Over the next eight weeks, Missouri MileSplit will be doing a deep dive into the top returners for each event heading into the 2025 Track and Field season. We will have premium rankings pieces highlighting the top 100 returners in each classification as well as an overall outlook for each event for all non-subscribers. Let's take a look a the boys high jump.
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Sipes will try to move 2 spots up to the top of the podium this year..
Class 5 Outlook
Eight of the top nine finishers at last year's Class 5 State Championships have graduated so this year's Class 5 High Jump is well up for grabs. The top returner from last year's state meet is Blue Springs junior Kynston Sipes, though he is tied with Lee's Summit West's DJ Childs for top returner overall with their 1.98m (6-6) personal bests. Five more boys return with bests over 1.93m (6-4), including Washington's Jack Henderson and Northwest's Thomas Hejlek at 1.95m. Whoever comes back to take this year's crown will be following the footsteps of last year's meet record performance from Poplar Bluff's Darius Graham, who cleared 2.16m (7-1) in his faceoff with fellow senior Desire Tonye Nyemeck.
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Class 4 Outlook
Center's Xavier Byers (pictured) is the top returner in the entire state with his 2.07m (6-9.5) personal best. Undefeated until the State meet in 2024, he was third at last year's Class 4 State Championships behind two seniors and cleared 1.9m (the fifth best mark in Class 4) at eight different meets. Kearney's Harvey Sayon is not too far behind, though, with his 2.03m (6-8) personal best. 
He was 6th at the state meet last year. North County's Shrum brothers - Brandon (above) and Caleb - are among the top five returners with Helias Catholic's Cash Warner. All three boys were in the top nine at last year's state meet.
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Class 3 Outlook
Last year's top two finishers at the Class 3 State Championship are back for the 2025 season. Eldon's Will Richardson earned his career second state medal in the high jump when he won the event with his 1.99m (6-6.25) personal best. Strafford's Brady Ripp had a stellar debut season when the junior jumped his way all the up to second at the Class 3 State meet. His 1.97m (6-5.5) best at State was a far cry from the 1.79m mark with which he started the season. Three more all-stater's return with Palmyra's Luke Sheppard, Strafford's Carter Zbaren, and Clever's Xavier Robinson all coming back for the 2025 season, but Robinson is the only one among the top 5 returners by mark. Bowling Green's Jace Eskew cleared 6-5 at his District meet and was 3rd at State in 2023, but finished a hard-luck fifth at his Sectional meet and Ja'Kwon Jones of Central New Madrid County cleared 6-4 last year, and will seek his first state meet clearance this year.
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Class 2 Outlook
Steelville's Cameron Brown is the top returner based on finish at the State meet, but it's Malden's Tristin Moncrief who comes in just slightly ahead of him based on mark. Brown cleared a personal best 1.98m (6-6) early in the season and ended up second at the Class 2 State Championships. Moncrief is heading into his junior year with a 2m (6-6.75) personal best and was sixth at the State meet. Eugene's Ryder Belt boasts a 2.03m (6-8) lifetime best, but only cleared 6-5 last season in his shortened junior season. Evin Pleas and Jamal Blackwell are tied for the fifth best returning mark with their 6-4.75 personal bests.
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Class 1 Outlook
The Class 1 high jump scene is extremely tight, with three boys tied for the top returning spot at 1.9m (6-2.75): Wyatt Doak (above), Gunner Bradshaw, and Colby Jenkins. Doak finished 2nd at last year's Class 1 State Championships, with Bradshaw 4th, and Jenkins 9th. Rich Hill's Zane Becker was third and is not too far behind at all with his 1.89m (6-2.25) personal best. Hermitage sophomore Justin Weathers is the third best returning 10th grader in the entire state with is 1.91m (6-2) personal best.