Feb 25, 2021
Senior hurdler Lanard Harris became a two-time State Champion at the 2021 LHSAA Indoor Track and Field State Meet. Lanard Harris recorded the fastest time in the 60 Meter Hurdles to become the Division I State Champion. He was also the 2019 Class 4A State Champion in the 300 Meter Hurdles.
Lanard Harris led a group of young sprinters who qualified for this year’s Indoor Track State Meet. Sophomores Tramon Douglas, Dawaun Harris, Jay’veon Haynes, and J’marcus Sewell rounded out the Panthers who qualified for the meet. The sophomores made up three-quarters of the Panther 4×200 Meter Relay team which qualified for the state meet.
Entering the meet, which was held at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on LSU’s campus, the Woodlawn 4×200 Meter Relay team had the 10th fastest qualifying time, narrowly making the cut for qualification. The Panthers turned heads by finishing third in the state with a time of 1:32.89, shaving nearly two seconds off of their qualifying time. The relay team consisted of Sewell, Lanard Harris, Dawaun Harris, and anchor Haynes.
Lanard Harris, by all accounts, was the favorite entering the 60 Meter Hurdles. His qualifying time of 8.13 was the fastest going into the State Meet. He matched that time to win the State Championship. He looks to carry that momentum into the outdoor track season, where he will attempt to repeat at the 300 Meter Hurdles champion.
The Panthers have begun practicing for the Outdoor Track and Field season. They will host St. Michael in a closed scrimmage on Thursday, February 25. Their first official meet will be on Wednesday, March 3rd at the Brusly Invitational.
Feb 23, 2021
Kaitlyn Arceneaux is in her second year of the Woodlawn High School JROTC program. During her first year in the program, as Private First Class, Kaitlyn found that she truly enjoyed the JROTC program. She stood out in her LET group, and was promoted at the beginning of her sophomore year to Cadet Sergeant.
Later during her sophomore year, Cadet Sergeant Kaitlyn was chosen to represent the Woodlawn High School JROTC Department for the East Baton Rouge Parish District LET II competition.
“I was very excited when I found out that JROTC staff selected me as the LET II representative for Woodlawn High,” said Arceneaux. “There were several other qualified cadets that they could have selected, so I was surprised and honored to be selected.”
On February 11, 2021, Cadet Sergeant Kaitlyn Arceneaux competed with other cadets in the Baton Rouge District. She did an outstanding job and placed second in the competition.
“Kaitlyn represented Woodlawn High School very well and the JROTC staff is extremely proud of her,” commented Sergeant First Class (R) Jill Pearl. Kaitlyn has worked very hard and been a dedicated cadet in our program for the past two years. The staff looks forward to watching her grow as a leader and see what she accomplishes in the next two years.”
Outside of the JROTC program, Arceneaux has maintained a 4.5 GPA at Woodlawn High School. She is a two-year varsity letterman for the Lady Panther soccer team, and has recently joined the Lady Panther softball team. She plans to attend LSU after her time as a Panther, and hopes to one day become a veterinarian.
Feb 23, 2021
The Woodlawn Panther Basketball program was notified of its playoff seeding Monday, February 23rd, and the opponent is extremely familiar.
The Panthers will travel to face fellow District 5-5A member East Ascension. The Spartans received the #13 seed in the LHSAA Class 5A Playoff Bracket, meaning Woodlawn is the #20 seed. This is the third year that the Panthers have travelled in the first round of the playoffs. The 2018-2019 team was the 25th seed, and the 2019-2020 team was the 21st seed.
Given the obstacles that the season presented, Coach Voight and the Panthers are excited about the opportunity.
“Considering that seven or eight months ago, we were not sure if we would even have a season, we are extremely excited about the playoffs,” said Coach Voight. “We were unable to have summer league, our preseason workouts were pushed back, and we had to deal with quarantines. We are just grateful that we are in the position we are in.”
Despite being the higher ranked team, East Ascension comes into the contest with an 11-12 record. Coach Voight has already warned his team not to underestimate the Spartans based on this.
“Our players have already been cautioned about EA. They have some quality losses. Their losses have come to teams in the top-five, and top-ten, of their classifications. They have also beaten some quality teams, notably White Castle and Alexandria, who are both top ten teams.”
The Panthers and Spartans will be facing each other for the first time this season. The teams were scheduled to play on January 28th, but a Covid-19 quarantine postponed that game. The two coaching staffs discussed a makeup date, but weather and ice cancelled the last week of the season for both teams. This adds adversity for both programs, as each team will have been off for at least 13 days.
Coach Voight points to making shots and valuing possessions as keys to the game.
“I look for this game to be a grind, and we will need to hit some shots,” said Coach Voight. “We haven’t been able to do that during district. We have to keep them out of transition as much as possible, so we must limit turnovers.”
The Panthers and Spartans will tip-off on Friday, February 26th, 7 pm on the East Ascension campus. Tickets must be purchased on-line using a link that will be provided by East Ascension on Friday morning.
