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February 28, 2012National Media’s ‘Linsanity’ becoming a real pain in the butt
February 28, 2012
Take a glance at Central Lafourche track standout Abby Lazard’s trophy case and it’s hard to envision an award or medal the senior hasn’t yet won.
“I have 54 minus a few that I lost,” the senior says of her prizes, eyeballing her collection with pride.
This past weekend, the senior added the last piece to her shelf at the prep level – a state championship gold medal.
After dominating the local track scene for the past several seasons, Lazard showcased her talent on the state level, easily winning the triple jump state championship at the 2012 LHSAA State Indoor Track Meet, which was held on Feb. 18 at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on LSU’s campus.
Lazard’s winning jump was a personal best 37-feet, 5 and a half inches, which easily outpaced the second place jump of silver medalist and teammate Kierranika Duncan, who posted a 35-foot, 7 and a half inch mark.
“It feels good,” Lazard said. “It feels good knowing that you’re the best at something. To be the best in the state? That’s even better. This is just an awesome feeling.
“To be able to do this with my teammate made it even more fun. I’m proud of her. She’s good. I was fortunate to be able to beat her. In the triple jump, she’s like the only competition really that I have, so that’s fun to me.”
It didn’t take long for Lazard to put the gold medal in her sights in the triple jump competition.
In just her second jump of the preliminary round, the All-State standout posted a 36-foot leap, which placed her easily in first place – a spot she’d never relinquish.
“I sort of knew after that jump that I had won, honestly,” Lazard said. “Honestly, I was thinking about just not jumping again unless someone beat my mark and just passing on the rest of my jumps, but I decided to keep going.”
It’s a good thing she did.
In the finals, Lazard saved her best jump for last and unleashed the winning leap – her personal best.
She said she’s eclipsed 37-feet, 5-inches in practice, but had never gotten to that mark in competition.
“I was competing against myself for most of the event,” Lazard said. “I’m glad I didn’t stop. I was able to get my PR, which is something I’m very proud of.”
Even in victory, the truth is that Lazard actually had eyes for a much larger day at the state indoor meet.
The Central Lafourche senior is also one of – if not the best – prep long jumper in Louisiana, with several jumps that rank among the top marks in the state.
She never got test her skills with the best at the meet.
One can thank Mother Nature for that.
With heavy rains and severe weather sweeping through Louisiana the day of the meet, Lazard and the rest of her team were delayed getting to Baton Rouge from Mathews – about an hour and 30 minute drive.
The Trojans’ team arrived just as the long jump’s qualifying was getting wrapped up and officials didn’t allow Lazard to get into the event as a late entrant.
To make matters worse, the winning leap in the event was just more than 17-feet, which is well less than the 18-foot, 4-inch jump Lazard posted at the state outdoor meet last spring.
That math, combined with recent marks she had posted in preparation leading up to the meet, leads the Trojan to believe she would have been a strong contender for a second gold had she been able to compete.
“I don’t know for sure that I would have won,” Lazard said. “But I would have been there. I definitely would have been near all of the leaders had I went in and jumped by best. The whole time I was doing high jump, I was upset. I really was very upset.
“And I was just one minute late, too. Just 60 seconds.”
Lazard turned her anger into motivation – finishing the day strong.
The senior finished with a bronze medal in the high jump, the event she says is “easily” her worst of the jumping trio.
Her best jump in that event was 5-feet, 2-inches.
The high jump success paved the way for the triple jump victory.
“I was proud of the bronze, too,” Lazard said. “I’m not as known for high jumping as I am for long and triple, so to show that I could compete with the best in that event was pretty special for me, too.”
With the momentum on her side, the Central Lafourche senior said she is now turning her full attention to the outdoor season, where she is hungry to win more gold.
Lazard said standing on the podium slightly above the other competitors at the indoor meet was an appetizer for her.
Now, she’s hungry for more.
With progression, Lazard said she believes she can medal – if not win – all three jumping events at the state outdoors.
“I want to do the same thing in outdoor that I did in indoor,” Lazard said. “I want to do the best that I can and win. I really believe that if I perform my best, that it’s possible.”
Maybe then, her massive collection will be complete.
At the prep level, at least.
Central Lafourche track star Abby Lazard poses with her medals – a collection that totals more than 50. Lazard won the state triple jump at the LHSAA Indoor Track Meet this past weekend.
