University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
2022 Track and Field Roster
Spates, Ta'La
Ta'La Spates
- Position:
- Sprints
- Height:
- 5-5
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Brusly, La.
- High School:
- Brusly
Bio
2023-24
Indoor: Opened the year with a 1st place showing in the 4x400 (3:54.90) at the LSU Purple Tiger Invite (Jan. 12) … Finished 4th in the 60 (7.76) and 200 (24.77) at the Samford January Invite (Jan. 19) … Ran a personal-best 7.74 in the 60 at the Crimson Elite Invitational (Feb. 2) … Finished 7th at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in the 400 with a time of 56.51.
Outdoor: Won the 4x200 (1:39.45) and finished 2nd in the SMR (4:12.38) at the McNeese Cowboy Relays ... Finished 2nd in the 4x100 (45.35) and the 4x400 (3:45.50) at the Louisiana Classics ... Placed 3rd in the 400H (1:00.27) and 4th in the 4x100 (45.13) at the Keyth Talley Invitational ... Finished 3rd in the 4x100 (45.03) and 4th in the 4x400 (3:48.55) at the Crimson Tide Invitational ... Finished 2nd in the 4x100 (45.48) at the Leon Johnson Invitational ... Won the 400H (59.00) and the 4x100 (45.20) while placing 3rd in the 100 (11.59) at the Warhawk Classic ... Finished 2nd with a personal-best 58.69 in the 400H, 3rd in the 4x100 (44.71), and was 4th in the 4x400 (3:42.18) at the Sun Belt Conference Championships ... Qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 400H, finishing 38th with a time of 59.35.
2022-23
Indoor: Opened the season with a 2nd place finish at the LSU Purple Tiger Invite in the 4x400 (45.26) … Finished 6th in the 400 (57.73) at the Houston Invitational … Claimed 2nd in the 400 (56.43) and 1st in the 4x400 (03:47.26) … Had a pair of 2nd place finishes at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, running a 54.63 in the 400 and a 3:43.28 in the 4x400.
Outdoor: Swept the 4x100 (46.34) and 4x400 (3:50.01) at the Louisiana Classics … Finished 3rd at the LSU Battle on the Bayou in the 400H (59.58) and the 4x400 (3:47.39) … Competed at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in the 400H (59.49), 4x100 (45.90), and 4x400 (3:45.63) … Won the 100 (11.64) and the 4x100 (45.24) at the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational (Apr. 15) then finished 2nd with a personal-best 23.84 in the 200 … Finished 3rd with a personal-best 59.12 at the Sun Belt Conference Championships.
2021-22
Indoor: Won the 400 at the Fastrak Collegiate Challenge with a time of 57.47 … Part of the 4x400 relay team that won the LSU Bayou Bengal Invite with a time of 3:52.48.
Outdoor: Ran in the 4x400 at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, placing 19th with at time of 3:48.19 … Finished 2nd in the 400H at the Strawberry Relays with a time of 1:01.40 … Had a strong day at the Maroon and White Invitational, placing 3rd in the 400H (1:00.75) and 2nd in the 4x400 (3:46.18) … Finished 4th at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in the 400H with a time of 59.82 … Also took 4th on the 4x10 team with a time of 45.40 … Qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 400H and ran a 1:01.47, also competed in the 4x100 running a 45.26.
2020-21
Indoor: Started off the season with a 1st place finish in the 4x400 at the LSU Purple Tiger Invite (Jan 16, 2021) with a time of 3:58.87 ... Followed that up by running a 3:53.01 in the 4x400 to place 1st in the ASU Scarlett and Black Invitational (Jan. 31), also finished 3rd in the 200 with a time of 25.30 ... Ran a 57.19 to place 2nd in the 400 at the Jaguar Invitational (Feb. 7).
