Over the next several 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 at the Boys Triple Jump.
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Class 5 Outlook
The Class 5 triple jump scene gets a major facelift with the graduation of several of its major players. Of the top 12 finishers at last year's State meet, only 3 of them are back for the 2025 season. Francis Howell's Cameron Cason (pictured above) is tops among returners based on State finish and mark as the 2024 silver medalist boasts a 14.34m (47-0.75) personal best. He was first or second in every meet in which he competed last season. In fact, the only time he has finished worst than second in his career was a third place finish at the 2023 State meet.
Cason is nearly two feet ahead of the next closest returner: Kirkwood's Khalani Barry. Barry is the only other returning all-stater with his 13.78m (45-2.5, +0.6). He earned a fifth place medal last year and is second among juniors in the entire state.
Rock Bridge's Harrison Hicklin was ninth at last year's State meet and is back for his junior year. Hicklin is tied for sixth among Class 5 returners, though, with his 13.61m (44-7.75).
Several of the state's best returning marks, as a matter of fact, did not occur at the State meet. Carthage's Trenton Yates cleared 13.73m (45-0.5) before finishing 15th at State. Another Southwest MO standout, Devontre Vaughn out of Springfield Central, hit 13.7m (44-11.25) at his District meet, but was unable to qualify out of the Sectional meet. Up in Kansas City is Oak Park's Travon Pankey, a senior who posted a 13.62m (44-8.25) mark in 2024, but went as far as 13.86m (45-5.75) in 2023, a mark that would be second among returners. All three of these guys should be among the top contenders for the podium and are looking to earn their first career individual State medals.
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Class 4 Outlook
The 2024 Class 4 State champion is back for the 2025 season, looking for a repeat effort. Marshfield's Brayden Hicks picked up the gold medal last May after finishing seventh in 2023, capping off a season in which he finished either first or second in all 10 meets in which he competed. His 14.05m (46-1.25) personal best is the only mark of the Class 4 field over 14 meters.
As for the rest of the field, we expect to see some movement up to Class 5 and down to Class 3 from some of the major players. Carl Junction's Ryder Pyles and Festus's Jneyvaun Lacey will be back for sure and posting respective best marks of 13.77m (45-2.25) and 13.69m (44-11). Pyles snagged an eighth place medal in 2024 while Lacey was notably absent from the Sectional and, subsequently, State meets. Collegiate School's Moses Mugenyi was the only other non-senior medalist in 2024 after taking sixth with a 13.41m (44-0) mark.
Farmington's Brett Drye cleared 13.6m (44-7.5), but expect Farmington to be in Class 5 next year, putting Drye in the mix for a medal there. Fulton's Ethan Milius cleared 13.65m (44-9.5) in 2023 and eventually finished fifth at the State meet. He hit 13.37m (43-10.5) last season, but did not make it to May.
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Class 3 Outlook
Ten of the top thirteen finishers at last year's Class 3 State meet are back, even though the gold and silver medalists have graduated. A strong stable of athletes return over 44-9, not including the afore-mentioned Milius.
Lutheran South's Ben Long is first among the Class 3 performers with his 14.34m (47-0.5) personal best. Long was fourth at last year's State meet, just behind Montgomery County's Tyler Erwin. Erwin is the only long jump returner in Class 3 over 7 meters and one of four triple jumpers over 13.7 meters. He cleared 13.77m (45-2.25, +0.9) last spring and is one of the state's best horizontal jumpers.
Erwin is behind Strafford's Jesse Barry and Richmond's Jacob Johnson based on marks. Barry was undefeated in 2024 until finishing sixth at the State meet, and cleared 13.91m (45-7.75) in the early-goings of the season. Johnson was fifth at State, also undefeated through the regular season and State series, and cleared 13.85m (45-5.25). Central New Madrid County's Ja'Kwon Jones is fifth among triple jump returners with his 13.65m (44-9.5) mark. Jones is the fifth of the five returning all-staters we will mention, though there were five other State qualifiers who will be back in 2025. It is a strong field led by Lutheran South's Long, but could be anyone's ballgame as the season goes on.
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Class 2 Outlook
The top returner in the state regardless of class and a heavy favorite for the triple jump crown in Class 2 is Brentwood's Demeterius Thompson. Thompson popped off an impressive 14.55m (47-8.75) mark in March, but only cleared 13 meters four other times. Nevertheless, this performance and his 13.45m (44-1.5) are tops among Class 2 returners.
The Class 2 field, like Class 5, is getting a major facelift as the top five finishers at last year's State meet and six of the top eight have graduated. The top non-senior on last year's podium was Malden's Tristin Moncrief. He is fifth on the returners' performance list and was fifth at the State meet with his 12.87m (42-2.75) best.
Louisiana's Jamal Blackwell is another, like Thompson, who missed out on a State medal last spring, but unlike Thompson, Blackwell did not make it past April. He is second on the returners' performance list with his 13.26m (43-6) personal best from early April. Darrion Upchurch is just behind Blackwell with a 13.23m (43-5) mark and will be hoping to join him in the state series after also missing out on the end of his season. East Prairie's Connor Marcum has the fourth best mark among returners at 13.0m (42-8) and will be hoping to stake out a State podium spot, as well. The only other State medalist besides Moncrief, in fact, was East Buchanan's Trey Johnson, who we have spoken about in several other events so far. He finished eighth, his third medal of the weekend, last season.
Trey Johnson
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Class 1 Outlook
Brunswick's Colby Jenkins only needed one jump to secure the State gold last May, clearing 13.14m (43-1.5, +0.4) on his first attempt. He would pass on the next two before attempting one time in finals. Jenkins, the State champion in the long jump as well, is the top returner for the 2025 season by 7 inches with his 13.33m (43-8.75) best.
Jamestown's Tyler Wilson nearly unseated Jenkins in his final attempt, clearing 13.05m for second, but his personal best sits at 13.15m (43-1.75) from his conference meet. The next four finishers at the State meet will also be back for the 2025 season led by Justin Miller from Jefferson (Conception Junction). Miller is fourth on the performance list with a 13.05m (42-9.75) mark and was undefeated last season until his third place finish at State. Rich Hill's Zane Becker was fourth and sits fifth on the returners' performance list with a 12.89m (42-3.5) personal best. It is North Harrison sophomore Wyatt Maize who comes in third among returners with a 13.07m (42-10.5) mark, but he was seventh at his Sectional meet. Liberal's Ben Dingman (sixth) and New Franklin's Landon Shaw (eighth) make up the final two all-state returners, though Chadwick's Tristan Smith and Destin McKinney-Crawford from Academie Lafayette are ahead of them on the performance list.
Jenkins is the preseason favorite to repeat in 2025, but several athletes are not too far behind.
Jamestown's Tyler Wilson, left, and Jefferson (Conception Junction)/Platte Valley's Justin Miller, left
Rich Hill's Zane Becker