2025 MO TF Event Preview: Overall Girls High Jump Outlook

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Class 5 Outlook

Class 5's top returner is reigning State champion D'marihanna Newton of North Kansas City. Newton (pictured at top) was dominant in a shortened 2024 season with first or second place finishes in all six of her regular season competitions. The rising junior was 12th in 2023 after clearing 1.68m (5-6) as a freshman and climbed all the way to 1.74m (5-8.5) in 2024. Speaking of freshmen, Newton's sister, D'Mya, a rising sophomore, is third among Class 5 returners with her 1.67m (5-5.75) personal best. 

Lebanon's Addyson Rebmann cleared 1.7m (5-7) in her first meet last season and ended up eleventh at the Class 5 State Championships. She was fifth as a sophomore in 2023. Recent University of Louisville signee and jumps/hurdles extraordinaire Athena Peterson comes in tied for fourth among returners in this event, but we will surely hear more about her over the next few weeks and months. Webb City's Chase Stilley is the one with whom she is tied at 1.65m (5-5). We should see some major players moving up, as well, with Class 4 champion Ladue's Bella Jones and Farmington's Hazel Perret both projecting to be in Class 5 this year. D'marihanna Newton figures to be the top contender for the 2025 high jump crown, but the high jump is such a volatile event with several girls in close quarters that anything could happen.

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Class 4 Outlook

After moving from Class 3 Orchard Farm to Class 4 Ladue, then-junior Bella Jones (above) brought home a victory in the high jump for the Rams, solidifying their total early on as they went after their first team state championship since 2009. Her 1.64m (5-4.5) personal best was good enough to grab the gold, but she figures to move into Class 5 with the rest of her team. As does Farmington's Hazel Perret, who jumped 1.62m (5-3.75) and finished seventh at State.

Hannibal's Taegen Novel

Regardless, the top Class 4 returner for 2025 is Camdenton's Aaliyah Willary who cleared 1.7m (5-7) three times in her freshman campaign before calling it a season in mid-April. Benton's Kloey Strong was also notably absent from the second half of the 2024 season after clearing 1.65m (5-5) in early April. These two sophomores will have to contend with the top returning athlete from the Class 4 State Championships, Hannibal's Taegen Novel, who has cleared 1.62m (5-3.75) in her career. She was fourth last year after back-to-back ninth's her first two years. Marshfield's Tilly Greenfield should be considered among the contenders, as well, as she, too, has cleared 1.62m in her career (2023), but finished off her 2024 season with a 1.6m (5-3) personal best and was hard-luck ninth at the 2024 State meet.

Finally, expect to see Incarnate Word Academy moving into Class 4 which may throw a wrench in everyone's plans anyway as Bailey Hensgens (above) was last year's Class 3 State champion with a 1.7m (5-7) clearance.

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Class 3 Outlook

Mt. Vernon's Savannah Dampf is the top returner in Class 3 and second among returners in the entire state with her 1.71m (5-7.25) personal best. Dampf was yet another freshman who called it a season in mid-April and did not make it to the State meet. She will benefit greatly from the movement of Incarnate Word Academy up to Class 4 and the departure of Bailey Hensgens as she works toward a State championship in 2025.

Dampf is a full two inches ahead of the next closest returner, Holden's Kia Harmon (above). Harmon cleared 1.66m (5-5.25) and finished second at last year's Class 3 State Championships - she cleared a lifetime best 1.67m in 2023. She cleared 1.6m six times last season, which is the mark that is third among returners and held by Lutheran South's Grace Prange and Clever's Valerie Cowles. Prange was fifth at State last year and Cowles was seventh. 

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Class 2 Outlook

There does not appear to be much movement in and out of Class 2 projected this year, at least much that is significant to the high jump field. Westran's Emma Wortman (above) is the top returner based on personal best mark, but the reigning back-to-back Class 2 State champion is Lafayette County's Elena Williams (below). Wortman hit 1.7m (5-7.25) to win her district meet and finished third at State. Williams jumped all the way up from 1.6m to 1.69m (5-6.5) to win the State meet in 2024 and figures to be the top contender from the crown seeing as she is a fingernail off of the top mark.

Louisiana's Jordan Pedersen and Fayette's Browyn Eubanks were fourth and tied for fifth at State last season and return with 1.61m and 1.62m bests, respectively. Jasper's Crystal Smith has been consistently around 1.6m since she won the Class 1 State Championship in 2022. She cleared 1.68m in 2023, but only went over 1.6m once in 2024. She will be among the Class 2 contenders, as well. Putnam County's Allise Perkins was tied for fifth in 2024 and is third among Class 2 returners with a 1.63m (5-4.25) personal best. 

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Class 1 Outlook

Gardner won the state title, helped Pattonsburg to a team trophy, and is the top returner.