BY MATT VINES, DeSoto Parish Journal
LAKE CHARLES – The North DeSoto girls 4×200 relay team had something to prove.
The foursome made the Class 4A Outdoor state championships this past season, finishing last and more than two seconds behind the field.
So the girls got an early start to their training and held player-led workouts.
Those workouts paid dividends as the 4×200 squad set a North DeSoto indoor record at the season-opening meet at McNeese State this past weekend.
The pairing of Taylor Clark, Nailah Delton, Roderia Whitaker and Jocelyn Seekford clocked a 1:53.58, placing fifth at the indoor meet and just three seconds off their state championship time, which is significant this early in the season.
The 4×200 relay was one of two North DeSoto entities to set indoor records as Macaylah Tingle put her name in the record book in the 800 meters with a 2:44.52, placing 16th overall.
“The girls 4×200 put in a lot of hard work this offseason with having team-led workouts this fall led by our seniors Nailah Delton and Jocelyn Seekford,” said North DeSoto coach Robert Madison, who has led the program for 16 years. “Last year did not end as well as we wanted it to, so the focus this year was to start early with training and really focus on speed.
“Mac Tingle is just an all-around athlete. She is part of the basketball team and played in a game Friday, got up and ran in Lake Charles on Saturday. She does many of her workouts on her own, and she really just wants to be good at everything she does.”
Tingle added a fifth-place finish as part of a 4×800 relay (11:00.53).
Two boys basketball players flexed their athletics variety as they finished highly in a slew of events.
Dale Howard and Javonte Taylor each placed seventh or higher in a total of five events.
Taylor, a jumper, garnered second in the triple jump (42-8) and third in the high jump (six feet).
Howard finished third in the 55-meter hurdles (8.62), fifth on a leg of the 4×200 relay (1:36.66) and seventh in the long jump (19-5).
Clark, a participant on the record-breaking 4×200 relay, contributed a seventh-place finish in the 55 meters with a 7.67.
The indoor track and field season is a short one with the state championships coming in just a month on Feb. 17.
But Madison said a handful of athletes have a solid chance to stand on the podium at the state meet.
“Indoor season is short, and it’s a tough season to be honest, especially with how qualifying for the state meet works,” Madison said. “But I think Javonte has a great opportunity to place at state in either the high jump or triple jump. I think Dale in hurdles and the girls’ 4×800 team also have good chances. The girls currently rank fourth in the state rankings right now.”