Caitlin Domingues of Erath signs with UL

Friday was a big day for Caitlin Domingues, the Domingues family and for the Erath Bobcats.

On Friday, Caitlin Domingues signed a scholarship offer to run track for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as a sprinter.

“I’m very, very, very excited about this,” Caitlin Domingues said. “I’m very excited, but it has been a lot of work and the work is far from over. I’m just excited to get started.”

Caitlin’s father Jim Domingues was almost speechless about his daughter signing with UL.

“I am more proud than words can say,” Jim Domingues said. “It has been a lot of hard work, and she has been working so hard since she was in the seventh grade. Charlotte (Jim’s wife) and I are just so proud and excited.”

This is a big deal for a multitude of reasons.

For starters, it is always good to see an athlete that has worked as hard as Caitlin has be rewarded for all the hard work and effort she has put in at perfecting her performance on the track.

Secondly, according to the Erath girls track coach Jonathan Bouillion, Caitlin is the first girls track athlete to sign a schlorship with a university.

Thirdly, and most importantly Caitlin will be the fourth member of the Domingues family to run track at UL.

Caitlin is following in the footsteps of her grandfather and both great uncles.

“We are very thrilled that she is going to run at UL,” Grandfather Jimmy Domingues said. “It also is more sweet that she is going to UL where I and my brothers ran it’s like a family tradition.”

Caitlin’s uncles are just as proud of her as her father and grandfather are.

“We are extremely excited,” great uncle Ed Domingues said. “We have been watching her since she was a ninth grader, and we have been to a lot of her meets, and it is a pleasure to watch her compete. She is as determined a person as you can
find. We are extremely, extremely proud of what she has done and how she has handled herself.”

Caitlin herself understands how important it is that she is the fourth member of the Domingues family to run track at UL.

“It’s awesome to carry on the tradition,” Caitlin said. “I’m just so happy to make them proud.”

Even though she had family members that ran at UL, she didn’t feel any extra pressure to sign with UL.

“They talked to me about it,” Caitlin said. “They didn’t want to push me into anything. They did ask me a lot of questions, but they left the decision up to me.

“I got letters from other places, but I always wanted to go to UL and I figured if I have the opportunity I better take it.”

While at UL she plans on majoring in either Nursing or Dental Hygiene, but she has time to decide on what she wants to major in.

There is still an entire track season ahead of her.

Caitlin runs in the 100 and 200 meter dashes.

Along with those, she is also a member of the 4X100 and 4X200 meter relays teams.

Her coach at Erath is also very excited for Caitlin, but knows that there is still an entire season to go.

“Caitlin brings leadership and a great work ethic,” Head Track Coach Jonathan Bouillion said. “She just has all of those traits you could ask for in an athlete.”

Coach Bouillion also knows that all of these traits will help Caitlin when she starts her career at UL.

“Caitlin has a lot of upside, a lot of untapped potential,” Bouillion said. “She has been a two sport athlete and I think once she gets to UL and focuses on track she will be able to reach all of that untapped potential.”

Domingues, before she can begin her UL career, still has one more season at Erath, and the season begins here in the next couple of weeks.

So if you ever wanted to know what a collegiate track athlete looks like, just go watch Caitlin Domingues sprint at any of the Erath track meets.

Andy Bullard
Sport Editor