MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / November 22, 2000

NEW ORLEANS – It’s getting to become a familiar sound in the UNOLakefront Arena Pool every third weekend in November – a Lutcher seniorswimmer holding the Division III state championship trophy over his head.

The Bulldogs made it five championships in a row Saturday, using a teameffort to pull away in the finals. Lutcher finished with 350 points, easilyfinishing ahead of second place E.D. White which had 208. St. CharlesCatholic and Parkview Baptist tied for third with 197 points. St. LouisCatholic was fifth with 187 points.

Lutcher struggled in the preliminaries Thursday but came back strongSaturday. The Bulldogs did not have an individual winner but placed first,second and third in the relays. Brett Becnel had the highest individualfinish, placing second in the 100-yard butterfly. “I was just glad we were able to swim the way we did,” Lutcher coachJoan Murray said. “We had a bad day Thursday. But I knew they would comeback. We came back and did what we needed to do.”The Lutcher girls’ team continued its place among the elite teams in thestate, finishing third with 245 points. But there was no catching ParkviewBaptist which won every event on its way to its fifth straight title with536.5 points. Sacred Heart of New Orleans was second with 357 points.

E.D. White was fourth with 145 points, followed by St. Louis Catholic with140 points and Brusly with 121.5. St. Charles Catholic finished seventhwith 90 points.

“The girls did very well,” Murray said. “They keep creeping up.”Lutcher quickly jumped into the lead with a victory in the 200 medleyrelay. The team of Ricky Bourgeois, Jeff Bourgeois, Becnel and TylerMurray needed all 200 yards, holding off a late charge by E.D. White to winin 1:52.44. The Bulldogs rallied from third after the first two legs to takethe lead in the freestyle. The Cardinals were second in 1:52.59.

Jeff Bourgeois followed with a fourth-place finish in the 200 freestyle in2:06.46, taking over nine seconds off his preliminary time. Travis Detillierwas sixth in 2:10.68, followed by Brett Becnel in 2:10.79. Derrin Donaldsonwas second in the preliminaries and 10th overall in 2:16.90. Albany’s MattStogner won the championship in a Division III record time of 1:49.66.

Ricky Bourgeois added to the Bulldogs’ lead with a third-place finish inthe 200 individual medley, coming in at 2:23.98. Daniel Dornier was sixthin 2:45.12 and Lance Laurent seventh in 2:46.17. Phillip Sylvest swamalone in the consolations, finishing in 2:50.25. Rayville’s Matt Coenen wasthe state winner in 2:01.54.

Murray came in fourth in the 50 freestyle, finishing in 24.21. TeammateCody Jackson was 15th in 26.87. E.D. White’s Colin Ledet won the statetitle in 23.69.

Lutcher took a 154-85 lead over E.D. White after eight events.

Lutcher kept it up after a break as Becnel placed second in the 100butterfly in 1:01.74. Teammate Jeff Bourgeois was fourth in 1:06.28. NotreDame’s Joel Bailey was the state champion in 56.99.

“It feels great,” Bourgeois said, holding up the state championship trophy.

“My last race, I knew I had to give it all I’ve got. I left it all in the water.”Murray was fourth in the 100 freestyle with mark of 55.55. Cody Jacksonwas ninth overall with a time of 1:00.71. Brian Boudreaux of Jennings gotthe state title with a time of 51.22.

Detillier gave the Bulldogs a fourth-place finish in the 500 freestyle,finishing in 6:12.00. Joseph Belak was sixth in 6:57.01. Stogner won hissecond title of the day in 5:00.63.

In one of the closest races of the day, E.D. White edged out Lutcher in the200 freestyle relay. The Cardinals touched in 1:40.20 after rallying on thethird leg. The Bulldogs’ team of Jeff Bourgeois, Becnel, Donaldson andMurray came in at 1:40.69.

Ricky Bourgeois followed that performance with a fifth place finish in the100 backstroke, coming in at 1:03.22. Jennings’ Boudreaux won for thesecond time in 55.36.

Donaldson closed out the individual events with a fourth place finish inthe 100 breaststroke, finishing in 1:16.34. Lance Laurent was 12th overallin 1:20.00. Rayville’s Coenen wrapped up his second title in 1:01.24.

The Bulldogs’ 400 freestyle relay team came in third at 4:00.51. Parkviewpulled away in 3:47.06, followed by Brusly in 3:57.03.

Like the boys, the girls’ team got off to a good start in the 200 medleyrelay, placing third. The team of Jessica Lambert, Lacey Millet, AimeeWhitnee and Laurie Luersen finished in 2:09.66. Parkview Baptist came infirst in 1:59.29 with Sacred Heart second in 2:04.79.

Lindsey Loupe took over six seconds off her time in the preliminaries towin the 200 freestyle consolation heat in 2:35.72. Jessica Lambert wasfourth in the consolations in 2:37.66 and Lyndi Martin fifth in 2:38.49.

Rachel Hoover finished in 2:48.72. Shelby Benson of Parkview Baptist wonthe title in dominant fashion finishing in 1:58.49, just off the Division IIIrecord.

Lacey Millet came in sixth in the 200 individual medley in 2:32.08. HelenMason of Parkview came in first in 2:21.58.

Luersen also placed sixth in the 50 freestyle, touching the wall in 29.57.

Michaelyn Hernandez of Parkview was the state champion in 25.59.

Lutcher was third after eight events.

Whitnee came back after a break to finish seventh in the 100 butterfly in1:41.96. Parkview’s Kate Ripple won another state title, finishing in59.67.

Luersen added a sixth-place finish in the 100 freestyle, coming in at1:05.51. Teammate Jennifer Davis finished 10th overall in 1:05.71.

Parkview’s Hernandez won her second state title with a time of 56.16.

The 200 freestyle relay team of Millet, Jennifer Davis, Whitnee andLuersen placed third in 1:54.59. Parkview was first in 1:45.45 with SacredHeart second in 1:51.91.

Lutcher had three swimmers in the consolation heat of the 100backstroke. Lamber was 10th in 1:17.31, followed by Lyndi Martin in1:19.66 and Cristy Speaks in 1:22.33. Parkview’s Ripple won her secondstate title of the day in 1:02.68.

Lutcher added to its point total in the 100 breaststroke as Millet placedfourth in 1:17.97. Whitnee was eighth in 1:21.52. In the consolations,Krystal Davis was 12th overall in 1:24.16 with teammate Jennifer Davisright behind in 1:25.89. Parkview’s Helen Mason and Brusly’s BrittanyAlbarez tied for the title in 1:14.19.

The Lutcher 400 freestyle relay team closed out the meet with a fourth-place time of 4:38.35. Parkview completed its sweep in 3:46.63.

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