Kyle Deeken

May 15, 2024

We have officially arrived at the first of two MSHSAA State Championship weekends. All information for spectators and teams can be found at the MSHSAA website. It should be a fun weekend of competition, slightly larger than it was last season of course, with many incredible performances to watch.

Below, we have included several of the most interesting storylines to watch heading into the weekend. With so many incredible athletes and teams in play, it is sure to be an exciting time full of the full range of emotions.

Be on the lookout for our State Meet Predictions, with picks to win from MO MileSplit contributors Cody Thorn, Chris Auckley, and I. You can also check the following links for more information and news from the State Series weekend!

Coverage: Photos | Videos | Results | Race Calendar

Class 3 Storylines

Brian Burns Looks To Follow In Brother's Footsteps

It would seem that all it took for Southern Boone County's Brian Burns to enact his own breakout moment and ascend to the top of the state's overall ranks was the departure of older brother Connor. Over the last six months, Brian has begun to write his own story as one of the state's all-time best with an impressive junior track season.

Burns heads into the weekend as a major contender for the distance treble. In a star-studded field in the half mile, Burns stands out with a 1:55.41 best, just a hair behind Herculaneum's Nathaniel Wright. He will have to do battle with reigning champion Chase Sorrell and Priory's Patrick Hamill, among others. In the 1600, Burns stands out with a class-leading personal best of 4:15.37, this time just a hair ahead of Herky's Wright. He finally took to the 3200 for the state series, posting two marks so far of 10:07.03 and 9:57.07, but the 1600 personal best and his cross country prowess are certainly markers that he can challenge the class leader, Charles Glatz of John Burroughs, and his 9:39.57 personal best. Not to be outdone, Burns is listed as a leg on the 3:29.12 4x400 team.

It should be fun to watch Burns as he begins his journey to state supremacy. If he can take out this field on Friday and Saturday and pull off the treble, we may be in store for an incredible senior year.
--

Caelan Harland Targets State Meet Overall Record

Macon's Caelan Harland has posted yet another impressive season in the pole vault. With two outdoor marks over 5 meters to go along with the six 5+ marks he posted indoors this winter, Harland is a heavy favorite to take home the Class 3 crown for the second straight year. Heading into the weekend, he is undefeated in Missouri with his only three losses coming at the Texas Relays, Kansas Relays, and Shawnee Mission North Relays. At an eye-popping 5.21 meters (17-1) this spring, Harland will target the Overall State Meet record of 18-0, set in 2018 by KC Lightfoot.

Zoe Martonfi Makes Another Attempt At An Impressive Quad

Last spring, Eldon's Zoe Martonfi put on a show last spring while attempting to pull off an impressive quad. She ended up winning the 800 (2:16.02), 1600 (5:04.59), and 300 meter hurdles (44.61), pulling off undefeated seasons in all three events. She then finished third in the triple jump with a 10.61m (34-9.75) mark. She pulled in 36 of her team's 37 points en route to their runner-up team finish.

This spring, Martonfi will go after the same quad one more time. She heads into the weekend ranked first overall in the 800 and 1600, second in the 300m Hurdles just behind Boonville's Effie Morris, and fourth in the triple jump, 29 centimeters behind Clever's Maliya Clark.

Clever's Maliya Clark
With Notre Dame's Lauren Eftink and Southern Boone's Alexandra Volkart coming on strong here at the end of the season, her route to gold may be much harder than last year, but she has shown that calm under pressure that leads to state titles. We are excited to see what kind of a display she puts on this year.

Eftink above and Volkart below

MO#5 AT in SP, Candra King seeks B2B SP/DT Sweep

Palmyra's Candra King was a very good high school throwing as a junior. But at the 2023 Class 3-4-5 state meet, the tall righthander from northeast Missouri soared to another level. On day 1 of the meet, all three of her fair tosses were good enough to claim the Class 3 title and win her first state title. Her best throw of 39.95m/131-1 was a personal best by 1 centimeter. It was a very different experience from the year before when her final toss left her just 2 inches behind first, as she settled for 2nd behind winner Phajjia Gordon of Lamar.

