Record breakers!

Berwick High School’s Ian Valdez has had his highs and his lows in the Class 3A 3,200-meter run at the state track and field meet during his high school career.
After finishing as state runner-up as a sophomore, he slipped to eighth place a year ago despite entering as the second seed.
Entering his final meet Saturday as the top seed, Valdez finished his prep career on a high note, overtaking the leader in the boys’ 3,200-meter run about a quarter into his final lap on his way to a victory in 10:17.
His state championship clinched a runner-up finish for the Panthers boys’ squad.
Valdez said it felt “amazing” to win the two-mile race but just as quickly noted he was a team player.
“I’m happy that we clinched (second), because everybody wants a medal, and I’m happy that I could help,” he said.
West Feliciana won the 3A boys title with 89 points. The finish for Berwick was their highest in points (56) and placement in school history.
“We hoped about it, but to score 56 points today, just a super effort by all of them,” Gilder said Saturday.
Kenan Jones, who won the long jump and high jump and finished second in the triple jump, was named the Class 3A boys’ Outstanding Athlete.
“It’s just a great blessing,” Jones said of being able to finish his career at the state meet.
Jones jumped 23 feet, 7.5 inches to win the long jump, while he and teammate Josh Carver finished No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the high jump as each jumped 6-feet, 8 inches. Jones won the title because he cleared 6-8 on his second attempt, while Carver was successful on his third attempt.
Jones jumped 47 feet, 2.75 inches in the triple jump, while Crowley’s Chris Lewis won the event in 47 feet, 9.5 inches.
In the high jump, Carver and Jones were the final competitors when the bar was raised to 6-feet, 10-inches. Neither was able to clear the mark, but both already had secured their top-2 finish.
Carver said that the toe-to-toe finish has been how meets have been this season in the high jump.
As for his day, Carver said, “It was a good day overall, a good week of practice. Kenan (is) just a heck of an athlete.”
While West Feliciana already had the 3A title in hand with a 50-plus point lead before the boys’ 3,200-meter run, Berwick still hadn’t sewed up second place yet as it led its closest competition. It led its closest competition, Lusher Charter, by less than 10 points, and both were scheduled to compete in the boys’ 4x400-meter relay where Lusher entered as the top seed.
However, after Valdez and Darby Frickey, who placed sixth in the 3,200-meter run at 10:38.45, secured a combined 11 points in the event, the Panthers couldn’t be caught in team scoring.
Berwick closed the event with a second-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay behind Lusher Charter.
Berwick’s 4x400-meter relay also finished as state runner-up with a time of 3:28.90. Team members were Alvin Jones, Keyon Singleton, Barrett Hover and Josh Jones.
Josh Jones also competed in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter run. He finished seventh in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.17 and sixth in the 200-meter run in 22.38.
Valdez also placed eighth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:07.10.
On the girls’ side, Berwick’s Nicole Johnson finished sixth with a throw of 89 feet, 10 inches.
Berwick finished tied for 34th place in girls’ team scoring with Patterson and Port Barre as each scored one point. Academy of Sacred Heart of New Orleans won the girls team title with 90 points.