The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns track and field teams closed out their regular season with a strong showing at the prestigious LSU Alumni Gold meet on Saturday at Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge. Competing against a highly competitive field that included powerhouse programs and professional athletes, Louisiana athletes made notable marks across several events, building momentum for the upcoming Sun Belt Conference Championships.

Women’s Highlights
On the women's side, Alexandra Johnson turned in an outstanding performance in the 800 meters, finishing second with a time of 2:06.44 — a season-best for the senior. Victoria Datta also contributed with a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters (2:15.70), narrowly missing her personal best.

In the sprints, Amairi Ashford placed 11th in the 100 meters with a strong time of 11.55 seconds, then followed it up by finishing 15th in the 200 meters (23.92). Chaniqua Tonge also had a solid showing, finishing 24th in the 200 meters with a time of 24.43 seconds.

The Cajuns’ 4x100-meter relay team (Jaala Thymes, Amairi Ashford, Quincy Simon, and Chaniqua Tonge) posted a time of 45.51 seconds to take fifth place overall against a loaded field that featured professional teams and elite programs. Meanwhile, the 4x400-meter relay squad (Quincy Simon, Shenell Tucker, Chaniqua Tonge, and Alexandra Johnson) finished ninth with a time of 3:50.56.

In the field events, Reem Tammam led the way with a fifth-place finish in the long jump (5.78 meters), while Courtney Wiltz took seventh (5.65 meters). Alaysha Veal tied for fourth in the high jump, clearing 1.74 meters. In the throws, Kimola Hines had a strong meet, finishing second in the discus (50.77 meters) and ninth in the hammer throw (52.77 meters). Marin Barras contributed a third-place finish in the javelin (44.73 meters) and placed seventh in the hammer throw (53.89 meters).

Men’s Highlights
On the men’s side, the Cajuns also delivered a series of standout performances. Mark Daley had an impressive showing, finishing 13th in the 100 meters (10.57 seconds) and fourth in the 200 meters (20.98 seconds), competing head-to-head with nationally ranked sprinters.

In the 800 meters, Joseph Patterson secured a strong third-place finish with a time of 1:49.17, while Josiah Whitaker finished 12th (1:53.34) and Justin Descant (1:55.80) and Brandon Beavers (1:56.80) also put forth solid efforts.

Distance standout Louden Boudreaux captured first place in the men's 3000 meters, clocking 8:45.49, while Mason Haley finished fourth (8:53.42). Peyton Bourgeois (9:19.75) and John Walker McDonald (9:24.70) rounded out a strong showing in the event for Louisiana.

In the men’s 1500 meters, Reece Shelby placed third with a time of 3:50.13, and Andrew Leck took eighth (3:57.98), continuing to show Louisiana’s depth in the distance races.

In hurdles action, Kobe Mendez placed 11th in the 110-meter hurdles (14.25 seconds), while Felix Weidenhaupt finished 13th in the 400-meter hurdles (56.15 seconds).

Looking Ahead
With the regular season now complete, Louisiana shifts its focus to the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, scheduled for May 8-10 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Ragin' Cajuns will look to build on the momentum from a strong showing at LSU and aim for podium finishes as they chase team titles in both the men’s and women’s competitions.