LAKE CHARLES – The art of becoming a great javelin thrower is more than just physical and mental preparation, there's a lot of will to succeed that has to be incorporated.
 
That's something the McNeese javelin throwers have built over time which has carried into the 2024 season, possibly the greatest in school history.
 
Led by seniors Blanche Beard for the Cowgirls and Hunter Longino for the Cowboys, McNeese's rocket launchers have guided their programs to some of the best in the nation this season – the Cowgirls are currently ranking No. 9 in the NCAA by the USTFCCCA as a unit while the Cowboys are 18^th in this week's poll.
 
But the success of the javelin event at McNeese has been around for nearly 50 years when Jim Gonsoulin captured the program's first Southland Conference title in the event in 1975. That began a string of three straight titles won by the Cowboys and six over the following 10 years.
 
To date, the McNeese Cowboys have won a total of 11 individual gold medals at the Southland Conference Outdoor Championships, more than any other conference in the league, past or present. The Cowgirls have won eight championships.
 
Both Longino and Beard are returning champions from the 2023 season while Beard is looking to make it three straight titles to close out her collegiate career.
 
"This season has been a lot different than any other," said Beard, a Hackberry native. "Mainly because before it was just me and Hunter or me and another person. This year I have five other girls come out and do the thing and its completely changed everything. They're like my best friends and they're good. They push me to be better every day because they are so good at what they do."
 
Those Beard are speaking of are sophomores Hadley Riley, Addisyn Bonsall and Allison Freeman, and freshmen Sydnie Cooley and Faith Cauthron. The six make up the top six rankings in the Southland Conference in the event, something that hasn't been seen by throws coach Ben Chretien, a McNeese Hall of Fame javelin thrower and 2012 All-American.
 
"That's something as a coach you always dream about, having the top throwers in the league," said Chretien who has mentored five conference champions in in the event during his coaching career. "The last time I've seen anyone come close to having the top six rankings in their league was North Dakota State a few years ago when they placed in the top seven."
 
Beard is not only ranked No. 1 in the conference, she's also ninth in the NCAA South Central Region, 12^th on the NCAA East Qualifying List and 32^nd nationally.
 
Her best throw of 164-5 this season helped he win the B Section at the prestigious Texas Relays while setting a new personal record and the second-longest throw in school history. She's captured first place in all five meets thrown this season and has 13 wins in her college career, including the 2022 and 2023 conference titles.
 
Longino, ranked No. 2 in the Southland, eighth in region, 16^th on East Qualifying List and 36^th nationally, seems to be peaking at the right moment. His last two throws have gone for over 200 feet with his most recent, hitting 223-6 (68.13 meters), just shy of what he thinks it will take to make nationals.
 
"I think 70 meters will get it done," said the senior from Oakdale. "This season started off kind of slow for me but it's starting to pick up and getting back to how I was in my first year."
 
Longino placed fourth as a freshman at the 2021 SLC Championships and qualified for the nationals with a 12^th place finish at the East Preliminary Round, earning All-American Honorable Mention honors. He missed the 2022 outdoor season after having shoulder surgery but rebounded last season by winning four events, including the conference championship.
 
"I'm climbing. These next couple of meets, I'm gonna have to hit it all. I have a big throw coming. I still have some little stuff that I can fix, but I know I have it coming," he said.
 
Ryland, a native of Effie, is currently ranked No. 2 in the Southland with a season-best throw of 148-9. She's also 14^th in the region, 30^th in the East and 86^th nationally. Behind her is Cooley (3^rd, 136-3), Bonsall (4^th, 134-7), Cauthron (5^th, 133-3), and Freeman (6^th, 133-2).
 
"Hadley has really come along nicely," said Beard. "She's good for sure. Ever since last year, my dad would have me call him after every practice and ask how far in front of Hadley I was. I'd tell him, I'm not gonna lie, she's close. She's close."
 
"This has been quite an experience. A lot of fun," said the freshman Cooley from Lacassine. "I definitely look up to her (Beard) a lot. She's very good. She's very good in practice too. She's a great teammate and a great role model."
 
Not to be outdone though, the Cowboys have five throwers ranked in the top 10 in the conference along with Longino.
 
Trey Marsh is ranked fifth (175-10), Darren Taylor is sixth (174-10), Tanny Beard at No. 7 (173-9), and Tyler Challis is ninth at 172-8.
 
HOME-GROWN TALENT
All top six Cowgirl throwers can pretty much call Southwest Louisiana their home.
 
Along with Beard (Hackberry), Ryland (Effie; more CENLA), and Cooley (Lacassine), Bonsall is from Bell City, Cauthron from Reeves and Freeman from Eunice.
 
Three of the five Cowboys ranked in the top 10 in the league are from SWLA – Longino (Oakdale), Beard (Hackberry) and Marsh (Leesville) while Taylor hails from Zachary and Challis from Canada.
 
"Recruiting local talent holds a special place to me," said Chretien, an Elton native. "Since becoming a coach, I kind of molded what I felt worked for me to continue to learn over the years and applied that to them.
 
"I always tell them the biggest difference between doing it in high school and doing it here is that it's an organized yearly plan here. You always have to remain patient and have to stay consistent and then stay persistent throughout the whole thing."
 
Being from a small town, Beard has gotten the attention she deserves and has earned from her community.
 
"We have one little grocery store there and when I walk in, everyone just stops and congratulates me and tells me how proud they are of me," she said. "It's awesome. I think it's even more special to be from a small town because they are so proud of me. That make is much sweeter."
 
DYNASTY IN THE MAKING?
Chretien doesn't think about that but he's open to whatever happens, happens.
 
"It's not really part of the plan," he said. "But if it happens. You know, we're just trying to develop athletes and at the end of the day, chase a (conference championship) ring. And if we can say we did our part at the end of the day, then that year was a success a lot of times, it's getting them to believe from the very beginning. I make them believe that they can contribute right away."
 
CHAMPIONSHIP GOALS
According to a track and field score projection website, the Cowgirls are predicted to win the 2024 SLC Outdoor Track and Field team championships with the javelin event projected to earn 36 points.
 
"We just want a ring," said Chretien who referenced the indoor season where the Cowgirls missed out on the title to Northwestern State by 64 points. The Cowgirls did not have conference champion Morgan Talley for the indoor season (redshirt) but has returned for the outdoor slate and could win 30 points or more by herself.
 
"We didn't have certain pieces to the puzzle at the indoors. I write down on our board every day how many points we lost by. If you take those 30-plus points that Morgan can give us and we finish 1-6 in the javelin, that's 26 more points, well there's the difference."
 
McNEESE JAVELIN HISTORY
From the first Cowboys' SLC champion by Jim Gonsoulin in 1975 to the first Cowgirl champion by Jill Hayes in 1990, McNeese's javelin program has collected 19 total javelin gold medals, more than any school in the history of the league. The programs have also produced eight All-Americans.
 
Beard and Longino are looking to add to those gold medal totals but will be pushed by the future of a program that continues to build on its true dynasty.