Class 3
The Boys
The Sprinters and Hurdlers
Donovan McIntosh - St. Mary's
St. Mary's senior Donovan McIntosh was a major player in the Dragons' rise to the top 4 in Class 3 last spring. If he has a similar season, he may just push St. Mary's up into Class 4 if he's not careful.
McIntosh is the top Class 3 returner in the 200 and 400, and second best in the 100. He owns personal bests of 10.84, 21.94, and 49.63, and qualified for the Class 3 state meet in all three events. McIntosh earned 3rd in both the 200 and 400. St. Mary's won the state championship in the 4x100 relay without him, but could certainly use him this year.
McIntosh will be a major player in each of the sprint events this spring and the leader of a state podium potential team.
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Kaiden Snyder - St. James
The top returner in Class 3 in the 100 meter dash is St. James' Kaiden Snyder by a wide margin. He enters the 2023 season with a personal best of 10.73.
While this is one of only two of his marks under 11.1, Snyder has surely shown it's not a fluke. He's also the 3rd fastest returner in the 110m Hurdles - continuing the recent trend of success for St. James hurdlers - with a 15.09 personal best. He was 3rd at the Class 3 state meet last year. His 300 Hurdles best of 40.67 is 3rd among returners, as well.
Snyder also has 200 and 400 bests of 22.47 and 51.75 to his name, showing that he can really do it all. What he settles on this spring beyond the hurdle events will be interesting to see.
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William Gaines-Parker - Kennett
Rising sophomore William Gaines-Parker had a phenomenal first high school season, running a MO No. 2 mark among freshmen of 10.97 in the 100 meter dash. He finished an impressive 4th in the event at the Class 3 state meet. His 200 mark of 22.86 was 11th among Missourian freshmen, too, and 3rd in Class 3 behind Keith Bass and Dierre Hill.
Gaines-Parker also showed some promise in the high, triple, and long jumps. The bootheel native should be one of the top athletes to watch in the 100 meter dash this spring in Class 3.
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Maury Sullivan - Normandy
The second best returner in the 200 is Normandy's Maury Sullivan. Sullivan made a big leap in the 2022 track season, grabbing 5th place in the Class 3 200, and posting a 22.12 personal best. He improved by over a second and a half from his 2021 campaign.
Sullivan is also tied for 3rd best in the 400 with a 49.88 mark. He was 8th in both prelims and finals at the Class 3 state meet in his first year giving the event a try.
Watch for Sullivan to take another step forward in the long sprints and challenge for even more hardware this spring.
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Jesus Flores-Hernandez - Maryville
Maryville's Jesus Flores-Hernandez had a busy and eventful junior year with 39 performances recorded across 6 different events. Where he stuck out, though, was the 400 meter dash.
The Spoofhound returns tied for 3rd with Sullivan in the Class 3 400 meter dash ranks. His 49.88 best came in late April, but his 50.00 mark at the state meet was still good enough for 4th overall.
Flores-Hernandez is also 6th among returners in the 300 Meter Hurdles (41.67), tied for 3rd in the high jump with a 6-6 mark from the Great Southwest Classic. He was 5th in that event in Class 3 last year, too. Watch out for the multi-talented Jesus Flores-Hernandez as he seeks out his first state title in any one of these events.
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Bryce Payne - Owensville
The only Class 3 athlete heading into the 2023 season with marks under 15 and 40 in the 110 and 300 Meter Hurdles is Owensville's Bryce Payne.
Payne came on strong in the second half of the 2022 season, dropping all the way down to 14.89 en route to the Class 3 victory in the 110 meter hurdles. It was a 2.5 second drop year-over-year. He ended up as the Class 3 runner-up in the 300 Meter Hurdles, dropping massive time there as he entered the beginning of May, too.
The senior now enters the 2023 season as the prohibitive favorite in both hurdle races should he continue to drop time like he did last season.
The Distance Runners
Connor Burns - Southern Boone County
It's terrifying to think about what Connor Burns is about to do this spring.