Outdoor: Was part of the Louisiana team that finished 2nd at the Louisiana Classics in the 4x100 with a time of 46.69 … Ran a 44.81 in the 4x100 to place 1st at the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays (Mar. 25-27) ... Recorded a pair of podium finishes at the Crimson Tide Invitational, placing 3rd in the 400 (55.21) and the 4x100 (45.04) … Another 1st place (45.01) finish in the 4x100 and finished 2nd (11.54) in the 100 at the SLU Pre-Conference Tune Up (May 1) … Finished 4th in the 400 with a time of 54.43 at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, after running a personal-best 54.38 in the prelims … Claimed second in the SBC in the 4x100 with a time of 44.85 … Finished 12th at the NCAA East Regional in the 4x100 to qualify for the National Championships … Finished 20th in the 4x100 at the Championships with a time of 44.79.
2019-20
Indoor: Set a personal-best and posted the second-fastest time in the preliminaries of the 400 meters (55.87) at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships before finishing eighth in the finals ... had then-season best 57.17 in the 400 meters at the Houston G5/Super 22 Invitational ... ran the anchor leg of Louisiana's school-record 4x400-meter relay team that clocked a time of 3:48.06 and finished fourth at the SBC Championships ... debuted at the LSU Purple Tiger setting a season-best in the 60 meters (7.79) and helping Louisiana to a second-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay (3:58.22) ... finished second overall in the 200 meters (24.91) at the FasTrak Collegiate Invitational.
High School: A 14-time state champion at Brusly High School ... claimed four state titles in the indoor 400-meters ... a three-time winner in both the indoor and outdoor 4x200-meter relay ... claimed a pair of titles in the outdoor 4x400-meter relay and added state titles in both the outdoor 400-meters and indoor 4x400-meter relay ... finished in fourth in the 100-meters at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays ... a two-time USATF All-American in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay ... ... graduated in the top-5 percent in her class ... served as BETA Club President and was an A-Team freshman mentor.
Personal: Born August 3, 2001 in Baton Rouge, La. ... the daughter of Theus Spates and Tia and Joseph Williams ... has one brother ... mother and father each competed in track and field at Louisiana Tech ... community service work included serving as a nursing home volunteer and working on a toy and sock drive ... career ambition is to become a doctor ... a nursing major.
Indoor: Opened the year with a 1st place showing in the 4x400 (3:54.90) at the LSU Purple Tiger Invite (Jan. 12) … Finished 4th in the 60 (7.76) and 200 (24.77) at the Samford January Invite (Jan. 19) … Ran a personal-best 7.74 in the 60 at the Crimson Elite Invitational (Feb. 2) … Finished 7th at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in the 400 with a time of 56.51.
Outdoor: Won the 4x200 (1:39.45) and finished 2nd in the SMR (4:12.38) at the McNeese Cowboy Relays ... Finished 2nd in the 4x100 (45.35) and the 4x400 (3:45.50) at the Louisiana Classics ... Placed 3rd in the 400H (1:00.27) and 4th in the 4x100 (45.13) at the Keyth Talley Invitational ... Finished 3rd in the 4x100 (45.03) and 4th in the 4x400 (3:48.55) at the Crimson Tide Invitational ... Finished 2nd in the 4x100 (45.48) at the Leon Johnson Invitational ... Won the 400H (59.00) and the 4x100 (45.20) while placing 3rd in the 100 (11.59) at the Warhawk Classic ... Finished 2nd with a personal-best 58.69 in the 400H, 3rd in the 4x100 (44.71), and was 4th in the 4x400 (3:42.18) at the Sun Belt Conference Championships ... Qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 400H, finishing 38th with a time of 59.35.
2022-23
Indoor: Opened the season with a 2nd place finish at the LSU Purple Tiger Invite in the 4x400 (45.26) … Finished 6th in the 400 (57.73) at the Houston Invitational … Claimed 2nd in the 400 (56.43) and 1st in the 4x400 (03:47.26) … Had a pair of 2nd place finishes at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, running a 54.63 in the 400 and a 3:43.28 in the 4x400.
Outdoor: Swept the 4x100 (46.34) and 4x400 (3:50.01) at the Louisiana Classics … Finished 3rd at the LSU Battle on the Bayou in the 400H (59.58) and the 4x400 (3:47.39) … Competed at the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in the 400H (59.49), 4x100 (45.90), and 4x400 (3:45.63) … Won the 100 (11.64) and the 4x100 (45.24) at the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational (Apr. 15) then finished 2nd with a personal-best 23.84 in the 200 … Finished 3rd with a personal-best 59.12 at the Sun Belt Conference Championships.
