The Ole War Skule has produced a candidate for best athlete of the first quarter of the Twenty-First Century. Armand Duplantis has reigned as the top pole vaulter of all time for five years and is the first repeat gold medalist in the event’s Olympic competition since Bob Richards in 1956.
Duplantis is a three-time World Indoor and World Outdoor Champion and holds the world record with a vault of 20 feet, 8 inches. Duplantis has eclipsed his record 13 times. At 5-foot-11, Duplantis is soaring higher than any predecessor with greater heights to come. He turns 26 on November 10.
The Lafayette native completes for his mother’s native land of Sweden. Both of Mondo’s parents were also LSU track stars in Greg and Helena Duplantis. Several publications have assigned him the title as best athlete in the world.
When he is not shattering world records, Duplantis dabbles in music. He released his first single, “Bop,” under the name Mondo seven months ago. The song reached number 31 on the singles chart in Sweden.
In 1976, Bruce Jenner won the decathlon event in Montreal with 8,618 points, establishing a standard for his successors. Today, the best total for the event is 9,126 points. Kevin Mayer of France is five percent above Jenner’s feat nearly a half-century ago.
The same year of 1976 saw 6-foot-3 Earl Bell of Arkansas State set a pole-vaulting record of 19 feet, 3 inches. Duplantis has overpowered the marks of decorated vaulters who preceded him.
Look for Duplantis to capture a third gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Soon, the kid from Lafayette will surpass Shaquille O’Neal as the best-known athlete produced by LSU. It is significant for a track athlete to be recognized in a way customarily reserved for competitors in sports with larger box office appeal.
Dillon Joyce Reidenauer: May 30, 2006 — February 26, 2025
Six months have passed since LSU pole vaulter Dillon Reifenauer was killed in a traffic accident a few yards from Tiger Stadium. She was an 18-year-old freshman inspired to enroll at LSU by the success of Armand Duplantis.
On the afternoon of February 26, Reidenauer’s vehicle was struck by a motorcycle at the intersection of Nicholson Drive and South Quad Drive. Reidenauer did not have a chance to avoid the collision which sparked a fire. The 23-year-old motorcyclist, Bodhi Linton, also died.
Dillon was in her first year at LSU after starring at Fontainebleau High School in Abita Springs. She was captain of both the track and swimming teams, was a high school honor student and pursuing a degree in interior design. In her first semester of college, Reidenauer ascended to the Dean’s List.
Reidenauer’s obituary noted she led retreats for the Teen Encounter Christ community and brought others closer to Christ through her joyful and faithful spirit.
Dillon is survived by her parents, Braud and Aundrea and sister Ryleigh.
Charles Alexander Deserves More
LSU’s 20-10 win over Florida on Sept. 13 was highlighted by the retiring of the LSU jersey worn by Charles Alexander. The release from the university reads: “Alexander will join Billy Cannon, Tommy Casanova and Jerry Stovall as the fourth LSU football player to have his jersey retired.”
While Cannon had his number retired by LSU, the Tigers are misleading fans by implying the same honor has been bestowed on Alexander, Stovall and Casanova.
No LSU player has worn No. 20 on the field since Cannon played his last game for the Bengals in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1960. Unlike the real tribute for Cannon, LSU players continue to wear Alexander’s No.4, Stovall’s No. 21 and Casanova’s No. 37.
It is wise to retire the numbers, not the jersey, and not make a charade of this recognition. It goes without saying that nobody will wear the same jersey worn by these Tiger greats.
Somebody at the university must have been really blitzed to come up with this idea. It is so senseless that at times multiple Tigers on the same team are wearing No. 4.
Charles, Jerry and Tommy are not getting their just accolades. With expanded rosters, a way to resolve the number shortage would allow zeros before single digit numbers and use 0 and 00 to increase available numbers to 109 possibilities minus the retired numerals.
It is unfair for a player at LSU to wear 4 or 5 or 9 or 21 or 37. Most of them can never measure up to predecessors who were All Americans or Heisman Trophy winners.
The lone exception was Dalton Hilliard who was given No. 21 by Jerry Stovall in 1982. They were two of the greatest gladiators in SEC history.
When Alexander left LSU as the first back to eclipse 4,000 yards in a career with 1,883 yards coming in 1977, the first player to wear his No. 4 was Chris Hutchinson. He was a fine kid but had no business donning No. 4 synonymous with the glorious gifts of Alexander the Great.
It was an insult to Charles Alexander 45 years ago for a lesser player to have his number, and the LSU policy remains a disappointment today.
More Questions About Oak View Group
The company accused of bid rigging that is the favorite to construct a half-billion-dollar smaller basketball arena at LSU is on the cusp of receiving a windfall from the Tiger Athletic Foundation.
Published reports indicate TAF will pay Oak View $30 million the first decade of the agreement, $40 million the second decade and the company will receive $40 million for naming rights.
That’s a $110 million dollar investment to an out of state group selected without a bidding process.
Lawyers and contractors defending Oak View should have no financial stake in the deal. Otherwise, they have zero credibility.
The proposed arena is much smaller in capacity than the 15,000 plus fans available to admission to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. That number has been reached most recently by Kim Mulkey’s team and was a given for games during the Dale Brown Era.
Is this how progress is defined at LSU?
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