After a preposterous, unheard-of breakout junior year in which he ran a junior class national record 3:58.83 in the full mile and 8:45.00 in the 2 mile for the win at the Brooks PR Invitational, the University of Oregon commit has hardly slowed up. He posted 3 sub-15:00 5k marks this fall, including a state record 14:27.30 for runner-up honors at Team Midwest Regionals, and followed it up with the 5th ever indoor sub-4 mile for a high schooler and New Balance Indoor National Championship in a US No. 7 all-time 8:43.15.
Now that his biggest rival, Daelen Ackley, has graduated and moved on to the University of Notre Dame, there isn't as much firepower up front in Class 3 so Burns should have no problem winning the 1600 and 3200 this spring. His biggest challenge will come in the 800, should he decide to go for the treble.
Regardless, when the dust has settled on the 2023 season, it will be clear that Connor Burns is the greatest and most decorated high school distance runner in Missouri's history.
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Adam Snoke - Lutheran South
Adam Snoke lost out on a trip to the state cross country meet this fall due to an injury, but he should rebound nicely for one final go-around this track season.
After posting wins at the prestigious Hancock Invitational, the Metro League Championships, and the Class 3 District 1 meet, and running a personal best 15:39.00 5k on the Gans Creek course, Snoke missed out on state due to a leg injury. But, fret not, for the crimson oval may just be where he thrives even more, anyway.
Snoke posted marks that would make him the top returner in all three distance events in any other year. His 1:52.71 in the Festival of Miles 800, is third among all returners in the state, behind only Burns and Grieve. He has also posted marks in the 1600 of 4:16.23 and 3200 of 9:24.78. He was 3rd and 4th in those two events, respectively, at last year's state meet.
While Burns should run away with the distance events at the Class 3 state meet, if he takes yet another step forward, Snoke may not be too far behind.
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Chase Sorrell - East Newton
Chase Sorrell follows an already long line of successful Sorrells from East Newton and enters this 2023 track season among the best distance runners in the state.
Sorrell was a key player in the team's state title 4x800 relay and enters the season with personal bests of 2:01.00, 4:20.26, and 9:39.98 in each of the three distance races. He left the 2022 Class 3 state meet with that 4x8 gold, as well as 6th and 7th place medals in the 1600 and 3200, respectively.
Now only a junior, Sorrell is on a fast track to becoming the next big thing in Class 3 once the seniors ahead of him move on. He is coming off a 15:38.23 5K personal best and 3rd place finish at the Class 3 state XC meet and could be poised for a big breakout this spring.
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James Wortham - St. Charles West
St. Charles West senior James Wortham enters the season as the 4th best returner in the 1600 and 3rd best in the 3200. He's coming off a stellar cross country season in which he broke 16:00 twice and earned a 4th place medal at the state cross country meet.
Wortham's 4:22.71 and 9:36.03 bests earned him 7th and 5th place medals at last year's Class 3 state track meet. He has a shot at finishing top 3 or better in both events, but will have quite the challenge if he hopes to challenge for the win in either, of course.
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Sean Walker - Buffalo
Buffalo's Sean Walker had a bit of a down 2022 season after setting three big personal bests during his sophomore campaign. He qualified for state in the 3200, but came across in 9th, finishing out his season with a 9:44.78 season best.
Walker ran 4:36.60 and 9:41.04 in the 1600 and 3200 in 2021, earning 6th place in the Class 3 3200, and finishing 3rd among sophomores and returners for the 2022 season. His 9:44.78 has him 5th among returners, but it's the new 15:22.49 5K personal best that has us really eyeing him as a major breakout candidate this spring. The SBU commit has the chops to make the leap and compete for a top 3 finish this spring in both the 1600 and 3200.
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Rhodes Leonard - Boonville
Booneville's Rhodes Leonard is the fastest 800 meter returner not named Connor Burns or Adam Snoke. Those two guys, who sit at 1:51.00 and 1:52.71, are joined by Leonard as the only three Class 3 returners under 2:00.
Leonard finished 4th at last year's Class 3 state meet with his 2:00.59 mark, but he heads into the 2023 track season with a 1:59.31 personal best to his name. He took a solid step forward in both the 400 and 800 and should be considered a safe bet for top 3 this May.