Then on day 2 in the shot put, King broke out! She put college coaches around the country and many of the Show-Me-State's best preps to ever put the shot on alert. She went long. After a 40-foot toss on her first attempt and then a foul, King earned a crown after launching the shot 13.62m/44-8.25! That put her 4th on the final 2023 state season performance list and 62nd on the national list.

King left the state meet with two gold state medals and a new total of 5 All-State medals in her six event appearances in her three years in her two events. Fans and coaches were left to wonder what could be in store for her senior year.

King is headed north to compete at Iowa State University in August, and as for this year, it's been pretty good. She's competed in 12 meets, going undefeated in 24 events with just one exception. The only time she didn't come out on top in the discus was at the Licklider Relays in Jefferson City. King placed 4th in the phenomenal competition with a throw of 130-3 while Jeff City's Stevenette Samuels won with a 144+ toss.

A week later, King made history. At the Brookfield Gary Ewing Invitational, King heaved the shot 14.63m/48-0! That mark improved her hold on the season state #1 mark and jumped her to 5th on the Missouri MileSplit All-Time Shot Put List. She had been a tie for 26th with her earlier season mark of 13.73/45-0.5. She also threw the disc 42.34m/138-11, which puts her 5th on the state list and gives her just under a meter lead in Class 3 ahead of Incarnate Word Academy's Kamari Brown on the Class 3 list.

With Class 3 now joining Class 1 and 2 on the first weekend of the two for state track and field, King will look to add two more titles this Friday and Saturday to close out her school career, before hopefully getting the chance this summer to compete on the national state with some of the countries best preps.

Seven Teams Duke It Out For Girls Crown

We head into the weekend with a significant logjam for a spot among the Top Four teams in the Class 3 Girls competition.

Incarnate Word Academy, Palmyra, Eldon, Clever, Notre Dame Cape Girardeau, Centralia, and Mountain Grove are all among the seven teams with a legitimate shot at earning a team trophy. Each team brings their own unique way of tallying points and should be able to spread the love throughout the entire meet. There is a realistic chance that it will take 30 points to make it into the Top 10, much less the Top 4.

Kyle's Crystal Ball Prediction: Incarnate Word Academy, Palmyra, Notre Dame Cape Girardeau, Eldon

Six Teams Compete For Four Team Trophies

Much like the girls team race, Class 3 boys appears to feature a cavalcade of competitors for state hardware and the overall title.

Southern Boone, Eldon, El Dorado Springs, John Burroughs, Lamar, and Clinton all appear ready to compete for a state trophy this weekend. Herculaneum, St. Francis Borgia, Maryville, and Fair Grove are all just on the outside looking in, with defending champion, Bowling Green, looking to return to the podium again, even without their superstar senior distance runner. It will be a stressful weekend for these coaches as the point totals will surely move teams in and out of the top 4 spots throughout the two-day meet.

Kyle's Crystal Ball Prediction: El Dorado Springs, Eldon, Southern Bonne County, Herculaneum
--

Class 2 Storylines

East Buchanan Boys Look For Dominant Victory

The East Buchanan boys are poised for a potentially dominant victory led by Trevor Klein, Aidan Hensley, Seth Spencer, Chase Meers, and Trey Johnson. The crew will be competing for significant points across the throws, hurdles, and distance events. Spencer is the only Bulldog top ranked in an event as he heads into the 300m Hurdles competition this weekend with the only sub-40 mark of 39.76. Hensley is second-ranked in the 1600, Klein is second-ranked in the Javelin, and the 4x400 is the second-ranked squad behind only West Platte. With a smattering of points throughout the 9 events they will be contesting, particularly in the 3 throws, expect East Buchanan to clear the 50 point threshold and be the heavy favorite to win their first team championship since 2005 and third overall (1974).

Trey Johnson

Trevor Klein

Aidan Hensley

Reid Harrison, Christian Davis, Kaden Hamner, or Samuel Jones? Who Is Sprinter #1 in Class 2?

