Bogalusa’s Clydeterrious Thompson captured a state championship at the 2019 LHSAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at LSU’s Carl Maddox Fieldhouse.
Thompson was victorious in the Division II long jump.
The junior had a distance of 21 feet, 10.75 inches.
“Going into the state championship, I was kind of nervous, but I had a lot of people that I (am) friends with, they told me just push and just get that (mark). When I jumped the 21-10.(75), I didn’t even touch the board at all, but I was so surprised that I did it. I was nervous, but I kept it in my mind that I can do it. I just had to put in my head that this is was my time to do it now,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s 21-10.75 came on his second attempt. His long jump distance was his best for indoor competition. His personal best for outdoors is about 22 feet.
When asked what it was like to win the state championship, Thompson said he was shocked.
“I’ve never had this accomplishment done before. All I wanted to do was just freeze there. I didn’t know what to do. It was just exciting,” Thompson said.
After the state title, Thompson had two more events to compete in and he was second in both the 60-meter dash and the 400.
Thompson was runner-up in the 60, running a close race in 6.97 seconds. West Feliciana’s ran it in 6.90 for the title.
Thompson was also second in the 400, which was another close race. He ran it in 50.96. East Feliciana’s Richard Davis won in 50.73.
“For the 60-meter dash, during the qualifying, I came in first, but I went to the finals, I had a friend that helped me out,” Thompson said. “We were competing against each other. I clocked a 6.97 for a new PR (personal record), and for the 400, it was a good race, it just got me at the end of the race. I clocked a 50.96. It was a good race.”
Also for Bogalusa, the 4×800 relay team was 11th after running in 9 minutes, 38 seconds. The group featured Dustin Wager, Donald Lewis, Haikem Thompson and Dre’Toris Mark.
Episcopal won in 8:44.
Mark was 12th in the 60-meter hurdles at 10.56.
Bogalusa tied Northwest for second in the team standings, as both tallied 26 points, with 38 teams posting points.
Episcopal won the team championship with 82 points.
Westlake was fourth at 24 and St. Martin’s rounded out the top five with 20 points.