Feb 22, 2021
When first year Head Baseball Coach Jonathan Kohn accepted the position at Woodlawn High, he knew that there was a rich baseball history at the school.
“This program has a long history of successful baseball, and I hope to continue that winning tradition throughout the years to come,” said Kohn.
The Panthers were off to a promising start in 2020, starting the season with a 4-2 record before being shut down. Coach Kohn is looking for a core group of returning players to continue that start into the 2021 season.
Seniors Jude Serio and Terrell Landry are both returning starters that Coach Kohn will lean on for early leadership. Serio will play shortstop and will be a steady arm on the mound. Landry looks to continue to be solid as he returns to his role as first baseman. Junior catcher Khalil Lee, junior outfielder Braeden Hodges, and junior infielder Mekhi Thomas are also all returning to help the Panthers.
The Panthers look to be led by three main arms on the mound this year. Sophomores Rickie Collins and Kenny James will be joined by senior transfer Troy Washington, who will add a left-handed arm to the rotation.
Along with Washington, Kohn expects newcomers Derek Johnson, Hannan McCant, Jaden Sylvester, and Willie Nunnery to all fight for starting positions and add depth to the Panthers lineup this season.
Coach Kohn is excited about the beginning of the season and the challenges that his team will face.
“I am looking forward to competing in every game on the schedule. Every game is going to be a challenge for us. I believe we have a great group of young men that are willing to take on those challenges. That first game against St. John of Plaquemine will tell us a lot about ourselves and where we are at as a team.”
With these challenges, Kohn says that he as realistic expectations.
“My expectations are that all members of the Woodlawn Baseball program, players and coaches included, give their best effort day-in and day-out. We have a group of young men that have showed their commitment throughout the fall and winter to the Woodlawn Baseball program. Our players have to continue to be committed to getting better every day, as individuals and as a team. One of main goals for every season is to play our best baseball at the end of the season. I hope to compete for a district championship against our extremely competitive 5A district opponents.”
Because of the long baseball history at Woodlawn High, Coach Kohn is extremely excited about welcoming alumni back into the program. His first step is to host a Woodlawn Baseball Alumni Day, on February 27th.
“I am extremely excited about our Alumni Day. I am looking forward to seeing all the past members of the Woodlawn Baseball family come out to support us against Family Christian. We are looking forward to a great season, and go Panthers!”
For any questions about the baseball program, please reach out to Coach Kohn via email at [email protected].
Feb 10, 2021
Like many people, sophomore Lauren Earl has always wanted to be a business owner. Unlike many, Lauren did not only dream about starting her own business, she did it.
“For my 14th birthday, I ordered a birthday pin for myself,” Lauren explained. “As my birthday got closer, I found out that the pin was not going to be made. I asked my mom if we could go to Hobby Lobby, and I made my own pin.”
The pin created buzz on social media, and soon Lauren was getting messages from friends and family asking if she could make their birthday pins. This led to the creation of her business.
In February of 2019, as an 8th grade student, Lauren created Luxe’ Creations by Lauren. Lauren is self-taught, relying on books and YouTube videos for inspiration. The business specialized in pins for birthdays and special events.
In March of 2020, just as business was beginning to increase, Covid-19 shut the state of Louisiana down. Unlike the state, Lauren’s spirit was not shut down.
“When the state went into lockdown, we could not get my supplies for pins as frequently as we could before,” said Lauren. “People weren’t asking for the pins as much, either. Nobody needed a birthday pin when they could not go out for their birthday.”
“I was watching TikTok one day, and saw a video of a girl making chocolate covered treats. I knew that I could do the same things she was doing.”
Luxe’ Creations by Lauren has turned into a business that provides a variety of treats, including chocolate-covered strawberries, pretzels, Rice Crispy treats, Oreos, cake pops, cakesicles, and hot chocolate bombs. Orders are prepared as they are made, allowing Lauren to customize her products to meet her customers’ needs. Lauren has built a loyal customer base, and her business continues to grow from social media exposure and word of mouth.
She has also been able to continue growing because of the support she receives from her parents, Lawrence and Mekisha.
“My mom and dad have always been supportive of everything I do, from dance and volleyball when I was young, to Luxe Creations now. Their support and guidance mean everything to me.”
When Lauren is not busy growing Luxe’ Creations, she stays busy at Woodlawn High. She is a Great Scholars student who carries a 4.31 GPA while taking advanced level and AP courses. Lauren is also a member of Woodlawn’s Talented Theater program and an active member of the DECA Chapter. She is also a member of the Lady Panther Volleyball team and participated in Powerlifting as a freshman.
Lauren wants to encourage others who are dreaming of starting their own business to “just start it. If you really put your mind to something and set your goals, you can achieve anything.”
Anyone interested in placing orders with Lauren can contact her through her Instagram account, @luxecreationsby_lauren, or through her Facebook account, Luxe Creations by Lauren.
