PAGES: Instagram | Calendar | Rankings | Results
At the Martin Luther King Indoor Track Classic, athletes celebrated one of the most influential leaders in American history while achieving remarkable personal bests on the track. The event saw new state leads across multiple disciplines, starting with the 60-meter dash.
In our article earlier this week, we highlighted Devin Kelly's potential in the 60m dash. After holding the second-fastest time in the state for a while, Devin finally delivered a breakthrough performance last Monday. He exploded off the blocks and maintained a strong position through the first 30 meters. In the latter half of the race, his superior top-end speed set him apart from his competitors. Crossing the finish line in 6.85 seconds, Devin earned first place overall and a new state-leading time. This performance ranks him third all-time in Mississippi and places him in the top 50 nationally. Looking ahead to the outdoor season, Devin's exceptional top-end speed will be a significant asset in the 100m and 200m. If his form continues to develop, we could see an exciting sprint rivalry between him and Omari Hampton.
In the distance events, Jaquavion Bryant further improved his own state lead. Jaquavion started aggressively, staying with the lead pack through the first 1,000 meters before making a decisive push in the final 400 meters. He secured a second-place finish with a time of 4:20.54, closing the last lap in an impressive 1:01. In recent years, the biggest races have often been decided by who has the strongest finishing kick, and this season looks to be no exception. I anticipate that many state championship 1600m races this year will come down to finishing speed rather than personal best times.
Grayson Taylor of Oak Grove High School closed out the distance events with a smooth performance in the 3200m, claiming the state lead. By "smooth," I mean his 200m splits were remarkably consistent, within 1-2 seconds of each other. He finished third overall with a time of 9:56.65, only scratching the surface of his potential. Coming off a fourth-place finish at the 7A XC State Championships and a season-best of 15:48, Grayson has the consistency and talent to be a dark horse contender for a podium finish this track season.
Shifting the focus to the field events, we saw multiple state leads fall. In the pole vault, Julie Segroves raised her own state lead by 4.5 inches, bringing her closer to her all-time indoor personal best. Her mark of 12-9 ranks her 14th nationally, and she's only inches away from breaking into the top 10. Julie is just getting started this season, and it's exciting to see what's ahead for her.
In the shot put, Morgan Luss from Clinton High School had a breakout performance, moving from fifth in the state to first. She delivered consistent throws throughout the day, hitting 33-0 twice. Morgan is making significant progress this indoor season and is close to matching her all-time best from last outdoor season. If she continues this trajectory, she could become the top female thrower in the state.
Lastly, Kingi McNair dominated in the jumping events, earning two new state leads. He recorded marks of 21-11.75 in the long jump and 44-6.75 in the triple jump during his first meet of the 2025 season. The reigning 7A state champion in the long jump is off to a strong start, but consistency will be key for him this season. Although he set a monstrous personal best of 48-8 in the triple jump during the 2024 St. Andrew's Invitational, he narrowly missed qualifying for the 7A State Championships due to his performance at the South State meet. If Kingi can bring all his jumps together on the same day, he has a strong shot at claiming two state titles-but only time will tell.