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The Jumpers and Vaulters
Caelan Harland - Macon
This year, all eyes should move toward the pole vault box to see what Macon's Caelan Harland can provide as an encore to his state title winning freshman campaign.
It was with a heavy heart that Harland brought home last season's Class 3 championship, competing in the memory of his recently deceased grandfather. After clearing 14-6 to climb atop the podium, Harland held up a picture of him and his grandfather as a touching tribute to someone who was surely a major influence in his young life.
Though he only cleared 14-6 at the state meet, Harland finished his first high school campaign as the only freshman to clear 15 feet in state history and one of only two freshmen to clear 15 feet in the entire country with his 15-2 personal best. This winter, Harland has continued to climb as he has soared past 16 feet already and 15 feet three more times, finishing out the winter season with an eye-popping, US No. 17 overall 16-1 mark.
Harland has set the tone for what is surely a stellar career to come. He should be on everyone's state watch list heading into 2023 and beyond.
Gregory Dennis - Notre Dame Cape Girardeau
Notre Dame's Gregory Dennis was the runner-up at the Class 3 state meet and is among the top returners in the state in the 110m Hurdles with his 15.04 best, but we've included him among the jumpers as a result of his high and long jump prowess.
Dennis enters the season as one of three boys in the entire state, regardless of class, over 2 meters in the high jump with his 2.05m (6-8.75) mark. Dennis was 3rd last year, but should be the preseason favorite to win it all in 2023.
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Marcus Starks - Bowling Green
The other 2023 Class 3 returner over 2 meters in the high jump is Class 3 state runner-up Bowling Green's Marcus Starks. Like Dennis, Starks is best at the high jump as he holds a 6-7.5 personal best, but he's also had success in the hurdle events. A state qualifier in both the 110 Meter Hurdles and 300 Meter Hurdles, Starks was 7th in the latter with his 41.55 personal best. He's 5th among Class 3 returners in the event.
Starks is a big part of Bowling Green's plans to jump from 19th into the top 4 this spring as he should pick up significant points in the high jump and 300 Meter Hurdles, among other events.
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Cole Bruenderman - Notre Dame Cape Girardeau
Much like his brother Evan before him, Notre Dame Cape's Cole Bruenderman has solidified himself as one of the best jumpers in the entire state, regardless of class.
Cole heads into his senior season with personal bests of 22-0.25 in the long jump and 44-11.75 in the triple jump. He's already improved upon that triple jump mark this year at his home meet over the weekend - he jumped 45-1.75 there.
Bruenderman scored 14 points with a 3rd place finish in the long jump and runner-up finish in the triple jump at last year's Class 3 state meet. He heads into the 2023 season just a smidge ahead of Lutheran North's Jordan Carter for the top spot among long jump returners and ahead of Pembroke Hill's Darin Conley for the top spot among triple jump returners. He headlines a deadly 1-2 jumps punch for Notre Dame Cape Girardeau.
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Bleyne Bryant - Bowling Green
Much like Notre Dame Cape, Bowling Green has a solid 1-2 punch in the jumps, as well, with Marcus Starks and Bleyne Bryant.
Bryant heads into the season 4th among returners in the long jump and 3rd in the triple jump. He finished a tough luck 5th in his district last spring, but made up for it with a 5th place finish at the Class 3 state meet in the triple jump. This year, he should be among the top 5 in both events, helping lead that Bobcat charge to the podium. He owns personal bests of 21-7.5 in the long jump and 44-2.75 in the triple jump.
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Kannon Harlow - Central Park Hills
Coming in behind Caelan Harland is Central Park Hills junior Kannon Harlow. Harlow was the Class 3 runner-up with his 14-0.5 and owns an overall personal best of 14-7.25.
Harlow took a massive step forward in 2022, raising his personal best by exactly 4 feet as he went from not even competing at the district meet to soaring over the bar for 2nd place at the state meet.
Harlow ended the 2022 season not too far behind Harland and, even though he didn't compete at all this winter, he could very well make the jump to the 16s, too, and make this an interesting competition for the Class 3 pole vault title.
