Mississippi's jumpers are already making noise early in the 2026 outdoor track and field season. Across the long jump, triple jump, and high jump, athletes around the state are putting up impressive marks, while several competitors are beginning to climb the national rankings.
Here's a look at the athletes currently leading Mississippi's jumps events and the performers to watch as the season continues to unfold.
Boys Long Jump
In the jumps, Mississippi boys have been lighting up the leaderboards since February. Current U.S. No. 5 Zahkarri McGlothin of Harrison Central High School leads the state in the long jump with a mark of 24-10. This was a breakthrough performance for him, and he has since backed it up with a 24-2.50 jump, proving that the 24-foot barrier was no fluke. He now sits fourth all-time in state history. McGlothin is not only making waves in the long jump but is also a strong sprinter, holding personal bests of 10.67 in the 100 meters and 21.84 in the 200 meters.
Behind McGlothin is Davion Young of Hattiesburg High School. At the Hattiesburg High Invitational, Young jumped 24-1.50, ranking him U.S. No. 10. The mark also moved him onto the all-time list, becoming just the 19th athlete in state history to break the 24-foot barrier. Since that performance, he has also recorded a mark of 23-5.50, showing he is capable of returning to the 24-foot range.
At the moment, Mississippi and Texas are the only states with two or more athletes ranked in the top ten nationally in the long jump.
Behind these two athletes is even more depth in the event. Jayden Cration of Canton High School currently sits at 23-2, just two inches off his all-time personal best. He is also the top returning long jumper in the state for the 2027 season. Cordarious Payton of Gulfport High School has also jumped 23-0, the fourth-best mark in Mississippi this season.
There is also a strong group of younger athletes to watch moving forward. Junior Ken'Drevious Pollard of South Panola currently sits at 22-9.50, the fifth-best mark in the state, while sophomore Avery Wilson of Brookhaven has jumped 22-2, tying him for the eighth-best mark in Mississippi. Pollard is also the only athlete in the Class of 2028 currently ranked inside the top ten in the state long jump.
Girls Long Jumps
In the girls' long jump, several Mississippi athletes have already begun pushing toward the 19-foot barrier early in the season. Leading the state is Maya Hardy of Harrison Central High School, who jumped 18-10 to win the Tony Dees Goula Invitational in late February. The senior currently holds the top mark in Mississippi and ranks U.S. No. 50 in the event early in the season.
Close behind Hardy is Kaelyn McKenzie of D'Iberville High School, who sits second in Mississippi with a mark of 18-8.50, which she recorded while winning the long jump at the Sabbatini Relays. Her consistency is worth noting, as she becomes just the 10th jumper in state history to clear 18-8 multiple times in her career. With both Hardy and McKenzie already approaching the 19-foot mark, the question remains who will break it first!
Biloxi junior Zoe Williams currently sits third in Mississippi with a jump of 18-5.50, which she recorded at the Olan Welch Invitational earlier this month. Hardy, McKenzie, and Williams all compete in the 7A Region 4 division, making the 7A title one of the most competitive events in the state.
Behind the top three, a strong group of young athletes is beginning to emerge in the event. Amari Trevillion of Port Gibson, a member of the Class of 2028, sits fourth in the state with a mark of 18-4.75, which ranks U.S. No. 13 among sophomores. Charve Gibson of Jefferson County is close behind at 18-4 and recently competed at Nike Indoor Nationals, where she placed 15th in the triple jump and 28th in the long jump against some of the top competition in the country. Tamea Miller of Hattiesburg, another 2028 athlete, has already reached 18-0.50, showing strong potential as one of the top young jumpers in the state.
Additional depth in the event includes Judawn Porter of Hattiesburg, who has reached 17-11, Zion Knox of Vicksburg at 17-8, and Khloe Stidwell of Murrah, who rounds out the leaderboard with a mark of 17-5 so far this season.
Boys Triple Jump
In the triple jump, Mississippi is already seeing several athletes push toward the 48-foot barrier early in the season. Leading the state is Greg Boyden of D'Iberville High School, who jumped 48-6 at the Sabbatini Relays, a performance that currently ranks U.S. No. 20. The mark represents a massive breakthrough for Boyden, improving nearly four feet from a jump of 44-6 just a few weeks earlier and over five feet from his best mark of 42-11 last season. With that performance, Boyden moved up to 11th all-time in Mississippi history in the triple jump. His mark is also the third-farthest triple jump ever recorded in Mississippi during the month of March.
Close behind him is Skylan Hunter of Ocean Springs, who also surpassed the 48-foot barrier at the Sabbatini Relays with a mark of 48-1, currently ranking U.S. No. 28. Their competition made history, as Boyden and Hunter became the first pair of athletes in Mississippi history to both jump over 48 feet in the same competition. Hunter's mark is also notable as the third-farthest jump in state history that did not result in a win, trailing only Morris Kershaw's 49-0 and Ardarius Barnes' 48-9.
Murrah's McKenzie Calander currently sits third in the state with a mark of 47-2, which ranks U.S. No. 49 and was recorded earlier this season at the Hattiesburg High Invitational.
Behind those three, Mississippi still shows strong depth in the event. Freshman Ardarius Johnson of Hattiesburg High School currently sits fourth in the state with a mark of 46-5.50. Johnson's jump set a new freshman class state record, shattering the previous record of 45-8 held by Mississippi legend Kingi McNair. He is also currently the No. 1 freshman in the nation by 10 inches. Heidelberg senior Daniel McGhee rounds out the top five at 45-9, while Clinton's Anthony Blake sits close behind with a mark of 45-6 from the Clinton Season Opener.
