Rodrick Anderson

After a breakout sophomore season in 2019, Lake Charles College Prep’s Marcus Francis suffered a setback due to an injury but worked his way back into top shape for his final track and field season.

Francis shared outstanding field honors Thursday at the B.S. Walker Relays at LaGrange High School with Sulphur’s Brandon Daigle.

Francis won the shot put with a throw of 48 feet, 6 inches and the discus with a distance of 128-41⁄2 inches.

“It feels good,” Francis said. “I have worked hard to get back with rehab.

“I feel great. I have worked hard at practice. My teammates have helped me to get better every week.”

Francis, an offensive lineman in football, injured his throwing shoulder late in the 2019 season, then the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the 2020 track season.

“He has worked extremely hard and it is a testament to him as an individual,” LCCP track coach Terance Cahee said of Francis. “He has been a track kid, and his sophomore year was his coming out year.

“He was throwing high 40s in the shot put and 125-plus in the discus and was poised to have a really good career on the track, then that shoulder injury kind of set him back.

“I remember when he went to therapy, and all he would talk about is ‘Coach, I am coming back.’ That motivated him to get back to at least where he was, and now he is exceeding that mark.”

Francis said his goal is to be the first Trailblazer to win an individual state track championship in May, and Cahee said he has what it takes.

“He has the rare size and speed combination,” Cahee said. “He is really nimble, agile and flexible.

“He is really strong for his stature. He is a 6-3, 300-pound-plus kid that can really move and do whatever you ask him to do.”

Daigle won the javelin (156-2), took second in the discus (119-11½) and fifth in the high jump.

Sulphur swept the team titles with the boys outscoring runner-up Sam Houston and LCCP 174-77. The Sulphur girls totaled 151 points while LaGrange placed second with 112.

Sulphur’s Zakkary Boullion claimed the boys outstanding track award with a win in the 110-meter hurdles, second in the 300 hurdles and 4×200 relay and third in the 4×400.

Girls outstanding field honors went to Sam Houston’s Ashlyn Gott, who won the long and triple jumps, while LaGrange’s sprinter Jalah Bordelon won the girls outstanding track award.

B.S. Walker Relays

At LaGrange HS

Boys

Team scoring

1, Sulphur, 174; 2, Sam Houston, 77; 2, Lake Charles College Prep, 77; 4, Iowa, 67; 5, LaGrange, 52; 6, South Beauregard, 28; 7, Westlake, 18.

Field Events

SP — 1, Marcus Francis, LCCP, 48-6; 2, Bronson Williams, SH, 40-6; 3, Albert Allen, SUL, 40-5.

DIS — 1, Marcus Francis, LCCP, 128-4½; 2, Brandon Daigle, SUL, 119-11½; 3, Darius Washington, LCCP, 117-1¼.

JAV — 1, Brandon Daigle, SUL, 156-2; 2, Dawson Lebrun, SUL, 118-2; 3, Matthew Almaguer, SH, 109-9½.

HJ — 1, Quinton Collins, Iowa, 6-0; 2, Kaleb Vizier, SUL, 5-6; 2, Chris Calloura, SH, 5-6; Ryland Miller, Iowa, 5-6.

LJ — 1, Tristen Goodly, WL, 41-2; 2, Kaleb Vizier, SUL, 39-2½; 3, McQuinton Montgomery, Iowa, 38-6.

TJ — 1, Ka’Bran Sinegal, LG, 19-11; 2, Tristen Goodly, WL, 19-9; 3, Tyrone Brass, Iowa, 19-5½.

PV — 1, Rory Richard, SUL, 11-0.

Running Events

100 — 1, Dillon Simon, LCCP, 11.41; 2, Kaleb Blalock, SUL, 11.41; 3, JaMorion Jackson, SH, 11.66.

200 — 1, Trevonte Citizen, LCCP, 23.44; 2, Kaleb Blalock, SUL, 23.63; 3, Kaden Blalock, SUL, 23.75.

400 — 1, Jacques Batiste, Iowa, 55.09; 2, Wyatt Fontenot, SH, 55.54; 3, Kevin Stevens, LG, 56.16.

800 — 1, Alex Myers, Iowa, 2:13.38; 2, Darius Charles, LCCP, 2:18.12; 3, Kason Comeaux, SUL, 2:25.16.

1600 — 1, Ethan Peloquin, SH, 5:06.92; 2, Kason Comeaux, SUL, 5:06.92; 3, Elijah Midkiff, SB, 5:19.97.

