Six Vermilion Parish track and field meet records fall

As they reflect on the 2026 Vermilion Parish Track and Field meet, which has been held for over 60 years, one thing will certainly stand out: 2026 is the year when six parish track and field records were broken.
The records can only be broken at the Vermilion Parish Track and Field Meet held once a year.
Two 24-year-old parish records were broken this past Wednesday at Erath High School. Those records were broken by an Erath freshman long distance runner.
Erath’s Cheyenne Earnest broke the 1600-meter and 3200-meter records.
In 1600, Earnest ran a 5:32.02, breaking the parish record by six seconds. The record belonged to Megan Broussard of Pecan Island. Broussard ran a 5:38.65.
Maybe 45 minutes later, Earnest closed out the night by easily winning the 3200 race in a record time of 12:22.41. She broke Erath’s Lauren Lange’s record of 12:29.38, set in 2008.
Earnest was aware of the parish record, and she came into the meet wanting to run her race.
“I was not coming into the meet with the idea of breaking the record,” said Earnest. “I came in with the idea of knowing I could run a good time, and if I broke it, then good.”
Something unique happened at the parish meet that never happens. A first and second-place finisher broke the parish meet record.
Heading into the parish meet, Kaplan’s Liberty Greene had a chance to break the record in the 800-meter race. Former VC distance runner Leah Legere held that record * for 24 years. She ran a 2:23.96 in 2002.
For Liberty to get close to breaking the record, she would have to run her best time in the 800, and she needed help to accomplish that goal. She turned to her teammate and friend Isabella Hargrave, who also runs the 800. The two trained all year together, and for Liberty to run her best time, she needed to be pushed by Hargrave.
Well, Hargrave kept pushing her right up to the finish. When the 800-meter race concluded, Liberty set a new parish record in the 800, but Hargrave did as well.
Liberty crossed the finish line with a personal best of 2:23.15, surpassing the record by .80 of a second. Additionally, Hargrave’s personal best time of 2:23.56 also exceeded the parish record by .40 of a second.
“She (Hargrave) helped me break the parish record,” said Liberty. “At practice, she pushes me every day. We run all of our workouts together. So, having her push me to break the parish record means a lot to me.”
“My goal was to stick with Liberty and then kick,” said Hargrave. “I know that if she was going to push me, I had to push her.”
Liberty and Hargrave were also a part of another parish that was set. The two are members of the 4x400 relay team that broke the old record by two seconds. Kaplan’s relay team of Hargrave, Liberty, Lexi Greene, and Isabel Mendez ran a time of 4:09.73.
The old record was 4:11.88, set by Abbeville High in 2012.
Early in the track meet, all eyes were on the high jump pit. Delcambre’s Emma Smith is the second-best female high school high jumper in the nation.
The parish record in the high jump was 5-4, and it stood for 14 years. Smith cleared an amazing 6 feet to win easily. When she cleared 6-0, most of the fans in the stadium and competitors stopped to watch. She attempted 6-1 but could not clear the bar.
With all eyes on Smith, things got quiet in the stadium.
“The quieter it gets, the more I think,” said Smith. “I find I jump better whenever I do not think . I just go jump and not think about everything I have to do.”
Her goal is clear: 6-1 or higher, if not this track season, then next year. “I always put the mark an inch higher, and just see how high I can push myself,” she said.
The only parish meet to fall on the boys’ side was in the 300-meter hurdles.
Sean Herrrington of Erath broke the 300-meter hurdles record that had stood for 15 years. Christian Humphries of Delcambre ran a 40.47 in the 300-meter hurdles in 2011. A couple of years ago, Umpheries was a track coach at Erath when Herrington was a freshman and a sophomore. Back then, they talked about Herrington breaking the parish record one day.
In his final year at Erath, Herrington ran a 39.44, beating Umphries’ record by a full second. It was also Herrington’s career best time.
Not long after the race, Herrington sent Umphries a video letting him know he broke his record.
“Coach Umphries always told me it would mean a lot to him if I were the one who broke his record,” said Herrington. “He coached me half of my track career, so it also meant a lot to me.”
While six parish records were broken, Kaplan sprinter Kodi Clement just missed breaking his brother, Gabe Clement II’s, record in the 400-meter dash. Kodi ran a 48.52 to win the race, and the parish record is 48.45, set by Gabe in 2023.

