Signing update: State champs Cannon, Smith pick colleges

As we near closer and closer to the start of high school outdoor track and field season, seniors from across the state are signing to compete in college next school.

A pair of state champions from last year have landed new homes.

Liberty's Morgan Cannon won the MSHSAA Class 5 State Championship in the javelin last spring with a personal best throw of 148 feet, 3 inches.

She is headed to Missouri next season.

In her social media post announcing the move she said, "I am blessed and excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Missouri. I couldn't be more grateful for God guiding me through this journey and to everyone who has supported me along the way. I am so happy and proud to be a part of such an amazing program, and can't wait for the adventures to come! GO TIGERS!"



Grayson Smith from Webb City is headed to Pittsburg State.

He won the pole vault event at the MSHSAA Class 4 State Championship with a jump of 15-5 ¾ - finishing the spring season undefeated. His career-best jump is 16-4 ¾ - at the Class 4 District 6 meet.

He was the runner-up his sophomore season and has won the Central Ozark Conference championship both years he competed - his freshman season was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Find a full list of college signings in Missouri here

Two by Two

Hannibal-LaGrange University, an NAIA school in Hannibal, has signed Connor Bross from Palmyra and Jose Soto from Bowling Green.

Bross has run cross country and track and field for Palmyra for the past three years. He attended Clark County his freshman season.

Soto qualified for the state Class 3 cross country finals twice in high school.

Fellow NAIA school Columbia College in Columbia has signed Hollister's Silas Woodbury and Nick Hunkins from Pacific.

Hunkins was a Class 4 State XC Championship qualifier in the fall and was the runner-up in the Four Rivers Conference Championships. He went to state all four years in cross country

He ran the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs and did the triple jump in outdoor track and field.

Woodbury was a state qualifier last year at the MSHSAA State Championship in the high jump. He also went to sectionals in the 110-meter hurdles and discus.

OTHER SIGNINGS

- Luther Supancic from Waynesville is headed to Division II Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar. He was a Class 5 State XC Championship qualifier this past fall. He was a sectional qualifier in javelin during his junior season for the Tigers.

- Liberty's Britta Foust is headed to Springfield to run for Missouri State. She was a three-time state qualifier in Class 5 in cross country and went to state last year in the 3,200-meter - the first year competing in track and field.