This weekend will answer once and for all: Who is the top overall sprinter in Class 2 right now? The choices could be stars in any class, but they just so happen to all be in Class 2 at the same time and will surely bring the fireworks.

Christian Davis (University Academy Charter) is the newcomer, but made enough noise in AAU to have been on the watchlist heading into the season. He will run in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, but could very well of thrown his name in the 400 with the 49.68 mark he posted this indoor season. He has run 10.78 and 21.80 this season.

Cole Camp's Reid Harrison has been running wild in the 100 this spring and will surely be one to watch as the reigning champion in the event. He has yet to officially improve upon his 10.55 personal best from 2023, but do not be surprised if that gets shattered this weekend.

Clark County's Kaden Hamner made a name for himself in Class 3 last spring, but will have even more runway to turn heads this weekend in Class 2. He takes aim at the sprint treble and another medal in the 4x100 relay, and heads into the weekend with season/personal bests of 10.88, 21.97, and 49.25. In 30 individual races this season, he is undefeated.

Finally, Osceola's Samuel Jones will throw his hat in the ring as he competes for state gold in the 100 and 200. He was the Class 2 runner-up last May and heads into the weekend with personal bests of 10.93 and 21.87. These four men will surely make the 100, 200, and 400 meter dashes must-see on Friday and Saturday.

Lindsay Ramsey, North Platte Eye State Championships and Records

Whereas the boys field has several superstars to choose from, North Platte's Lindsay Ramsey stands a cut above the rest as she looks poised to pull off the sprint treble in her junior season.

She is the only Class 2 competitor under 12 seconds in the 100, one of two under 25 seconds in the 200, and the only one under 57 seconds in the 400 (55.65). In fact, she has run the seven fastest marks in Class 2 at the moment in the 400 meter dash. She will have significant challenges from Reece Pahl, Genesis Garner, and Marissa Austene, among others, but should be able to add three more items to her individual gold collection and challenge the Class 2 state meet record in all three events (11.74 - 2013, 24.40 - 2013, 56.17 - 2021).

Lutheran North (St. Louis County) Jr Genesis Garner

North Platte is looking to repeat as state champions as a team and should have a slightly easier path with the departure of Father Tolton. They will hope for significant contributions in the distance events from Chloe Heckman and Brianna DeBord and a big performance from the 4x400 meter relay (on which Lindsay Ramsey will surely anchor). With those big point totals, they should be able to hold off challenges from Malden, East Buchanan, and Plattsburg, among others.

The Girls Pole Vault Competition is Fierce!

Butler's Tandee Hiser may be the top-ranked pole vaulter in the state regardless of class, but her Class 2 state championship is not a foregone conclusion. If the Class 2 Sectional 4 meet was any indication, the Girls Pole Vault competition is going to be one of the top events to watch this weekend.

Hiser leads the way with a 3.75m (12-3.75) personal best, but she was actually defeated at the Sectional 4 meet by Archie's Mollie Andrews.

Archie's Andrews is a standout vaulter and hurdler.
Andrews cleared a personal best 3.63m (11-11) en route to the win. She tied herself with Barstow's Zoey Hrabe who comes in with a similar 3.63m clearance. In fact, all three girls cleared 3.63 meters last Saturday, with Andrews coming out on top based on jumps. They are over a foot and a half clear of the rest of the field and should make things very interesting on Friday afternoon.

Class 1 Storylines

Riley Blay, Asher Buggs-Tipton Close Out Historic Careers

With 14 individual State Championships between them, seniors Riley Blay - West Nodaway and Asher Buggs-Tipton - Green City are looking to close out historic careers in their own unique ways.

Blay went after the distance treble last season, but fell just short in the 800 to Dora's Cade Nold. Nold appears to be the favorite for the repeat, but Blay should be a heavy favorite in the 1600 and 3200 where he comes in with 4:22.87 and 9:21.63 personal bests, 11 and 42 seconds ahead of the next closest challengers in the respective fields. Should he win the 1600 and 3200 this weekend, he will hit double digit individual championships if you count the three he has earned on the cross country course.

