Kingi McNair Lands at U.S. #1 in Long Jump, Secures MS #3 All-Time
After breaking the indoor long jump record in January, there was no doubt that Kingi McNair was in the best shape of his career. And if any doubts remained, he erased them at the Pearl Track & Field Opener. With a monumental leap of 24-10.5, he shattered his personal best by 8 inches. In his very first meet of the season, Kingi has already set a mark that will be incredibly difficult for any other jumper in the state to match. His nation-leading jump not only cements him as the best in the U.S. but also moves him to third all-time in Mississippi history.
For those questioning Kingi's ability to stay atop the national leaderboards this early in the season, just look at last year's national rankings. With his current 24-10.5 mark, he would have finished 12th in the country for the entire 2024 season. And if that isn't impressive enough, consider this: only one jump from the U.S. top 50 last year was recorded in February (#23, Kade Phillips, 24-7.5). If Kingi can clear 25 feet, he will join an elite group of Mississippi legends, becoming just the third athlete in state history to do so. He would stand alongside NFL star Donte Moncrief and Mississippi State University's Kennedy Stringfellow.
It's still early in the season, but it's not far-fetched to say that Kingi McNair has a real shot at defending his U.S. #1 ranking and extending his dominance in the long jump.
Distance at Pearl Opener Does Not Disappoint
At the Pearl Track & Field Opener, Lilly Overby from Simpson Academy sent out a clear message to the rest of the state: she's here to compete. At the start of the race, she was with the lead pack for only 200m. It was at this point that she looked down at her watch, picked up the pace, and never looked back. She went on to dominate this race, winning with a time of 5:08.25 for the current state lead. What makes this performance so impressive isn't just the time, but the competition that she beat that day. In this race, she beat the top returning 1600m runner in the state by almost 15 seconds.
One thing to note is that she came through the first 800m of the race well on pace for a sub-5:00-minute performance, but fell just short on the backstretch. If she can line herself up with the right competition, on the right day, I have no doubts that she can shatter that 5:00-minute barrier, and even bring some other Mississippi athletes under with her.
Also in this same race was East Rankin Academy's Jewel Baker, who broke the 7th grade state record for the 1600m race. Her time of 5:21.98 also makes her the fastest 7th grader in the country.
Over in the 3200m, Simpson Academy's Layla Warren smoked the 3200m race and won with ease. She hit a time of 11:51.36 for the state lead, while also doubling in the 1600m with a time of 5:32.60. On fresh legs, she could surely dip below 5:30, and maybe even creep closer to low 5:00 territory.
On the boys' side of this distance madness, we saw Marcus Henning from Madison Central throw down a huge personal best for a big win and state lead. At the Pearl Opener, Marcus stuck with Oak Grove's Grayson Taylor and Louis Schramm through the first half of the race. These three pushed each other and exchanged leads en route to the final lap. With 200m to go, Marcus made a massive surge that no one could respond to, sealing the race and coming through the line in 4:32.30. This mark was a 13-second personal best from his old outdoor record. With Marcus's powerful kick, he could be a real contender for a podium spot at this year's MHSAA State Championships.
Early Season Highlights in Throwing Events
At the Rock-a-chaws Relays, Adrian Miles from D'Iberville High School started his season with two early state leads. Over the course of the meet, Adrian ended up with marks of 153-5 in the discus and 47-11.5 in the shot put. Although these were not personal bests for him, they showcase that he starting this season off in much better shape than last year. Compared to his 2024 season opener, his shot-put is already seven feet longer. If he can improve at the same rate he did last year, then he will be in the running to hold his state lead the entire season. In the case of his discus standings, it will be incredibly hard to beat Sean Fairley, but Adrian will no doubt hold onto a top-three spot in the state. If he can stay consistent, we may see him double in the shot-put and discus for two state titles.
Over at the Pearl Track & Field Opener, Jillian Breland had herself a day. She threw 108-8 in the discus to grab the state lead. What makes this performance stand out? Jillian is a FRESHMAN. She is coming into the season ranked as the 11th-best returner while also being two years younger than anyone within the top 10 returner rankings. There are some solid throwers going into this season, but now that Aryn Eady has graduated, there is a new spot open for the best girl's thrower in the state. I'm not saying that thrower will be Jillian, but if she can continue to progress like she did last year, improving her throw by almost thirty feet in one season, then I think there is a solid chance she could be a top dog this year.