Girls Triple Jump
In the girls triple jump, Mississippi athletes are already producing strong marks early in the season, with several competitors approaching the 40-foot barrier. Leading the state is Serenity Reed of Meridian High School, who jumped 39-4.25 to win the Hattiesburg High Invitational in February. The senior currently ranks U.S. No. 24 and holds the top mark in Mississippi as the outdoor season begins to take shape.
Close behind Reed is Tamea Miller of Hattiesburg High School, who sits second in the state with a mark of 38-7 from the Southern Miss High School Invitational. The sophomore currently ranks U.S. No. 46 overall and U.S. No. 6 among sophomores, making her one of the top young triple jumpers in the country early in the season.
A three-way tie currently sits for third in the state at 37-8, shared by Zion Knox of Vicksburg, Charve Gibson of Jefferson County, and Madison Jacobs of Pass Christian. Knox's performance places her at U.S. No. 19 among sophomores, while Gibson and Jacobs continue to show strong consistency in the event across multiple meets.
Just behind that group is Kaelyn McKenzie of D'Iberville, who has reached 37-1 this season while continuing to be top-ranked across multiple jumps events.
Several additional young athletes are beginning to emerge in the event as well. Zianna Schlender of Holly Springs, a member of the Class of 2028, has already reached 36-10.50, which ranks U.S. No. 33 among sophomores. Maya Hardy of Harrison Central sits just behind at 36-9, adding to a strong jumps season that already includes the state-leading mark in the long jump.
Rounding out the leaderboard are two standout freshmen. Khloe Stidwell of Murrah, who has jumped 36-8, currently ranks U.S. No. 16 among freshmen, while Mari Trevillion of Port Gibson has reached 36-4, placing her U.S. No. 19 among freshmen early in the season.
Boys High Jump
In the high jump, Mississippi athletes have already begun pushing toward the seven-foot barrier early in the season. Leading the state is Keiston Glasper of Terry High School, fresh off breaking the indoor state record, he cleared 6-10 at the Rumble in the Jungle meet in late February. The senior currently ranks U.S. No. 7 in the event and holds the top mark in Mississippi as the season progresses.
Just behind Glasper are Dex'treyon Harris of Brookhaven High School and Elijah Morey of Brandon High School, who are tied for second in Mississippi after both clearing 6-8. Harris reached the height at the Brookhaven Speed Trials, while Morey matched it at the Southern Miss High School Invitational. Their performances currently rank U.S. No. 20 nationally, placing both athletes among the top high jumpers in the country early in the season.
Morey and Glasper have also both attempted 6-11 or higher this season in pursuit of a mark that has not been cleared in Mississippi in nearly a decade. The last high school jumper in the state to clear 7-0 was in 2017, making the chase for that barrier one of the most exciting storylines in Mississippi high jump this season.
Clinton sophomore Jonah Banks currently sits fourth in the state with a mark of 6-7, which he cleared at the Oxford Relays. Banks' performance ranks U.S. No. 4 among sophomores, making him one of the top young high jumpers in the nation and an athlete to watch as he continues to develop.
Behind those athletes, several competitors have already reached the 6-6 mark, showing strong depth in the event across the state. Davis Carruth of Parklane Academy, Bryson Foxworth of Columbia, Jeff Flanagan of Madison Central, and Caleb Ball of Pontotoc have all cleared the height this season.
Girls High Jump
In the girls high jump, Mississippi athletes are already beginning to clear impressive heights early in the season. Leading the state is Annie Toler of Madison-Ridgeland Academy, who cleared 5-7 to win the MRA Ice Breaker earlier this month. The senior currently ranks U.S. No. 27 in the event and holds the top mark in Mississippi as the outdoor season continues.
Just behind Toler are a pair of talented sophomores in Taylor Finley of Clinton High School and Nyla Flowers of Hattiesburg High School, who are tied for second in the state after both clearing 5-6 at the Brookhaven Speed Trials. Their performances currently rank U.S. No. 37 overall, while also placing Finley at U.S. No. 6 among sophomores early in the season.
Another sophomore, Mary Catherine Smith of Madison-Ridgeland Academy, currently sits tied for fourth in the state with a clearance of 5-4, which she achieved at the Pearl Track & Field Opener. Her performance ranks U.S. No. 15 among sophomores, giving Mississippi three underclassmen already among the nation's top sophomore high jumpers.
Also clearing 5-4 this season are Kaelyn McKenzie of D'Iberville High School, who continues to add to an already strong jumping season that includes the state's No. 2 long jump mark, and Jahyla Dubose of Laurel High School, who recorded her mark while winning the high jump at the Sabbatini Relays.
Several additional athletes have already reached 5-2 this season, adding depth to the event across the state. McKenzie Edmond of Vicksburg, Serenity Reed of Meridian, and Denasia Johnson of Pearl have all cleared the height so far this year.
Mississippi's jumpers are already making noise early in the 2026 outdoor track and field season. Across the long jump, triple jump, and high jump, athletes around the state are putting up impressive marks, while several competitors are beginning to climb the national rankings.
Here's a look at the athletes currently leading Mississippi's jumps events and the performers to watch as the season continues to unfold.