2021-22
Indoor: Won the 400 at the Fastrak Collegiate Challenge with a time of 57.47 … Part of the 4x400 relay team that won the LSU Bayou Bengal Invite with a time of 3:52.48.
Outdoor: Ran in the 4x400 at the 94th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, placing 19th with at time of 3:48.19 … Finished 2nd in the 400H at the Strawberry Relays with a time of 1:01.40 … Had a strong day at the Maroon and White Invitational, placing 3rd in the 400H (1:00.75) and 2nd in the 4x400 (3:46.18) … Finished 4th at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in the 400H with a time of 59.82 … Also took 4th on the 4x10 team with a time of 45.40 … Qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 400H and ran a 1:01.47, also competed in the 4x100 running a 45.26.
2020-21
Indoor: Started off the season with a 1st place finish in the 4x400 at the LSU Purple Tiger Invite (Jan 16, 2021) with a time of 3:58.87 ... Followed that up by running a 3:53.01 in the 4x400 to place 1st in the ASU Scarlett and Black Invitational (Jan. 31), also finished 3rd in the 200 with a time of 25.30 ... Ran a 57.19 to place 2nd in the 400 at the Jaguar Invitational (Feb. 7).
Outdoor: Was part of the Louisiana team that finished 2nd at the Louisiana Classics in the 4x100 with a time of 46.69 … Ran a 44.81 in the 4x100 to place 1st at the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays (Mar. 25-27) ... Recorded a pair of podium finishes at the Crimson Tide Invitational, placing 3rd in the 400 (55.21) and the 4x100 (45.04) … Another 1st place (45.01) finish in the 4x100 and finished 2nd (11.54) in the 100 at the SLU Pre-Conference Tune Up (May 1) … Finished 4th in the 400 with a time of 54.43 at the Sun Belt Conference Championships, after running a personal-best 54.38 in the prelims … Claimed second in the SBC in the 4x100 with a time of 44.85 … Finished 12th at the NCAA East Regional in the 4x100 to qualify for the National Championships … Finished 20th in the 4x100 at the Championships with a time of 44.79.
2019-20
Indoor: Set a personal-best and posted the second-fastest time in the preliminaries of the 400 meters (55.87) at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships before finishing eighth in the finals ... had then-season best 57.17 in the 400 meters at the Houston G5/Super 22 Invitational ... ran the anchor leg of Louisiana's school-record 4x400-meter relay team that clocked a time of 3:48.06 and finished fourth at the SBC Championships ... debuted at the LSU Purple Tiger setting a season-best in the 60 meters (7.79) and helping Louisiana to a second-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay (3:58.22) ... finished second overall in the 200 meters (24.91) at the FasTrak Collegiate Invitational.
High School: A 14-time state champion at Brusly High School ... claimed four state titles in the indoor 400-meters ... a three-time winner in both the indoor and outdoor 4x200-meter relay ... claimed a pair of titles in the outdoor 4x400-meter relay and added state titles in both the outdoor 400-meters and indoor 4x400-meter relay ... finished in fourth in the 100-meters at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays ... a two-time USATF All-American in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay ... ... graduated in the top-5 percent in her class ... served as BETA Club President and was an A-Team freshman mentor.
Personal: Born August 3, 2001 in Baton Rouge, La. ... the daughter of Theus Spates and Tia and Joseph Williams ... has one brother ... mother and father each competed in track and field at Louisiana Tech ... community service work included serving as a nursing home volunteer and working on a toy and sock drive ... career ambition is to become a doctor ... a nursing major.
Michael Desormeaux Media Availability (Sep 8, 2025)
Monday, September 08
Kristi Gray Media Availability (Sep 8, 2025)
Monday, September 08
Chris McBride Media Availability (Sep 8, 2025)
Monday, September 08
Bill Davis Media Availability (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
