There will be a lot to take in this week for Denham Springs High and its track program. Sure, the Yellow Jackets wanted to see a few more top end placings at last week’s District 5-5A meet but the school will still have quite a presence at Thursday’s Class 5A, Region 2 track meet.
For starters, Denham Springs will serve as host for the meet, which will feature the top athletes from districts 4, 5 and 6. The top three finishers in each event will advance to the Class 5A state meet set to be held May 4 at LSU.
It is easily the biggest track meet that the newly renovated Yellow Jacket Stadium has hosted.
“Our new stadium is one of the nicest track and football facilities in the state so we get an opportunity to show off a little bit and throw a big meet,” Denham Springs track coach Chris Womack said after last week’s district meet.
The regional meet, the first ever hosted by Denham Springs, will feature athletes from 22 teams and will require lots of manpower. Timing is critical for athletes when they are competing on the track, but it will also be important for meet officials as they work to keep the event running smoothly.
“Everything has been planned out,” Womack said. “We’ve got college people here to help out and take care of all of the events, and we’re looking forward to putting on a world-class track meet.”
The three districts converging on Yellow Jacket Stadium are comprised of schools along the I-10 corridor from Baton Rouge to Slidell. They have already produced some of the state’s best numbers this season with numerous athletes who have posted composite, state-best times numbers.
The girls competition will have 12 events that feature state-leading participants and the boys will have six. Two of those leaders come from Walker — boys pole vaulter Aidon Brumfield has jumped 15-0 feet and girls high jumper Trinity Thomas has cleared 5-8.
Denham Springs had its boys and girls relay teams set a total of four school records at the district meet. Overall, the Yellow Jacket boys qualified for 12 regional spots while the girls earned 20 places.
“When you host a meet, you typically spend more time hosting than coaching,” Womack said. “We have everything set up to put forward a first-class meet.”
From facilities to athletes to planning, the region 2 track meet is set up to be a great meet. Denham Springs is the place to be for local track fans on Thursday.