Badon Familiar With Championships
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
Tommy Badon is quite familiar with collecting track and field championships.
Review his resume and it reveals a trail of track titles at all competition levels since the 1980’s..
After his Louisiana team won the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Indoor title in February, Badon and the Cajuns have a chance to add to that accomplishment this weekend when the league teams convene at James Madison University for the outdoor championship.
Badon met with the Acadiana media on Monday to discuss the re-ascendancy of the Cajuns’ track and field program and the chances for his team to capture a conference outdoor championship on the men’s or women’s sides.
It’s been just over a year since Badon became the Louisiana track coach and just as quickly the Cajuns are being mentioned as a top contender for the outdoor title.
Texas State, Badon said, has fragile depth, but the Bobcats have legitimate talent in the field and hurdle events. Look for Texas State to challenge for the championships, said Badon.
The Cajuns, who have broken five outdoor records this year, are considered as perhaps a contender with Arkansas State as the team to beat for the title.
Louisiana, according to Badon, has sufficient speed in the men’s 400 and 800 meters. On the women’s side, there is also a deep roster.
Still Badon is remaining cautious about predictions.
“I don’t think the meet is going to be just us and Arkansas State. App State has good distance runners. It isn’t going to be by any means a dual meet,” Badon said.
Badon was a top assistant at then USL to legendary head track coach Charles Lancon when the Cajuns possessed a dominant track program.
Badon left Lafayette in 1987 to become head track coach at Blinn Junior College in Texas where his team won a 1987 national championship.
Badon later spent 12 years as a head track and football coach at Westminster Christian Academy where the Crusaders reached five state football quarterfinals and the girls’ program won a state title in 2013.
In 2014 the Louisiana Christian Academy girls won a state championship and the boys’ football team won a 2017 football title with programs Badon designed.
A year later Badon was back with Cajuns’ track.
At that time however, things weren’t completely roseate with the Louisiana track program.
Four years ago as an assistant, Badon remembers assembling a 4×100-meter relay team that included by necessity, the team’s pole vaulter
In order to improve the competitiveness and talent in the program, Badon said he turned to a familiar coaching strategy.
“Our starting point was not much, other than a dream. Our facilities have helped sell it and now we have interest that is off the chain. Parents and athletes come in here and tell us they never realized that (the facilities) could be that nice,” said Badon.
This Louisiana track chapter is still incomplete, although Badon conceded, the Cajuns have made tremendous strides, with nearly 100 athletes participating in the program which includes cross country.
“I’m a patient-impatient person. On the men’s side, we are looking to the future. This is a process and a journey. We get our athletes in competitive situations in practice, so when you get to a conference meet like this weekend, it won’t be overwhelming,” said Badon.