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The Throwers
Joseph Bland - Versailles
The top Class 3 returner in the shot put is Versailles' Joseph Bland.
Bland heads into the 2023 season with a 51-6.25 personal best in the shot put, which he used to earn 5th at the Class 3 state meet. There were four seniors ahead of him so he appears to be in the driver's seat on a course toward a gold medal this year.
Bland also owns personal bests in the discus of 132-11.75 and javelin of 132-6, solid marks heading into his senior season.
Louis Dieckmann - St. Charles West
St. Charles West's Louis Dieckmann enters the 2023 season with the top discus marks among Class 3 athletes with his 159-2.25 mark from late April. The all-state defensive lineman was a state qualifier in the shot put and discus last spring, falling short of the medal stand in both, but returns with a very real shot at hardware this time around. His shot put best of 48-4 ranks 4th among Class 3 returners.
Dominic Shaw - East Newton
Second among Class 3 returners in the discus is East Newton's Dominic Shaw. His 150-11 personal best came at last year's Class 3 state meet and helped him earn a 7th place medal. He was behind 6 seniors.
Ten points from Shaw in the discus would be a huge lift for an East Newton team which has been consistently buoyed by its distance squad. His shot put best of 44-9.5 has him in the top 15 among returners there, too, so he could sneak out some shot put points in the shot put for the Patriots, as well.
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Garrett Crosby - Owensville
Owensville's other stud returner for the 2023 season is javelin phenom Garrett Crosby. Crosby heads into this spring with the top javelin mark among Class 3 athletes.
Crosby was the only sophomore in the entire state to clear 48 meters as his 51.36 (168-6) was well clear of the next closest 10th grader. It was a Class 3 Missouri sophomore class record.
The four athletes who finished ahead of him at the state meet last spring have graduated, leaving Crosby in the perfect position to capitalize. This Dutchman is the early favorite for the Class 3 javelin crown.
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The only other Class 3 retuner over 50 feet in the shot put is Eldon's Jasper Degraffenreid. Degraffenreid was 7th overall at last year's Class 3 state meet with his 50-10.75 mark. A shot put specialist, we should expect to see the Eldon senior challenge for gold at the Class 3 state meet.
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The Team Outlook
The top 2 teams from 2022 have moved up to Class 5 (Westminster) and Class 4 (Lutheran St. Charles) which means that the Class 3 Boys crown is once again up for grabs.
The squad that heads into the 2023 with the best chance at winning it all is St. Mary's (St. Louis). Led by Donovan McIntosh, Jamal Roberts, Joshua Guyton, and Antonio Valentine, they should be able to rack up significant points in the sprints and hurdles. McIntosh is the top returner in the 200 and 400, as well as 2nd in the 100, while Roberts enters 3rd and 4th in the 100 and 200. Guyton and Valentine both bring hurdles points and will probably be members of their sprint relays.
Two other teams stand out for what they bring in the jumps and throws arenas. Bowling Green enters with the 1-2 punch of Marcus Starks and Bleyne Bryant, as we've already mentioned, who are projected to combine for 21 points between the high jump, long jump, and triple jump. The Bobcats are also projected for 21 points from the foursome of Devin Rue, Teddy Charlton, Dylan Dalton, and Gunner Bryant in the discus and javelin. Dalton is 2nd among all returners in the discus. What will really make the difference is junior Ben Chance and what he can do in the distance races. He already comes in 8th among 3200 returners, but had a massive breakout cross country season and could parlay that into some serious state hardware this May and points for his team.
Notre Dame Cape Girardeau is the other squad which should bring in big points in jumps. Gregory Dennis and Cole Bruenderman both enter the 2023 season leading the way in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump, which would bring a big 30 points if they can seal the deal at the state meet. Dennis also is the second best returner in the 110 Hurdles. Mason Morris is projected to add some points in the distance events which could really help the Bulldogs as they attempt to improve on the 8th place performance last spring.
