Quitman High School won both the girls’ and boys’ LHSAA Class B state championships in track and field at the meet held at Bernie Moore Track Stadium on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge on Thursday, May 7th.
The titles are a seventh overall for the QHS outdoor track and field program, a repeat of the state championship claimed last year, and fifth overall in school history (2026, 2025, 2017, 1990, 1989) by the boys program, and a second-ever championship for the girls (2026, 1994).
QHS head track and field coach Cindy Pardue expressed appreciation to her assistant coaches, Jessica Sims, Kyle Leach, and Les Webb, who assisted with the throws, and was overwhelmed by the achievements of both of her squads.
“I’ve been there for three years, and just the heart that they have for this program, it’s just amazing,” Pardue emotionally said as she reflected on the coaches’ staff commitment and the athletes’ accomplishments. “It is just unbelievable we’ve taken home both the boys’ and the girls’ titles. It’s awesome.”
“For the last three or four years, they’ve said over and over again we’re going to make history, and that’s what they’ve done,” Pardue said. “This year we had 12 seniors, and they’re gonna be remembered for a very long time. People are gonna look up to ’em, and they’re gonna have stories to tell for the rest of their lives.”
See the Louisiana vs All Y’all video of Quitman High School Coach Cindy Pardue by clicking here.
2026 Class B Boys Team Scores
Quitman – 103
Castor – 77
Anacoco – 70
Grace Christian – 44
Holden – 36
2026 Class B Girls Team Scores
Quitman – 70
Bell City – 65
Anacoco – 59
Zwolle – 48
Hathaway – 45
Click here to see a video of Quitman High School receiving its Class B state championship trophies.
Gage Horton Named 2026 Class B Boys Outstanding Performer
Gage Horton won the 400 and 1600 meters, finished second in the 800 meters, and ran second leg on the winning 4×400 relay team to earn Outstanding Performer honors on the boys’ side and be a top contributor in the Wolverines’ effort to claim a second straight Class B title.
“My teammate, Nathan Harvey, was named Outstanding Performer last year. And I was like, ‘Man, I would love to get that,’ and I did,” said Horton. “It’s unreal and a dream come true.”
See the Louisiana vs All Y’all video of Gage Horton after being named Outstanding Performer by clicking here.
Nathan Harvey Wins Three Gold Medals
Harvey also played a critical role in the team championship by finishing second in the 110-meter hurdles, then incredibly securing the 300-meter hurdles victory despite tumbling onto the track TWICE after hitting the last two hurdles.
He also joined Asher Burns, Jayden Harts, and Brayden Smith to win the 4×200 relays and Horton, Harts, and Smith to win the gold medal in the 4×400 relays.
“I come out, and hit the second-to-last hurdle, do a little barrel-roll, get back up, hit the last hurdle, fall and get up again, and just kept going,” said Harvey, recapping the unbelievable finish to his 300-meter hurdle victory. “You’ve just got to keep pushing through. The only thing on my mind was just making sure I didn’t see ’em pass me.”
See the Louisiana vs All Y’all video of Nathan Harvey recapping the 300 hurdles race and what he hopes he leaves behind for his younger teammates by clicking here.
Asher Shultz Goes Back-To-Back in Javelin
Recent McNeese State University commit Asher Shultz also played a big role in Quitman impressively winning the team title, earning the gold medal in the javelin event for the second year in a row.
Additional podium placers were Elijah Jackson, second place in the shot put; Brayden Smith, second place in the 200 meters, and who also came in sixth place in the 100 meters; and Jayden Harts, who placed third in the 200-meter dash
Others who contributed to the team point total were Luke Sims (4th Place in the 800 meters) and Josiah Ramsey (5th Place in the 3200 meters).
Kayden Smith Earns Points for Weston High
Weston High School scored 4 points in the Class B boys state meet, with Kayden Smith registering a 19′ 9″ effort to finish in 4th place in the long jump.
Lady Wolverines Win First Track Title in 32 Years
The Lady Wolverines held a seven-point lead on Bell City entering the final 4×400-meter relay and just needed a top-four finish to guarantee the Class B girls’ state championship to complete their school’s sweep after their teammates had positioned themselves for victory in the boys’ standings.
Kaleigh King, Megan Kelley, Audrina Martin, and Sunni Altheimer won the silver medal by placing second in the event, but didn’t realize until a post-race interview that their finish had led to the team winning the girls’ state title.
See the Louisiana vs All Y’all video of the 4×400 relay team after realizing they had clinched the Class B state title by clicking here.
The emotions of the moment particularly hit Megan Kelley, the lone senior of the bunch, as she reflected on the final accomplishment of her high school career with her teammates.
“I’m just so proud of us. I’m so, so proud of us,” she said, beginning to fight off tears. “These girls have been by my side through cross country, track, and everything for the last four years, and it’s very, very exciting to end on this note. And I just love them all with my whole heart.”
Kaleigh King Wins Two Gold, Two Silver Medals
Kaleigh King was the catalyst for the team’s championship, scoring wins in the 300-meter hurdles and pole vault, finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles, and leading off the second-place 4×400 relay team.
Also mightily contributing to the state championship effort were the silver-medal (second-place) winning 4×100 relay team of Keeley Davis, Audrina Martin, London Burks, and Altheimer, and the bronze-medal (third-place) winning 4×200 relay team of Kinley Walker, Skyleigh Webb, Martin, and Altheimer.
Additional scorers were:
Taylor Borland – Third Place (100-meter hurdles), 4th Place (Pole Vault)
Kaleigh Webb – Fourth Place (Discus)
Megan Kelley – Fifth Place (800 Meters), Sixth Place (1600 Meters)
Audrina Martin – Sixth Place (800 Meters)
Gracie Gray and Rachel Bandy Earn Podium Placements for Weston
Weston High School scored a total of 18 points, led by Gracie Gray, who won a silver medal (second place) in the girls’ 300-meter hurdles with a time of 50.21 seconds, and came in 4th place in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles, setting a new WHS school record with a time of 18.10 seconds.
Rachel Bandy also earned a podium placement by winning a bronze medal (third place) in the javelin with a throw of 121′ 4″, which is a new WHS school record and 2nd best all-time in Jackson Parish annals.
NOTE: Appreciation to Jeff Roser and Louisiana vs All Y’all for the content in the article and videos.