High School Boys Long Jump
Jerry Johnson at the 2022 Pearl Track and Field Season Opener
Loaded fields highlight the HSB Long Jump
As one can see in the title above, the High School Boys Long Jump at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational is Stacked. Here are the top six entries below:
That's right... six entries that have jumped 21-2 or higher, with 2021 MHSAA 6A Long Jump State Champion Jerry Johnson of Pearl leading the way at 23-5.
Behind him, four more MHSAA State Meet Qualifiers in the Long Jump will be joining Johnson in the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational High School Boys Long Jump.
Let's analyze what we're looking at.
Jerry Johnson is the 2021 MHSAA 6A State Champion in the Long Jump and Runner-up in the Triple Jump. He is currently leading the state in the Long Jump with his win at the 2022 Pearl Track and Field Opener with his battle that he had with Jim Hill's Jessie Williams.
Even with that mark of 22-3, Johnson would still be the #1 seed.
This is his specialty event, and expect him to go after it with some warmer weather and good competition this Friday at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational.
However, we can't disregard the rest of the field, as they are just too good.
The #2 seed is Sterling Scott of Starkville. Scott is a 2021 MHSAA 6A State Qualifier in both the Long Jump and Triple Jump, placing 4th in the Long Jump. He opened up his season with a win and PR in the Long Jump of 21-9.5 at the 2022 Starkville High School Season Opener.
The #3 seed is Johnson's teammate Marcus Thompson who opened up his season with a win in the Triple Jump at the 2022 Pearl Track and Field Opener, jumping a mark of 43-6.
The #4 seed is multiple-time state medalist Javarius Molden of Hattiesburg, who has already had plenty of Long Jump experience this season and jumped 21-7 at the 2022 Harrison Country Track Meet.
The #5 seed is the jumps stud of Columbia High School, Devron Cloyd. This is Cloyd's official season opener (it should be noted that Cloyd jumped at the Columbia Practice Meet, but no results were recorded), and is surely ready to get after it with the high-caliber field that he is in. Cloyd is a true competitor who likes to win, and his multiple state titles back that up. Expect him to rise to the occasion on Friday.
Last, but certainly not least, the #6 seed is Molden's teammate De'Vaunce Norman, little brother of Camrun Norman. Norman is a 2021 MHSAA 5A State Qualifier in the Long Jump, Triple Jump, and the Pole Vault. Norman has also gotten to a early start in his outdoor season, already snagging a PR of 21-2 at the 2022 Harrison Country Track Meet.
We will see some outstanding marks in the High School Boys Long Jump, as well as a new potential #1 in the state.
High School Boys Shot Put
Will we see a new Miss. #1 in the HSB Shot Put?
Highlighting the entries for the shot put is Dedric Hicks from West Jones High School.
Hicks is a 2 x MHSAA 5A State Champion, and holds an impressive 8-meet win streak. He consistently throws beyond the 50 foot mark, but D'Iberville High's Dreyunta Lenoir has also broken that barrier this season.
He has had multiple impressive throws in the discus and shot this season, and he will be looking to challenge Hicks in his season debut.
Expect these two athletes to have big performances and possibly push each other to new state leading throw in the state of Mississippi.
High School Girls Triple Jump
Lenasia Drummond heads the field in the HSG Triple Jump
Hattiesburg will be looking to sweep the High School Girls Triple Jump at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational.
The only factor standing in their way is out-of-state talent Khadira Gipson of Northridge High School with a PR of 36-10.25.
Lenasia Drummond of Hattiesburg is the heavy favorite. Seeded at 37-4, Drummond has had 14 wins out of 14 competitions this outdoor season.
Drummond's teammate Kymiah Hilton is the #3 seed at 35-1. Hilton has only taken a loss to one competitor, and that competitor is Lenasia Drummond. They will try to keep it that way on Friday in the High School Girls Triple Jump at the Southern Miss High School Invitational on Friday.
High School Boys Triple Jump
Pearl's Marcus Thompson
On the High School Boy's side of the Triple Jump, we're set to see some of the state's best contend for the title at the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational.
Heading the top of the list is Mississippi's top returning jumper and MHSAA 6A State Champion Devron Cloyd. He boasts an impressive PR of 45-0, and never lost a single jump in the 2021 outdoor season.
However, he will be closely contested by the duo from Pearl High School in Jerry Johnson and Marcus Thompson, who are both looking to get their 2022 triple jump campaign off to a flying start.
Keep your eyes out for BJ Washington who definitively won his home meet at the 2022 Madison Central Jaguar Classic.
It's hard to pick a winner but expect an exhilarating ending to the 2022 Southern Miss High School Invitational.