lead Southern Lab to the state’s fastest times in the 800- and 1600-meter relays and the second fastest time in the 400-meter relay.

Ellis helped lead Baker to the fastest time in the 400-meter relay after having the second fastest time in the 200 meters and the third-fastest in the 100.

Baker’s Starlette Daigle was the state’s coach of the year.

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