University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana UnLimited – Sophie Daigle
5/12/2022 11:23:00 AM | Louisiana UnLimited
Sophie Daigle's smile began to widen as she reached out to embrace Louisiana distance coach Rocky Capello.
"I can't believe I did it!" Daigle exclaimed to Capello as they stood inside the Birmingham CrossPlex in February.
The senior had just captured the 5k title at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships with a time of 16:52.88.
The embrace marked a new peak in the pairs' relationship that dates back more than 16 years.
"Sophie joined my AAU track team in third grade and that's the first time I coached her.," Capello said.
As the young athlete began to grow older, the duo's paths continued to align with Capello serving as Daigle's middle school coach and then transitioning onto the staff at Ascension Catholic, the school that the current Ragin' Cajun would call home for her prep career.
"She was good, but she wasn't great," Capello said looking back on the early stages.
However, every step of the way, Daigle never stopped improving. As the competition peaked, she continued to shave seconds off her respective times.
"Her work is really what has propelled her," Capello said.
At Ascension, Daigle captured the Louisiana Class 1A State Outdoor Title in the 1600m meters as a junior. Then, As a senior in 2017, she repeated in the event and added the 3200m title to her records.
With one chapter closing and a collegiate decision looming, Daigle decided to continue her career at Southeastern Louisiana. The program kept her close to family and her under the tutelage of Capello who joined the school as a distance coach in 2016.
Daigle slowly climbed her way up the Southland conference leaderboards as her collegiate tenure progressed. Last year, the senior placed second in the 1500m at the outdoor championships with a time of 4:36.66 and was named to the All-Conference Second Team following the season.
After obtaining her bachelor's degree in May, Daigle eyed opportunities to not only continue her academic career, but a place to elevate her athletic performance.
Louisiana stood out from the rest for a very simple reason,
"I wanted to run with him," Daigle said.
Last March, Capello had made the drive across the Horace Wilkerson Bridge, joining the Ragin' Cajuns staff as the distance coach.
The duo, separated for just four short months, were reunited once again and ready to display a near lifetime of work to a new audience in the Sun Belt Conference.
The first opportunity came on January 14. Daigle dressed in vermillion and white for the first time at the Ted Nelson Invitational in College Station, Texas, and quickly introduced herself to a new faction of track fans in Acadiana. The newcomer smashed the Ragin Cajuns' 10k program record by over 40 seconds, finishing first with a time of 16:58.55.
Two weeks later, Daigle topped the school leaderboard with new record times in the mile and the 800m at the McNeese Invitational.
In just her first three meets Daigle had eclipsed three program records and she was only getting started. Competing against her own times, the Donaldsonville, La. native continued to reset the record books nearly every chance she got, posting faster marks in all three events as the season progressed.
The historic display culminated at the indoor championships where she paced the field with a season-best time in the 5k before soaking in the moment with her coach.
Before Daigle could leave the CrossPlex and return to Lafayette, she was recognized by her conference peers as the Sun Belt Track Newcomer of the Year.
With her presence now felt in the conference and the weather warming, Daigle not only began to stare down her new competition, but Louisiana's outdoor leaderboard as well.
Already having accomplished the goals she had once envisioned as a youth, the senior refused to relent in her performance.
Throughout the Ragin' Cajuns outdoor campaign she added three additional top times in the 10k, 5k and 1500m
With the school records captured and trophies in hand, when Capello reflects on the pairs' time together, it is the time away from the surface of competition that sticks out to the coach. His emotions heighten as he reflects on the person Daigle has become.
"She was a very shy person and watching her grow up in college and be more confident, going for her master's degree, it makes me excited," Capello said. "I've known her so long she's like one of my own kids and it makes me proud"
When Daigle enters the Home Bank Ragin' Cajuns Track and Soccer Facility on Thursday for the Sun Belt Championships she will have two opportunities to do something no Louisiana athlete has ever done, claim a 10k or 5k conference title, and when she crosses the finish line in front of the home crowd Capello will be by her side, exactly where he has been for the past 16 years.
