The 400-meter dash last year was dominated by Raytown South's Zaya Akins, who at one-point last year had the best time in the entire country with her showing of 53.06 seconds at the Gary Parker Invitational in Blue Springs.
Akins also rewrote the Missouri 200 and 400-meter record books in her junior year in 2022. Akins won the Class 4 state title in 53.81-seconds, breaking Montanae Roye-Speight's Class 4 state meet record and Alishea Usery's overall state meet record. She then won the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic 400 in Albuquerque in 54.70. Akins followed with a national title, winning the New Balance Nationals crown in a personal record of 52.88, to better her state record.
Akins ran to a USA Track and Field Under-20 Championships 2nd-place finish in 52.90 to earn a berth to the Under-20 World Championships. Akins capped a long junior year in Cali, Colombia by qualifying for the 400 semifinals and taking 13th overall.
