Talk of the Town: Early-Season Track & Field Highlights

Mississippi high school track and field is off to an exciting start. A handful of athletes have already made national and state headlines, and the early-season performances show that records could fall at any time this year.

Sprints & Hurdles

Pearl High School's Braden Pickett, a sophomore, opened the season in spectacular fashion. He ran 10.41 in the 100m and 21.05 in the 200m at the Pearl Track & Field Opener. Those times currently rank him U.S. #7 in both events, and among sophomores, he sits at U.S. #1 in the 100m and U.S. #2 in the 200m. Braden is showing all the signs of a future state champion, and if he continues improving, he could make some serious noise in the national rankings before the season is over.

On the girls' side, Taniya Turner from Starkville High School leads the state in the 100m with a 12.13. While this isn't her personal best, it's an early indicator of the form she carries into the season, and she could dip under 12 seconds in the weeks ahead. Jordyn Moody from Oak Grove made an even bigger statement in the 400m with a personal-best 55.47 at the Hattiesburg High Invitational. This performance puts her eleventh nationally and sets her up for a potentially record-breaking season after back-to-back state championships. Jordyn came close to her personal record all-season last year, but had not improved upon her time from her dominant freshman year. For her to come out the gate with a new PR means something must have clicked in the off-season, and she is looking to be a force to be reckoned with.

Hurdles are shaping up as one of the season's most interesting events. On the girls' side, Andraeia Cavett of Clinton High School leads in both the 100mH with a 14.67 and the 300mH with a 45.75. Among the top returners from last year, there were several girls ahead of Andraeia going into this season. However, after the first few weeks of the season, Andraeia is proving that she isn't just a top-five contender, but is looking to be the best in the state. Among the boys, Carter Parks from Clinton ran 14.07 in the 110mH, while Leondre Franklin of Harrison Central posted a 39.57 in the 300mH. After the graduation of Markeith Thompson, the state lead in both hurdle events is anyone's game, so it will be exciting to watch which athletes will take over these events. 

Mid-Distance/Distance

Distance events are already drawing attention for the exciting matchups shaping up later this season. Jalen Hardiman of Hattiesburg starts his season with a sub-two-minute performance in the 800 meters, clocking a 1:59.21. Jalen is one of the top returning 800m runners in the state and will no doubt be chasing mid-1:50s by the end of the season. In the 400m, Jamarcus Garrett of Tylertown ran a sub-50 with 49.18, marking an early-season milestone for this event. If he can run 49s in February, who knows where he will stand come May.

In the girls' distance races, Lilly Overby of Simpson Academy is establishing herself as the early favorite. She opened her season with a 2:18 in the 800m and a 5:03 in the 1600m, both strong marks for February. These performances are her best season openers in recent memory, and once Alex Lee begins her season, the two are set to provide one of the state's most compelling matchups in distance events.

Jumps

The jumps have provided some of the most jaw-dropping performances of the early season. Harrison Central's Zahkarri McGlothin leapt 24-10 in the long jump at the Hattiesburg Invitational, nearly a foot better than his previous best and currently a U.S. #1. Close behind, Davion Young of Hattiesburg jumped 24-1.5, ranking third nationally. It's rare to see the top and third national jumpers in the same meet, and Mississippi fans got to witness it firsthand. 

After the graduation of Kingi McNair last year, I did not think we would see another massive jump star so quickly. However, Zahkarri is now the nation's lead jumper and is on the doorstep of a 25-foot jump. There is still lots of season ahead of us, but if he can keep improving, then he will be on everyone's watch come nationals.

In the triple jump, McKenzie Calander of Murrah High School posted 47-2, a massive personal-best improvement. With this big improvement, McKenzie has launched himself onto the main stage for this event and will be looking to keep his state lead. Time will tell, as returning jumpers like Skylan Hunter are sure to be chasing that Mississippi lead.

Among the girls, Maya Hardy of Harrison Central jumped 18-1 in the long jump, closely followed by Kaelyn McKenzie at 18-7. These early-season marks would have placed both athletes in the top five in the state last year, so seeing them in February is truly outstanding. Serenity Reed of Meridian High School opened her triple jump season with 39-4.25, improving nearly two feet on her previous mark, making her one of the early leaders. This is another mark that would have landed her as the third-best triple jumper in the state last year, and it's still early season. With this jump, she is going to be one to watch out for as she gets near a 40-foot mark.

Throws

Sean Fairley of West Harrison threw 178-9 inches in the discus, putting him in the top five nationally and on track to challenge the state record. After his historic season last year, Sean has left himself mere feet away from a state record. If anyone can break Roury McCloyen's state record from 2023, it would have to be Sean Fairley.