LHSAA/Allstate Sugar Bowl State Track and Field Meet

The Morgan City High School Tigers are in position for at least two top-3 finishes in Class 4A Saturday at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association/Allstate Sugar Bowl State Track and Field Meet.
The Tigers’ 4x100 meter relay comes to state with the top seed at 42.45, while in the individual events, Jaylen Jones, runner-up a year ago in the 200-meter dash, is seeded third this year at 21.72.
Morgan City’s 4x1 finished runner up a year ago to Edna Karr with a time of 42.24. The Tigers return three of four legs from that relay in Jaylen Jones, Tierell Jones and Kevon Marsh. Keshawn Marshall, an alternate on last year’s relay, now fills the open spot vacated by the graduation of Buddy Humphrey a year ago.
“In the boys’ 4x1, they’re hungry and they’re ready,” Morgan City coach Duriel Singleton said. “We had that mishap happen in the 4x2 (at regionals) and we learned. We were very, very cocky. We were overconfident, and it got to the point where we were cocky, and it caught up with us and we ended up dropping the stick.”
Singleton said the mishap humbled the team, which has been successful in the 4x2 in the past.
While the Tigers have the top time in the 4x1, they still have to produce, their coach said.
“It may be a top time, but we still have to go and get the stick around the track because you’re going to have a big crowd out there Saturday. It’s going to be nice and hot, but we’re going to be fresh because we’re not running that 4x2,” Singleton said.
He said the 4x1 is one of the team’s stronger races.
Trey Robin is an alternate on this year’s relay team.
In the 200, Jaylen Jones’ completion will include Donte’ Jackson, an LSU football signee, who won the state title last year with a time of 21.42 and is the top seed this year with a time of 21.21.
Jaylen Jones finished second a year ago with a time of 21.78.
“If you look at it, that kid (Jackson) ran his best 200 at regionals because Jaylen was right there pushing him, so Jaylen got to go out there and run his best 200 so he could compete with this kid, because this kid (is) rolling,” Singleton said.
Other Morgan City qualifiers for state include Marsh in the 100 meter, while Morgan City’s girls 4x200 meter relay and 4x100 meter relay all will compete, too.
Marsh is seeded fourth in the 100 meter dash at 10.85.
Like the 200, Jackson also leads the 100-meter contingent with the top seed at 10.57. Jackson won the event a year ago with a time of 10.42.
“We told Keedy ‘… you just go out there, focus, relax and you run your best run. No matter where you finish, it’s your last track meet as a Morgan City Tiger running your 100-meter dash. Go out there, have fun and do what you have to do,’” Singleton said.
Morgan City’s girls’ 4x200 meter relay enters state with a time of 1:48.08, which is seeded sixth. Morgan City’s 4x2 consists of Alicia Singleton, Ke’aira Turner, Haley Harris and Jaiveianna Jones.
Hailey Lewis is the 4x2 alternate.
Huntington has the top seed at 1:45.70.
In the 4x1, Morgan City is seeded seventh with a regional mark of 51.25. The relay consists of Alicia Singleton, Ke’aira Turner, Lewis and Jaiveianna Jones.
Harris is the 4x1 alternate.
Edna Karr has the top seed at 50.01.
“The girls, we’re very young. … That 4x2, 4x1, sky’s the limit,” Singleton said. “We just got to go out there and run our race, and no matter what we finish. … I’m proud that we finally have a girls team competing in the state meet. … We came a long way.”