Fast track to gold: Cagle recipients driven to succeed
Barbe pole vaulter Carter Hooks and Washington-Marion jumper Taylar Brown pushed themselves to the max as seniors and medaled at the state meet for the first time.
They are this year's recipients of the 54th Cagle Award as voted by Calcasieu Parish high school track and field coaches.
The award has been presented to the top track and field athletes in Calcasieu Parish since 1971. It is named for the late Kenneth 'Bobby' Cagle, a supporter of track and field and a former state legislator and businessman.
Boys field – Carter Hooks, Barbe
Hooks topped out at 13 feet as a junior last season and finished fifth at the Class 5A state meet, but became a state champion in his final season. He cleared 14-51/4 to beat defending champion Miller Malley of Benton on a tiebreaker. At the Division I indoor state meet in February, he was runner-up to Malley.
'He is just a fearless competitor,' Barbe boys head track coach Mitch Amy said. 'He has always been that.
'That, combined with a lot of practice and a lot of good coaching, is what got him to where he was this year. He always had the potential. He was willing to do anything, and it all came together this year.
'He actually could have been on our 4×100. He is fast. I didn't make him do that, and he just focused on pole vault. That just shows you what kind of athlete he is. He is explosive and fast. The light bulb finally went off, and he was really fun to watch.'
He ranked third outdoor (15-0) and fourth indoor (13-111/4) in the state this season, and he did it all despite various injuries, including a broken arm before the 2024 football season.
'The kid is tough as nails,' Amy said. 'He came back and played the back half of the (football) season. That didn't stop him.
'He competed in indoor (track) and did really well. From there, he attacked outdoor and continued to get better. He battled some adversity along the way and was a little beat up with back issues, but the thing with Carter is, it didn't matter. He is going to fight through everything.'
Boys track – Kaleb Bigwood, Hamilton Christian
In 2024, the indoor and outdoor state meets didn't go the way Bigwood had hoped, but it didn't deter him from trying again in 2025, and it paid off to earn his second Cagle Award in three seasons.
The junior won the Division II indoor 400-meter (50.36 seconds) state championship and the outdoor Class 1A 400 (48.82) state title, plus the 4×100 relay. Also at the state meet, he ran personal bests in the 100- (11.00) and 200-meter dashes (21.19) to place third and second, respectively.
'His season was in one word grateful due to his season last year with the back-to-back falls at indoor and outdoor state and being able to hit 47 at Leesville's track meet back in April,' Hamilton head track coach Aleyah Donald said. 'For him to come back and be able to even want to continue to run after two falls and the passing of his mother, I am just happy that this kid defeated all odds.'
In three seasons, Bigwood has won nine medals at state meets, including six golds, and Donald said he hasn't reached his full potential yet.
'He is not even done,' Donald said. 'He has one more season left, and I am definitely excited to see what he has in store. I know we haven't unlocked all of his (potential) yet.'
He ran the top 400 indoor time in the state this season at 48.79 seconds and recently ran a personal-best 47.51 to win the 400 at the Great Southwest meet in New Mexico, which moved him into second in the state this year.
Bigwood is the third Hamilton Christian athlete to win a Cagle Award and the first since Ben Avery in 2015.
Girls field – Taylar Brown, Washington-Marion
Brown has won many medals in her career at Washington-Marion, and with a renewed focus as a senior, she won her first medal at the state meet and placed sixth in two other events.
She was the Class 4A long jump runner-up at LSU in May with a distance of 18-71/4. She placed sixth in the 200 (25.91) and triple jump (35-61/2).
Longtime head coach Gordon Thompson said running the 100 and 200 helped her improve overall.
'The amazing part about it is that she concentrated on it more this year,' Thompson said. 'She was determined. Once she cleared 17 feet, she started seeing 18 feet and saying, 'Coach, I am thinking 18 feet.'
'She and Coach Avery talked about it a lot. She started working on her technique, speed and running. We finally convinced her to get in the 200 and that helped her with her speed down the runway. Once she bought in, she just worked so hard.'
She set a career-best mark of 19-51/2, the third best in the state this season, to win the Class 4A, Region I championship.
Brown is the fifth athlete from W-M to win a Cagle Award and the first since Christian Edwards won in 2017.
Girls track – Kennedi Burks, Barbe
Whether it was indoors or outdoors, Burks was unbeatable in the 400. She won her third consecutive 400 outdoor state title and second consecutive indoor.
She won her second consecutive Cagle Award.
'It was awesome,' Barbe girls track head coach Pricilla Ibarra said. 'She just had a very good, consistent season.
'Last year was when we really saw her take off. This year was about being consistent. She started the season off so strong. She started at 53.8, and that was the fastest season opener that I had seen before. It was incredible. She was very determined.'
Burks also led Barbe to a gold medal in the outdoor 4×400 and finished her career with 12 medals at state meets.
Her last outdoor 400 race was one of the closest of her career as she held on to beat Hahnville's Madison Bailey by 0.03 seconds with a time of 53.82 seconds.
'State was a very close finish, and she still found a way to break through and get that win,' Burks said. 'That shows a lot about her character the determination that she had.'
Burks, an LSU signee, leaves high school with the state outdoor (53.44) and indoor (54.36) composite records.
'Every race she runs just reminds me how fast she is,' Ibarra said. 'I almost forget in the moment, but when she takes off you are reminded of it right then and there.'
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