Homecomings often elicit a wide range of emotions.

And Gabriel Clement II said he is embracing them all.

He is heading home.

The junior sprinter will compete less than 100 miles away from his hometown of Kaplan, Louisiana, on Friday and Saturday at the Battle on the Bayou in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where his family will cheer him on.

“It means everything to me; I’ve been so excited the whole time,” Clement said. “I have so many family members coming out. I have to go out there and I have to represent. I plan on doing something crazy. Everything is there for me to do.”

Clement’s hometown boasts a population of just 4,345 people and sits at Louisiana’s southern edge.

Los Angeles was a whole new world for the sprinter.

The 2025 First Team Outdoor All-American said he struggled to adapt once he arrived at UCLA in 2023, but he chose to attend because of the school’s academic and athletic prestige.

“I didn’t really have any family out here,” Clement said. “Coming out here, I knew it was going to be a whole culture shock. This is where I want to be, and UCLA is really prestigious. I knew this could take me further with my academics, but the transition was definitely rocky at first.”

Clement’s move to the West Coast also forced his family to adapt.

Kodi Clement, Gabriel Clement’s younger brother, said he has trained alongside his older brother since middle school, with their father coaching both of them.

Gabriel’s absence initially challenged Kodi’s training outlook.

The high school junior also said that the distance between California and Louisiana limited the family’s ability to travel to Gabriel’s meets.

“Being that he’s in California, we don’t really get to see him run except on the TV and see him in person, it would have been about three months now, it’s going to be nice,” Kodi said.

But even though Gabriel now lives over 1,500 miles away from his family, his younger brother said that the older Clement’s collegiate success has helped influence his own.

The high school junior is one of the top 400-meter dash runners in Louisiana and earned second at the LHSAA Indoor State Championship with a 49.81-second mark.

“Being from a small town that we live in, I didn’t really think it (Gabriel committing to UCLA) was possible,” Kodi Clement said. “After I saw that he’s made it to California, it really made me want to push more.”

Now, Kodi may return the favor as he motivates his older brother from the stands.

Family typically dictates a homecoming celebration.

But racing in front of family also brings lofty expectations.

Gabriel sustained a hamstring injury during the indoor season that sidelined him for nearly a month and limited him to just three indoor outings this year.

Track and field director Joanna Hayes said she wants to ease the junior sprinter back into competition, which includes setting realistic expectations in line with his recovery plan.

“I want to make sure he knows there’s no expectation, and this is going to be a good test for him mentally to go out there and run his race,” Hayes said. “Don’t get caught up in this worry. It’s still early, so when you have all your family there, you do want to go out a little bit, but he has to remember he can only do what he can do at this time of the season and run smart. They’re going to be proud of him no matter what.”

Clement is slated to race the 400-meter dash, his primary event, for the first time this outdoor season, and he will also compete in the 4×400-meter relay Saturday.

And despite the cultural differences between the South and the West Coast, Clement said his hometown helped shape his identity.

“It (Kaplan, Louisiana) prepared me for whatever was to come next. I’m definitely grateful for it. That’s my home, (I) love it.”