Other teams in contention include East Newton, the one-man band that is Southern Boone County, St. Charles West, and Owensville. It will be a hotly contested Class 3 boys race with several teams having a realistic shot at making it to the top of the podium when it's all said and done.
State Virtual Meet
The Girls
The Sprinters and Hurdlers
Chavi Flowers - Incarnate Word
One of the top sprinters in the entire state, much less Class 3, Incarnate Word Academy's Chavi Flowers is ready to put a stamp on a stellar high school career.
Flowers is the top returner in Class 3 in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, with the only marks under 12 and 25 seconds in the events. She's the reigning champion in the 100 meter dash with an 11.88 (+3.6) mark and reigning runner-up in the 200 (24.79). Flowers also has the third fastest 400 meter dash best among returners with a 58.62 best.
If she chooses to go for all three, there's a realistic shot that Flowers could pull off the sprint treble this spring.
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Brianna Howard - Normandy
Normandy's Brianna Howard slots in behind Incarnate's Flowers in the 100 meter dash with a 12.17 (+3.6) personal best. She was fourth overall with Flowers and two seniors ahead of her.
In the 200 meter dash, Howard snagged an 8th place finish in her personal best of 25.76 which puts her 5th among returners in Class 3. A four-time all-stater now, Howard has the experience and talent to add two more state medals to her collection in her senior year.
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Sammi Layton - Arcadia Valley
We haven't seen Sammi Layton on Arcadia Valley's official roster yet, but should she make her way back on to the team this spring, she will be a major contender for state championships in the 100 and 200 meter dashes.
As it stands, Layton is the third best returner in the 100 meter dash (12.30, +3.6) and 200 meter dash (25.41). The 100/200 specialist grabbed medals in both events last season, earning 7th in the 100 and 6th in the 200.
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Elle North - Lutheran St. Charles
Lutheran St. Charles' boys headed north for Class 4, but their girls stay in Class 3, which means sophomore Elle North remains among the top 2 returners in the 400 meter dash.
North was tops until College Heights Christian moved in, but the 2022 Class 3 3rd place finisher will still be a major contender for the state title this year in the quarter mile. She is, after all, only 0.05 seconds behind the state leader with her 58.16 personal best.
North is also among the top 10 returners in the 200 meter dash with her 26.40 personal best. She could certainly challenge for state hardware in the 200 and 400. Never rule out a move to the 800 with athletes like her, either!
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Tops among 100 Meter Hurdlers heading into the 2023 season is Palmyra's Sydney Compton.
Compton was 4th overall at last year's Class 3 state meet with her wind-legal 15.69 mark and now returns as the best of five Class 3 girls under 16 seconds in the event.
Compton has yet to try the 300 Meter Hurdles, but with her prowess in the higher ones, and a 1:02.76 400 best to her name, we could definitely imagine a scenario in which she rises to the top of the state ranks in both hurdle races this spring.
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Addison Lawrence - College Heights Christian
One of the big championship factor moves occurred when College Heights Christian made its way into Class 3. That means Addison Lawrence will have to defend her state titles in Class 3 now.
Lawrence is no stranger to the classification moves. After winning the Class 1 state championship in 2021 with her 57.50 lifetime best, she bumped up to Class 2 and promptly won another 400 title. Her best mark on the year in 2022 was 58.11, still good enough for No. 1 among Class 3 returners.
Not to be outdone, she was also fourth overall in the Class 2 200 meter dash and returns with a best of 25.35, which puts her second only to Chavi Flowers among Class 3 athletes. Lawrence's arrival in Class 3 has shaken up the sprint landscape that much more, it appears.
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The Distance Runners
Alexandra Volkart - Southern Boone County
Southern Boone County has strong distance runners on both sides as their girls team is led by the now two-time state champion Alexandra Volkart.
Volkart is the reigning Class 3 champion in the 3200 and top returner in the event by over 17 seconds (based on 2022 marks). Her 11:15.23 has her seventh in the state among all returners. She sports a best in the 1600 of 5:15.79 and sits 3rd among Class 3 returners there.