"I can't believe I did it!" Daigle exclaimed to Capello as they stood inside the Birmingham CrossPlex in February.
The senior had just captured the 5k title at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships with a time of 16:52.88.
The embrace marked a new peak in the pairs' relationship that dates back more than 16 years.
"Sophie joined my AAU track team in third grade and that's the first time I coached her.," Capello said.
As the young athlete began to grow older, the duo's paths continued to align with Capello serving as Daigle's middle school coach and then transitioning onto the staff at Ascension Catholic, the school that the current Ragin' Cajun would call home for her prep career.
"She was good, but she wasn't great," Capello said looking back on the early stages.
However, every step of the way, Daigle never stopped improving. As the competition peaked, she continued to shave seconds off her respective times.
"Her work is really what has propelled her," Capello said.
At Ascension, Daigle captured the Louisiana Class 1A State Outdoor Title in the 1600m meters as a junior. Then, As a senior in 2017, she repeated in the event and added the 3200m title to her records.
With one chapter closing and a collegiate decision looming, Daigle decided to continue her career at Southeastern Louisiana. The program kept her close to family and her under the tutelage of Capello who joined the school as a distance coach in 2016.
Daigle slowly climbed her way up the Southland conference leaderboards as her collegiate tenure progressed. Last year, the senior placed second in the 1500m at the outdoor championships with a time of 4:36.66 and was named to the All-Conference Second Team following the season.
After obtaining her bachelor's degree in May, Daigle eyed opportunities to not only continue her academic career, but a place to elevate her athletic performance.
Louisiana stood out from the rest for a very simple reason,
"I wanted to run with him," Daigle said.
Last March, Capello had made the drive across the Horace Wilkerson Bridge, joining the Ragin' Cajuns staff as the distance coach.
The duo, separated for just four short months, were reunited once again and ready to display a near lifetime of work to a new audience in the Sun Belt Conference.
The first opportunity came on January 14. Daigle dressed in vermillion and white for the first time at the Ted Nelson Invitational in College Station, Texas, and quickly introduced herself to a new faction of track fans in Acadiana. The newcomer smashed the Ragin Cajuns' 10k program record by over 40 seconds, finishing first with a time of 16:58.55.
Two weeks later, Daigle topped the school leaderboard with new record times in the mile and the 800m at the McNeese Invitational.
In just her first three meets Daigle had eclipsed three program records and she was only getting started. Competing against her own times, the Donaldsonville, La. native continued to reset the record books nearly every chance she got, posting faster marks in all three events as the season progressed.
The historic display culminated at the indoor championships where she paced the field with a season-best time in the 5k before soaking in the moment with her coach.
Before Daigle could leave the CrossPlex and return to Lafayette, she was recognized by her conference peers as the Sun Belt Track Newcomer of the Year.
With her presence now felt in the conference and the weather warming, Daigle not only began to stare down her new competition, but Louisiana's outdoor leaderboard as well.
Already having accomplished the goals she had once envisioned as a youth, the senior refused to relent in her performance.
Throughout the Ragin' Cajuns outdoor campaign she added three additional top times in the 10k, 5k and 1500m
With the school records captured and trophies in hand, when Capello reflects on the pairs' time together, it is the time away from the surface of competition that sticks out to the coach. His emotions heighten as he reflects on the person Daigle has become.
"She was a very shy person and watching her grow up in college and be more confident, going for her master's degree, it makes me excited," Capello said. "I've known her so long she's like one of my own kids and it makes me proud"
When Daigle enters the Home Bank Ragin' Cajuns Track and Soccer Facility on Thursday for the Sun Belt Championships she will have two opportunities to do something no Louisiana athlete has ever done, claim a 10k or 5k conference title, and when she crosses the finish line in front of the home crowd Capello will be by her side, exactly where he has been for the past 16 years.
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