Allstate Sugar Bowl Track & Field Classic begins Friday

Elite High School Athletes to Compete at Tad Gormley Stadium

NEW ORLEANS – The Allstate Sugar Bowl Track & Field Classic returns to Tad Gormley Stadium this Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24, with over 1,900 entries slated for the two-day event. Since 1993, this event has been the largest high school track and field invitational in Louisiana; this year’s meet has 126 boys’ and girls’ teams entered (83 different schools) from four states (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee). Admission is $7 per day while children 12 and under may enter free of charge.

2017 Girls’ Heat Sheets

2017 Boys’ Heat Sheets

Allstate Sugar Bowl Track & Field

This year’s event features more than 28 state champions, including an exceptional field in the girls’ 3,200-meter run which features a full field of top distance runners. Leading the way from Louisiana are juniors Lauren Hendry (St. Joseph’s) and Mary Nusloch (Sacred Heart). Hendry was the 2017 Class 5A cross country state champion, as well as the Division 1 indoor state champ in the 3,200 (in February) and the Class 5A outdoor state champ in the 3,200 (last May). Nusloch was this past fall’s Class 3A cross country state champion; she also won the Division 2 indoor championship in the 800-meter run in February and last spring’s Class 3A outdoor championship. In addition, Grace Jensen (McGill-Toolen) returns to the meet with a résumé which includes multiple Alabama state championships and a string of impressive efforts at the Sugar Bowl meet the last two years.

After multiple weather-related delays, last year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl Track & Field Classic was cancelled on Saturday afternoon before the completion of many events. The meet was halted three times due to rain and lightning. Those instances, coupled with unfavorable forecasts, led meet organizers to cancel the remainder of the event due to safety concerns for participants, fans and officials.

Despite the cancellation, the meet had an excellent Friday of action, including a pair of meet records. Caitlyn Little, Alabama’s indoor state champ in the 60-meter hurdles, may have been the most impressive competitor. The senior from Hoover (Ala.) High School set a meet record in the preliminary heat of the 100-meter hurdles, running a 13.64 to break the mark of 13.90 seconds set by Dinesha Bean from Cordova (Tenn.) High School in 2008. Little also had the top qualifying times in the 100-meter dash (12.04) and the 200-meter dash (24.26).

The other meet record came in the boys’ javelin as junior Tzuriel Pedigo from Parkview Baptist (Baton Rouge) High School, had a throw of 206-00 to break the record set by Ruston (La.) High’s Mark Taylor in 2004.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, March 24th

4:00 PM             Girls Discus*, High Jump & Pole Vault, Boys Shot Put, Long Jump & Javelin*

6:00 PM             Girls Triple Jump

4:00 PM             4 x 800 Meter Relay (Final Against Time)

Girls 100 Meter Hurdles Prelims

Boys 110 Meter Hurdles Prelims

100 Meter Dash Prelims

400 Meter Dash Prelims

800 Meter Run (All But Final Heat)

200 Meter Dash Prelims

300 Meter Hurdles Prelims

Saturday, March 25th

10:00 AM

Boys Discus* & Pole Vault, High Jump, Girls Long Jump, Javelin*, Shot Put

1600 Meter Run (All But Final Heat)

11:30 AM

3200 Meter Run (All But Final Heat)

12:00 PM

Boys Triple Jump

1:00 PM

4 x 200 Relay (Final Against Time)

1600 Meter Run (Fast Heat)

100 / 110 Hurdles Final (2 Heats)

100 Meter Dash Final (2 Heats)

800 Meter Run (Fast Heat)

4 x 100 Meter Relay (Final Against Time)

400 Meter Dash Final (2 Heats)

300 Meter Hurdles (2 Heats)

200 Meter Dash Final (2 Heats)

Girls 3200 Meter Run (Fast Heat)

Girls 4 x 400 Meter Relay (Final Against Time)

Boys 3200 Meter Run (Fast Heat)

Boys 4 x 400 Meter Relay (Final Against Time)

* Please note that the javelin and discus will take place on the practice track across the street from the stadium. All other field events will take place inside of the stadium.