Parish Records

Girls

Field Events

Javelin

Rene Trahan, Abbeville (1996) 139-09;

Discus
Rechelle Bessard, Abbeville (2011), 136-06

Shot Put
Rechell Bessard, Abbeville (2010) 40-02.50

Long Jump
Jamila Rhodes, Abbeville (2010), 18-06

Triple Jump
Starya Levy, Abbeville (2009), 37-07

High Jump

Emma Smith, Delcambre, 6-0, 2026

Pole Vault
Bailey Broussard, VC, 12-0, 2016

Relays

4x100 Meter Relay
Abbeville (2010) 48.18; (Jamila Rhodes, Ashantae Thibodeaux, Jemsia Walker, Vonchelle Perry)

4x200 Meter Relay

Abbeville (2008), 1:44.05 (Jemsia Walker, Starya Levy, Ashantae Thibodeaux, Jamila Rhodes)

4x400 Meter Relay
Kaplan (Isabella Hargrave, Isabell Mendez, Liberty Greene, Lexi Greene) 4:09.73 (2026)

4x800 Meter Relay
Kaplan (Liberty Greene, Riley Hebert, Camille Marceaux and Isabella Hargrave) 10:27.31, (2025)

Running Events

100 Meter Dash
Dawn Broussard, (Tied) Kaplan (1984) , Tawana Simmons North Vermilion (1992), 11.50

200 Meter Dash
Caitlin Domingues, Erath, (2012) 24.82

400 Meter Run
Deannie Broussard, Kaplan, (1996) 56.47

800 Meter Run
Liberty Greene, Kaplan, 2:23.15 (2026)

1600 Meter Run
Cheyene Earnest, Erath, 5:32.02 (2026)

3200 Meter Run
Cheyenne Earnest, Erath, 12:22.41

100 Meter Hurdles
Troynae Walker, Erath, (2018), 14.90

300 Meter Hurdles
Katina Perry, Abbeville (2013) 47.56

Parish Records

Boys

Field Events

Javelin
Glen Pere, Vermilion Catholic (1970, 207-04)

Discus
Michael Baudoin, Abbeville (1975), 172-10

Shot Put
Brandon Mitchell Abbeville (1992), 58-06

Long Jump
Daniel Allen, Kaplan (2002) Tied
Marlon Brown, Abbeville (1990) 22-9

Triple Jump
O’Daylon Thibeaux Kaplan (2009), 47-08

High Jump
Neal Guidry, Kaplan (1985), 6-11;

Pole Vault
Matt Wilson, VC, (2013), 15-03

Relays

4x100 Meter Relay
Abbeville (2007), 42.73.9 (Mitchel Suire, Jhordi Henderson, Denarius Darby, Brent Landry)

4x200 Meter Relay
Kaplan (1995) 1:30.25

4 x400 Meter Relay
Kaplan (1992) 3:26.1
(Donald Richard, Brady Landry, Gabe Clement, David Rudd

4x800 Meter Relay

Erath, (2025) Mason Soirez, Cameron Soirez, Braxton Bright and Cadn Lange 8:49.87

Running Events

100 Meter Dash
Barrett Nugent North Vermilion (2007), 10.46

200 Meter Dash
Barrett Nugent, North Vermilion (2007), 21.67

400 Meter Run
Gabe Clement II Kaplan, (2022), 48.45

800 Meter Run
John Silar, Abbeville (1967), 1:57.10

1600 Meter Run
Brad Clark, Kaplan (1990), 4:28.56

3200 Meter Run
Brad Clark, Kaplan, (1990), 9:42.78

110 Meter Hurdles
Barrett Nugent, North Vermilion (2007), 13.61

300 Meter Hurdles
Sean Herrington, Erath (2026), 39.44