This fall, Vokart snagged a cross country state title in Class 3, going 18:40.30, her 7th sub-19:00 performance on the year in 9 tries. She finished out the year with the fastest mark in the state with her 17:43.80 best from Chile Pepper. Expect Volkart to parlay this cross country success into runs at the 5:00 and 11:00 barriers this spring and more golden hardware at the state meet.
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Evan Mauney - Southern Boone County
Volkart's teammate Evan Mauney is the second fastest returner in the 3200 with her 11:32.66 mark. She finished 3rd at the Class 3 state meet in 2022. Her personal best, though, comes from 2021 where she finished as the Class 3 runner-up in 11:18.40.
Though she ran into a buzzsaw at this year's Class 3 Sectional 2 1600 meter run, she was still able to hit a new personal best of 5:18.89. That's right - it took a 5:15.79 to get to state in that race. She was 3rd overall in the 1600 in 2021, though, and should be back once again as she enters 2023 5th in the event in Class 3.
It's a deadly 1-2 punch in the distance races at Southern Boone County and both juniors should be able to score very highly at the state level in both the 1600 and 3200, and also the 800 if they really wanted to.
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Lyric Ford - Montgomery County
The top returner in the Class 3 1600 is Montgomery County's Lyric Ford. Now a senior, Ford heads into the 2023 season with a 5:09.75 personal best to her name, 4 seconds clear of the next closest returner.
Ford has been a top miler over the last two seasons with a 5th place finish at state in 2021 and 4th place finish in 2022. She added a sectional medal in the 800 last season, but finished 10th in 2:22.22, 4th among Class 3 returners. The middle distance phenom has also posted a 3200 of 11:42.09 which is 4th among all returners, as well.
She had another successful cross country season with an 18:16.81 5K mark and a 4th place medal at the state cross country meet. Expect Ford to be another mainstay in the state championship conversation in whichever of the three events she tries.
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Malia Rodgers - Montgomery County
The second part of Montgomery County's dynamic duo is Malia Rodgers. Rodgers is the third best returner in the 3200 with her 11:36.58 best.
It's been a weird 12 months for Rodgers who has had some trouble with inconsistency and injuries. She was unable to improve upon her 2:28.40 and 5:27.00 800 and 1600 bests last spring, but did drop 11 seconds off her 3200 and added a few performances in the 300 meter hurdles. She missed out on the second half of October this fall after posting a 19:28.10 mark on the state course.
Nevertheless, when healthy, Rodgers is one of the top distance runners in Class 3 in the entire state. She will surely be among the top contenders for the crown in the 3200 primarily.
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Kale Clements - Ste. Genevieve
Ste. Genevieve continues to churn out elite middle and long distance athletes and it appears that the next one is Kale Clements.
Clements is just 0.05 seconds behind the top returner in the 800 meter run with her 2:21.90 personal best. She earned 4th place in Class 3 last season. She's a 400/800 specialist as she also snagged a 5th place medal in the open 400 meter dash with a 58.90 personal best.
She's a top 4 returner in both the 400 and 800 and has already posted a 2:35.57 best in the freezing temperatures on March 18th. Watch for Clements to continue to progress into the top long sprint/mid-distance runners in the state.
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Hannah Klaiber - El Dorado Springs
Just a shade ahead of Clements in the 800 meter run is El Dorado Springs' Hannah Klaiber.
Klaiber returns with a 2:21.85 best, which was good enough for 3rd overall behind a senior and Elyse Wilmes, who has moved to Class 2. The door is open for Klaiber to ascend to the top of the podium, but there are several girls knocking on that door behind her. It will be a hotly contested event in Class 3 this year.
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The Jumpers and Vaulters
Grace O'Reilly - Springfield Catholic
Springfield Catholic's Grace O'Reilly returns for the 2023 season with the top high jump mark among Class 3 athletes, a 5-6 clearance from the 2022 Class 3 State Championships.
O'Reilly is the reigning Class 3 champion in the high jump and even has a silver to her name from 2021. In terms of open events, she only high jumps, so it appears that she has put all her energy into honing this craft.
After an undefeated season in 2022, O'Reilly is looking to keep the good marks rolling as she heads into her senior season and remain atop the podium in the high jump.
