By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — The East St. John girls captured first place while the boys placed second at last weekend’s Glen Oaks Panther Relays, the Wildcats’ last tune up meet before the District 7-5A championship Thursday at Thibodaux. 

West St. John also competed at the event, which saw 10 boys teams and eight girls team facing off. 

ESJ’s 173 points beat out second place Port Allen’s score of 111 for the girls victory. 173 is the high point mark for the Ladycats this season.

“I feel like we’re well prepared for that district meet by this point,” said ESJ girls coach Mark Creecy, whose team captured the district championship last season. “I’ve told my girls that of your best this year, we’re gonna need that Thursday and even more.”

The ESJ boys (104 points) finished second to Port Allen, which posted 137 points. 

For the ESJ girls, Ayonte Thomas captured first in the 100-meter hurdles (16.01) and triple jump (33-5) while taking second in the long jump (13-10). Bishon Caston won the 3200 meters (14:59). Dominique Gray was tops in the discus (90-1). East St. John’s 4×100 (52:08) and 4×200 (1:50.37) meter relay teams each took first place while the 4×400 team (4:47.71) took third.  

Ladeja Harris finished third (27.50) in the 200-meter dash.  Angelique Johnson took second in the 800 meters (2:45.41). Tiffany Bacon captured third in the 1600 (7:10.28). Jirah Brown finished first in the 300-meter hurdles (54.22) and second in the 100-meter hurdles (18.72). Elizabeth Scioneaux finished first in the long jump (15-2) and second in the high jump (4-4). Kennisha Brooks finished second in the shot put (31-3). Ciera Eugene took third in the javelin (79-9). 

Creecy said he feels like his team may be strongest in the jumping events, led by Scioneaux and Thomas. 

“But we’re pretty balanced across the board. And we’ll need to find ways to score in every event Thursday,” said Creecy. 

For the West St. John girls, Maya Trench finished third in the high jump (4-4) and triple jump (29-8) and fourth in the long jump (12-9.5).

In the boys’ events, East St. John’s Darius Lipps and West St. John’s Jeremy Jackson each captured a first place win while running head to head against the other. Lipps took first place in the 100 with a time of 11.20, edging Jackson’s time of 11.25. In the 200, Jackson’s time of 22.73 was tops, besting Lipps’ mark of 23.01. 

For the Wildcat boys, Kordell Vance won the pole vault with a height of 9-0. Brian Cain took second in the 1600 (5:05.74) while Jonnell Crockett was second in the 3200 (11:38.09). 

The 4×100 relay team took second place (44.32) while the 4×200 team captured first (1:30.33). 

West St. John’s Quan Scott took third in the boys long jump (21-0.5).