Franklinton’s Tavion Partman and Deante Cotton made their debuts at the Division I LHSAA Indoor State Track Meet at LSU on Saturday.

Division I covers Classes 4A and 5A.

Partman made it to state in the triple jump and finished 13th. Partman’s distance was 39 feet, 1.5 inches. Leesville’s Quinderious Thompson was the champion at 46 feet, 8 inches.

Cotton was in the finals for the shot put and took seventh place. He recorded a distance of 49 feet, 11.25 inches.

Catholic of Baton Rouge’s Nigel Despinasse captured the state championship with a distance of 58 feet, 11.5 inches.

“I think they did real well,” Franklinton coach Blake Wilson said. “They know exactly what they have to improve on throughout the outdoor season. Instead of waiting for a month from now, we now know that we’re on the big stage and what we need to work on for outdoor.”

Franklinton had four participants on its indoor track team and Cotton and Partman qualified for state.

It is the first time Wilson, who is entering his fourth season as the Demons’ track coach, has had an indoor team.

“We had eight athletes qualify for state in outdoor last year,” Wilson said. “I wanted to get a head start this year. I also wanted my kids to have that experience of competing inside of LSU’s facilities.”

Franklinton opens the outdoor season March 4 in the Ponchatoula Meet.