State Champion Entries (Girls)

Gaby Bird (Junior, Fontainebleau): Class 5A outdoor (2017) and Division 1 indoor state champion (2018) in the pole vault.

Angel Williams (Junior, Ben Franklin): Class 4A outdoor state champion in the long jump (2017).

Molly McHale (Senior, St. Scholastica): Class 4A Cross Country state champion will run the 1,600.

Lauren Hendry (Junior, St. Joseph’s): Class 5A Cross Country; indoor (2018) 3,200; and outdoor (2017) 3,200 state champion will run the 3,200.

Mary Nusloch (Junior, Sacred Heart): Class 3A Cross Country and Outdoor (2017) 800, 1,600 & 3,200 and Division 2 Indoor (2018) 800 & 1,600 state champion will run the 3,200.

Haley Dean (Sr., Lakeshore): Class 4A outdoor state champion in the 1,600 (2017) will run the 800.

Taylor Harris (Sr., Edna Karr): Class 4A outdoor state champion in the 400 (2017) will run the 400.

Alacia Myles (So., Edna Karr): Division 1 indoor state champ and 4A outdoor second place in high jump.

Claire Moreau (Sr., Sacred Heart): Division 2 indoor state champion.

Kiana Foster (Jr., Loranger): Division 2 indoor state champion in 60 will run the 100.

Kaylin Martin (Sr., St. James): Division 2 indoor state champ in long jump and triple jump will compete in triple.

Laila Jackson (Eighth grade, John Curtis): Division 1 Indoor second place in the 800; will run the 800.

Grace Jensen (Senior, McGill-Toolen): Alabama Class 7A Indoor – second in 800, third in 1,600 and 3,200; will run all three.

Bradyn Coarsey (Fr., McGill-Toolen): Alabama Class 7A Indoor state champ in pole vault.

Hannah Daffin (Jr., McGill-Toolen): Alabama Class 7A Indoor state champ in shot put.

Diandrenique Gaines (So., Hattiesburg): Mississippi Class 5A outdoor state champ in the 200 as a freshman will run the 100 and the 200.

Kiara Vance (Sr., Clinton): Mississippi Class 6A outdoor state champ in discus.

Jessica Green (Jr., Collierville): Tennessee indoor state champ in 60m hurdles will run 100h.

State Champion Entries (Boys)

Lance Williams (Jr., John Curtis): Division 1 indoor state champion in long jump.

Zechariah Blake (So., John Curtis): Division 1 indoor state champion in shot put.

Graham Frazier (Sr., Episcopal): Division 2 indoor state champion in 1,600; Class 2A cross country state champion.

Luke Jackson (Jr., Loyola Prep): Class 3A outdoor state champion in javelin.

Donell Jones (Sr., John Curtis): Class 5A outdoor state champion in high jump; D1 indoor second place high jump.

Kayshon Boutte (So., Westgate): Class 4A outdoor state champion in 400.

Kolyn Saltzman (Sr., Westgate): Class 4A outdoor state champion in 3,200.

Gabe Poulin (Sr., Cedar Creek): Class 1A cross country state champion will run the 3,200.

Adam Wise (Sr., Fontainebleau): Class 5A cross country state champion; Division 1 indoor second place in 1,600; will run 1,600.

Graham Collins (Sr., McGill-Toolen): Alabama Class 7A state champ in the 60-meter hurdles and the long jump as well as fourth in the high jump will compete in the 110m hurdles, the 300m hurdles, the high jump and the long jump.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 93 Hall of Fame players, 49 Hall of Fame coaches and 18 Heisman Trophy winners in its 84-year history. The 85th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, featuring top teams from the Big 12 and the SEC, will be played on January 1, 2019. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1.6 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors nearly 100,000 student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.5 billion into the local economy in the last decade.