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Erath High's Ethan Suire.

Erath High's Ethan Suire wins 1600 meter state title

BATON ROUGE – Ethan Suire withstood his most challenging test on the season’s biggest stage on Saturday.
The Erath High junior needed both grit and closing speed to capture the Class 3A 1600 meter run in a time of 4:32.15 at the LHSAA State Meet at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium.
“The early pace was slow,” Suire said. “No one wanted to go with me. I had to set the pace, then hold on to the end.”
Like Regional action a week earlier, Suire had to hold off a determined surge by E.D. White’s Lucas Marcello, a pesky runner-up at 4:32.95. Jack Moran of University Lab was third in 4:36.10.
“I do have a good kick,” Suire said. “I was OK against everybody but Marcello. I knew he was right there, but I wasn’t going to let him pass me.”
The title capped a stellar season for the Bobcat star, whose focus is not solely on his own efforts.
“I’m doing this to help the team get better,” he said. “There’s a young runner on the team I’m helping. When the team gets better, I get better.”
Golden moments like that were hard to find for Vermilion Parish athletes.
EHS’s Stephen Vallot was third in the dicscus (134-5) and Kaplan’s Kristopher Harrington tied for third in the pole vault (13-0).
In girls’ 3A action, Kaplan was led by Tyra Francis (2nd, shot put, 37-9.5; 3rd, discus, 103-2), backed by Rylie Frick (2nd, discus, 103-10) and a third-place 10-6 in the pole vault by Sidney Dartez.
Kaplan’s Tory Riggs was fifth in the 100 (12.64).
Erath’s Lady Bobcats got a runner-up 14.78 in the 100 hurdles from defending champion Troynae Walker (also 4th in the 300 hurdles) and a fourth-place 17-1.5 long jump by Monette Bolden. Kyler Walker of NV was fifth (16-9).
“I did OK,” Walker said. “I took off a couple of months during the indoor season after I was hurt in a car accident. The pressure to defend a title is always there. I think my time was better than last year.”
Class 4A saw similar roadblocks.
Abbeville’s versatile Annemarie Broussard placed second in the pole vault (12-0), third in the 100 hurdles (15.20) and out of the money in the 300 hurdles.
“I cleared 12 feet at the Parish Meet, and again today,” she said. “Being ranked first in the 100 hurdles just made me want to run fast. I just do the best I can.”
AHS’s Coy Darby, meanwhile, brought home a second place 6-6 in the high jump.
Erath’s Elijah Mitchell was fifth in the shot put (50-1).

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