The HBCU Athletic Conference traditionally holds its outdoor track and field championships in Shreveport, La., and now the conference is welcoming local high school athletes to get in on the action.
Student-athletes from Caddo Parish Public Schools will compete at Lee Hedges Stadium in Shreveport the night before the college meet. These roughly 200 students will have the chance to be seen by 13 HBCU head coaches and recruiters, making college athletics more accessible to students who may not be able to travel to tryouts across the country.
HBCU Athletic Conference commissioner Kiki Baker Barnes told The Fort Bend Herald, “They're going to have the opportunity to have coaches see them. They don't have to travel to our institutions to try out. They're going to be trying out right on the field during the competition (…) right here in their hometown.”
Some of the HBCUs present at the competition will include Stillman College, Voorhees University and Wilberforce University.
The agreement between the HBCU Athletic Conference and Caddo Parish Public Schools to use Lee Hedges Stadium for the championships has existed for the past three years. With the addition of the high school programming, the two organizations have extended their partnership for another three years.
“We are proud of our facility,” said Barnes. “We are proud of what the taxpayers here in Caddo Parish have allowed us to do. This event is what this facility is for.”
To ensure the longevity of the program, Caddo Schools athletic director Anthony Tisdale, told The Fort Bend Herald that a youth summer track program will also begin in 2025 to encourage participation in track and field.
"If we start a summer track program, we give young people something to do and will start seeing the economic impact it could have on the Shreveport-Bossier area," said Tisdale.