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Kristen Jones - Hallsville
Tops among long jump returners in Class 3 is Hallsville's Kristen Jones, the only one over 18 feet.
Jones heads into the 2023 season with a stellar 18-3 mark to her name and state gold and silver medals in her trophy case. She was the 2021 Class 3 champion, but settled for 2nd in 2022 behind Westminster then-senior standout Brooke Moore.
With only two marks under 16-10.75 and two marks over 18-0 last season, Jones is the early season favorite to climb back on the podium, especially when her next closest challenger is at least four inches behind her.
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Maizen Williams - Southeast
Southeast's Maizen Williams had a stellar final month of the season in the long jump, climbing from 16-0.5 to 17-11.75 (+2.2) from May 5th to May 28th. She earned a 3rd place medal in the event and is now the second best Class 3 long jump returner.
Williams is also 5th among Class 3 triple jump returners with a 34-9 best. She may be 5th heading into this spring, but she was 5th overall at the Class 3 state meet in 2022 behind 3 seniors and our next athlete, April Phillips. Watch for Williams to take another big step forward in 2023.
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April Phillips - Summit Christian Academy
The top returner in Class 3 in the triple jump is Summit Christian's April Phillips...and it's not even really that close. Phillips is the only athlete heading into the 2023 season over 36 feet nd 37 feet. To boot, she's the only athlete over 35-2!
Phillips' next closest competitors cleared 35-1.25 at the Class 3 District 7 meet, a mark which tied Phillips for 2nd in the event there. She was fourth at the Class 3 state meet, well off of her personal best, but she could surely find her way back into the 11 meters range, especially considering that she has already set a new personal best in the long jump of 17-10.75.
Phillips will challenge for state hardware in the long and triple jump, but also is just a millimeter behind Grace O'Reilly for the top spot among high jumpers. Summit Christian could get 30 points from this jumps phenom, which would be a massive boost to their podium chances this May.
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El Reagan - Montgomery County
We have now come to our Class 3 pole vaulters, starting with reigning state champion El Reagan.
The Montgomery County Wildcat cleared 10-8 at the Class 3 state meet, which tied her with Palmyra's Abbey Redd for the win after neither of them cleared 10-10.75. Luckily for Reagan, even though both girls had one overall miss to their name before that mark, Reagan's came at 10-5.25 and Redd's had come at 10-8. The gold medal was hers.
Now a two-time all-stater, Reagan has a good shot at repeating for the win this spring. She will still have Abbey Redd breathing down her neck for most of the season as both girls are relatively close in proximity to each other and should get plenty of state-level practice in as a result.
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Abbey Redd - Palmyra
The afore-mentioned Abbey Redd was a hard luck 2nd place last May, but still returns as the only girl in the Class 3 over 11 feet. That puts her as the on-paper favorite for the state title this spring.
Redd did a lot of vaulting last spring, attending 14 meets during the season, and then another 3 after the season. She finished out 2022 with an 11-0 season best, but cleared 11-1 in 2021 for the Class 2 state title. A former state champion with the top mark among returners, Redd is a strong bet to return to the top of the podium again this spring.
The Throwers
Phajjia Gordon - Lamar
Lamar's Phajjia Gordon heads into 2023 as one of the most well-rounded throwers in Class 3. She has the top mark in the state in the shot put, second best mark in the discus, and twelfth best lifetime mark in the javelin.
Gordon is a four-time state qualifier in her first two years of competition, headlined by a state championship in the discus last spring. She was also 5th in the shot put. In 2021, she was 5th in the javelin and didn't even qualify for state in the discus!
With lifetime bests of 38-7.5 in the shot put, 124-7 in the discus, and 114-0 in the javelin, watch for Phajjia Gordon to challenge for gold in every event she enters this year.
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Olivia Miller - Clark County
Clark County makes the move up to Class 3 which means the top returner in the javelin is former Class 2 all-stater Olivia Miller.
Miller returns for her senior season after earning 5th place in the Class 2 javelin. She ended her junior year with a personal best of 136-1.5 and should be considered one of the top javelin throwers in the state regardless of class.