3200 — 1, Jonathan Wynn, SUL, 13:36.14.

110 hurdles — 1, Zakkary Boullion, SUL, 16.45; 2, Drew Brown, SB, 17.08; 3, Jesse Shuff, SB, 17.90.

300 hurdles — 1, Thaddeus Campbell, LCCP, 41.41; 2, Zakkary Boullion, SUL, 42.69; 3, Ka’Bran Sinegal, LG, 43.15.

Relays

400 — 1, Sulphur, 44.58; 2, Sam Houston, 44.62; 3, LaGrange, 45.15.

800 — 1, LaGrange, 1:32.66; 2, Sam Houston, 1:34.11; 3, Sulphur, 1:34.58.

1600 — 1, LaGrange, 3:45.02; 2, Sulphur, 3:47.72.

3200 — 1, Iowa, 9:54.81; 2, Sulphur, 10:03.38.

Outstanding field — Marcus Francis, Lake Charles College Prep; Brandon Daigle, Sulphur.

Outstanding track — Zakkary Boullion, Sulphur.

Girls

Team scoring

1, Sulphur, 151; 2, LaGrange, 112; 3, Sam Houston, 100; 4, Iowa, 59; 5, South Beauregard, 48; 6, Westlake, 11.

Field Events

SP — 1, Breegan Newble, SH, 31-5; 2, Morgan Eaves, SB, 31-2; 3, Nyjah Poullard, LG, 28-7.

DIS — 1, Alyssa Scott, SUL, 86-2½; 2, Addison Smith, SUL, 76-11½; 3, Sharice Hughes, LG, 58-10. 

JAV — 1, Trinity Spooner, SB, 132-4; 2, Megan Steinhauser, SUL, 71-3.

HJ — 1, McKenzie Shaw, LG, 5-2; 2, Keelie Seaford, SUL, 4-10; 3, Madison Durban, SUL, 4-6.

LJ — Ashlyn Gott, SH, 15-5; 2, Bridget Trahan, SUL, 15-0; 3, Keelie Seaford, SUL, 14-11.

TJ — 1, Ashlyn Gott, SH, 31-6; 2, Katelynn Wilson, LG, 30-11; 3, Brooklyn Sisley, WL, 30-6.

Running Events

100 — 1, Jalah Bordelon, LG, 13.39; 2, Keelie Seaford, SUL, 13.69; 3, Jose Gaspard, SB, 14.22.

200 — 1, Jada Jones, LG, 28.99; 2, Dayla Simon, SB, 29.25; 3, Josee Gaspard, SB, 29.60.

400 — 1, Dana Shelton, SUL, 1:07.94; 2, Tra’liajahnae Jim, SH, 1:11.14; 3, Madeline Bearden, SH, 1:15.07.

800 — 1, Jailyn Underwood, Iowa, 2:40.53; 2, Ja’Marica Adams, LG, 2;41.02; 3, Madeleine Fitkin, SUL, 3:00.87.

1600 — 1, Tra’liajahnae Jim, SH, 6:29.90; 2, Kate Gill, SUL, 6:33.22; 3, Ashley Darbonne, SUL, 6:50.85.

3200 — 1, Chloe Kramer, Iowa, 14:29.85; 2, Kate Gill, Sulphur, 14:38.78; Jazmin Winford, Iowa, 15:04.11.

100 hurdles — 1, Brianna McZeal, SH, 17.46; 2, Macy Tate, SH, 17.73; 3, Kaleigh Kimble, Iowa, 18.97.

300 hurdles — 1, Jalah Bordelon, LG, 52.02; 2, Macy Tate, SH, 52.97; 3, Alayjah Negroni, SH, 55.53.

Relays

400 — 1, LaGrange, 52.86; 2, Sam Houston, 53.94; 3, Sulphur, 54.17.

800 — 1, LaGrange, 1:52.57; 2, Sam Houston, 1:55.34; 3, Sulphur, 1:57.90.

1600 — 1, LaGrange, 4:38.43; 2, Iowa, 5:08.67.

3200 — 1, Iowa, 12:00.64; 2, Sulphur, 12:23.85.

Outstanding field — Ashlyn Gott, Sam Houston.

Outstanding track — Jalah Bordelon, LaGrange.

Lake Charles College Prep’s Marcus Francis won the shot put and discus Thursday at the B.S. Walker Relays at LaGrange High School.

Rodrick Anderson / American Press