Buggs-Tipton shot out of the gate like a racehorse with 8 gold medals in his freshman and sophomore campaigns, winning the 110m and 300m hurdles, as well as the long and triple jumps in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In 2023, the junior opted for the 100 meter dash instead of the triple jump. He would go on to finish 7th in the 100 meter dash, 3rd in the long jump, 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles, and earn his long gold of the weekend in the 110 meter hurdles. In 2024, Buggs-Tipton takes another pivot as he will appear in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays. If he can pull in four more golds, he will close out his illustrious career with 13 gold medals to his name and cement himself again the state's all-time best competitors.

Tommi Martin, Rylee Jenkins Make For Must-See Events at Javelin and Discus

Even though the Javelin and Discus cannot be easily seen from the Jefferson City High School stadium bleachers, there is little doubt Tarkio's Tommi Martin and Rock Port's Rylee Jenkins make the Javelin and Discus must-see events. Bring a lawn chair, maybe grab some concessions, and make your way over there when they're on.

Rock Rock Port's Rylee Jenkins left and Tarkio/East Atchison's Tommi Martin right.

Martin enters as the heavy favorite in the Javelin (as well as a major contender in the 800 meter run) with her personal best of 42.02m (137-10.5). Martin finished 6th last spring, but should be in contention for gold this time around. Jenkins will be her biggest competition as the second-ranked athlete in the event (38.35m, 125-10), but it is the discus where she will shine the brightest. She comes in to the weekend with a massive advantage (how's 6 meters) and a personal best of 46.39m (152-2.25). She is chasing history as this mark is already MO No. 15 all-time and would be 15 feet clear of the Class 1 state meet record. The overall state meet record currently stands at 166-8 by Makayla Kelby in 2018.

Can Rock Port Girls Seal The Deal?

Rock Port looks like a solid bet to pull in their sixth state championship as a team and first since 2008, improving upon last year's fourth place finish.

The throws area is where many of their points should come. With the afore-mentioned Jenkins pulling in significant points in the discus and javelin, Ella Meyerkorth will back her up in the javelin. In the distance races, Avery Meyerkorth is second-ranked in the 800 meter run, Norah Watkins appears poised to grab points in the 1600 and 3200, and their 4x800 meter relay team heads into the weekend ranked in the top 5. Their 4x400 meter relay also sits 9th.

Avery Meyerkorth left and Ella Meyerkorth right.
In the hurdles, Ella Meyerkorth heads into it with a shot at 18 points across the two events. She has run 15.71 and 45.47 in the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles respectively. There are a few other opportunities for points for Rock Port and those points may just put the Lady Jays over the edge this season.

Appleton City, Newtown-Harris, and Hermitage All Have 50 Point Potential

The Class 1 team race should be an exciting one between Appleton City, Newtown-Harris, and Hermitage, among others. It would appear that all 3 teams have the potential to clear the 50 point threshold.

Appleton City is led by sprinters Preston Anderson and Hayden Bock. Anderson has a shot at winning the open 400 with his 50.07 personal best and Bock will be in contention to post points for his squad there. They have representation in the 4x200, 4x400, and 4x800 relays, and are ranked among the top 3 in the 4x400 and 4x800.

Newtown-Harris' Zackary Cross is breathing a sigh of relief after not seeing Buggs-Tipton in the entries for the hurdle events this year. As a result, he should be considered among the favorites in the hurdle races, and to repeat in the 300m hurdles. He has still yet to clear his lifetime bests of 15.74 and 39.91. Gauge MacGregor will hope to contribute points in the 1600 and 3200 as he is ranked in the top 5 there.

Hermitage and Coach Sabala's squad appears to be built on the backs of its distance runners. But if they can pull together and contribute big point totals, then they will make a serious run at the state championship. DeJuan Chambers, Justus Yates, Bennett Mantooth, and Justin Weathers are the main point scorers, but do not count their 4x800 relays to grab 10 points on the day. Either way, we are looking forward to a fantastic Friday and Saturday!