Miller has a ways to go in the shot put and discus to catch up to Class 3's best, but as it stands, she'll be the one to beat in the javelin.
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Savannah Manthey - Salem
If anyone is to take down Olivia Miller in the javelin, at least on paper, it's Salem's Savannah Manthey.
Manthey heads into her senior year as the second best javelin thrower in Class 3 with a 128-1.75 personal best. She earned 4th place in the event last spring and is in a fine position to improve upon that placing this year. She is also 10th among returners in the discus and is coming off a dreaded 5th from her Sectional meet in the event last year.
Manthey and Miller are on opposite sides of the state, but should provide plenty of fireworks when they come together in May.
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Candra King - Palmyra
Palmyra's Candra King is the top returner in the discus by a very wide margin. She's the only one with a mark over 123 feet with her 133-9 personal best. She was the state runner-up in 2022 after falling just short of Phajjia Gordon's best throw.
With a mark over 10 feet better than anyone else, it's hard to bet against King heading into the 2023 season.
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Kamari Brown - Incarnate Word
Incarnate Word's Kamari Brown is one of three Class 3 returners over 11 meters in the shot put as she heads into the 2023 season with a 38-4 personal best. She was 6th overall at the state meet with that mark. The fourth best returner is well behind so as it stands currently, the Class 3 shot put appears to be a three horse race with Brown firmly in the mix to win it all.
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The Jack of All Trades, Master of Several
Zoe Martonfi - Eldon
She could've gone in the sprinters/hurdlers section, or the jumpers section, or the distance section, but in the end, we decided to just create a whole new section for Eldon's Zoe Martonfi.
The Eldon senior is a special kind of athlete who would benefit from some sort of unlimited or 4+ events rule per meet. Martonfi is 6th among returners in the 800 (2:25.82), 2nd in the 1600 (5:13.11), 6th in the 3200 (11:45.29), 24th in the 100 Meter Hurdles (17.54), 1st in the 300 Meter hurdles with a 2022 season best of 45.02, though her career best is 44.54, and tied for 3rd in the high jump (5-5). She earned state medals in the 1600 (2nd), 300 Meter Hurdles (2nd), and high jump (3rd). She was the state runner-up at the Class 3 Cross Country meet this fall, too.
With all these events in her repertoire, the one thing that has alluded her up to this point is state gold. She has 9 state medals to her name so far between cross country and track and field, with four of those being silvers. She has been an all-state athlete in the 100 Meter Hurdles, 300 Meter Hurdles, 1600 Meters, High Jump, Triple Jump, and Cross Country 5K. Only a junior, it will be fun to see what she takes on over the next two years.
The Team Outlook
Heading into the 2023 season, it would appear that Palmyra may be the team to beat in Class 3.
Led by a host of top level returners, the Lady Panthers appear the best prepared to take home the team title this year after finishing 6th a year ago. They are led by Sydney Compton in the hurdles, Candra King in the throws, and Abbey Reed and Alaina Loman in the pole vault, and could snag a couple points in the 800, as well, with Laurin Sheputis. All in all, they are projected for over 40 points heading into the 2023 season.
Not far behind are Incarnate Word Academy and Montgomery County. Two teams who benefit from multiple points from two or three athletes, it will be fun to watch them duke it out for a team championship in their own rights. Chavi Flowers is projected for 26 points on her own with Kamari Brown adding another 6 in the shot put for Incarnate. Montgomery is led by dynamic duos in the distance events (Lyric Ford and Malia Rodgers) and the pole vault (El and Esther Reagan).
Challengers for the podium also include Lamar, Eldon, and Centralia. Eldon will pick up plenty of points from Zoe Martonfi should score the bulk of Eldon's points, but Stevana Wixson will add a good chunk, too, in the triple jump. Lamar and Centralia will pick up points from several key players and should not be counted out.
Much like the boys, there is no clear cut, head-and-shoulders-above-the-rest squad heading into 2023. There should be plenty of moving and shaking as we figure out who comes out on top.