By Chris Parker
Willard’s Marshall Swadley set the all-class state-meet shot put record in 2021 with a throw of 66’11.5. It broke a record that had stood since 2008; 13 years.
Swadley’s reign atop the state shot put leaderboard lasted just three years after Nixa’s Jackson Cantwell beat the record on his first throw of Saturday’s Class 5 state shot put competition with a throw of 67’1.5.
That record stood until Cantwell stepped in for his next throw. And his next. And his next. And his final throw.
The star sophomore re-broke the state shot put record with each of his five legal throws culminating with a 71’11 on his final attempt.
Even though Cantwell became the first athlete in Missouri high school history to clear the 70-foot mark, he felt like he had more in him.
“Obviously I got 10-feet better since last year, so it felt a little bit strange to keep hearing I broke it (the state record) over and over,” Cantwell said. “In my head I know this is not what I am capable of. At the end, 71’11 is a really good throw. I feel like I could’ve had more.”
Cantwell drew a large crowd to the renovated shot put pit at Jefferson City. The pit was extended after last year’s state meet in anticipation of Cantwell’s continued assault on school, state and national record books.
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“I am very glad they did that (extended the pit). I knew last year that if I got any better, they would probably have to move it back,” Cantwell said. “I am glad they did because there is plenty of space back there now.”
Even with the extension, Cantwell’s throws consistently rolled underneath the fence and down the hill behind the pit.
The gold medal in the event is the second in two years for Cantwell.
He was joined atop the medal stand by teammate Hayden Mays, who finished second.
While Cantwell was in control of the event from the first throw, Mays, who was seeded second, had to battle his way to the final throw.
“My first two throws were fouls. They were rough. I was messing some stuff up. Going into my third throw I had to get a throw to make it into the final and I barely made it into the final,” Mays said. “My first two throws in the final I was kind of building trying to get better. On my final throw I knew I had to give everything I had, so I just sent it.”
Mays sat ninth entering finals. He moved up to seventh on his first throw of finals and third on his second throw. Then he stepped into the ring for his final throw and unleashed a personal best of 56’5.75 to move into second where he would stay.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS OF THE CLASS 5 BOYS MEET
“I knew it was good, but I didn’t know it was that good,” Mays said.
Kickapoo’s Morgan Nicholls also earned all-state honors in the event with a seventh-place finish.
Hicks continues Marshfield jumping tradition
Marshfield has had a strong run in the triple jump in recent years. Peyton McBride was the Class 4 state champion two years ago. Bryant Bull and Brayden Hicks both earned all-state honors last season. The Blue Jays have had an all-state boys triple jumper in each of the past four contested state track meets.
Make that five.
This year, Hicks moved his way up from seventh last year to the top of the podium as state champion.
Hicks was in eighth place after his first two jumps before an adjustment suggested by his coach changed everything.
“I had been struggling to hit the board,” Hicks said. “My coach moved me back about six inches, I said a prayer and I went for it.”
That adjustment resulted in a personal best jump of 46-feet to take control of the competition. He improved that by 3/4 of an inch on his first jump of finals, which was the winning distance.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS OF THE CLASS 4 BOYS MEET
Hicks credited both McBride and Bull for pushing him over the past two years.
“I wouldn’t be here today if I wasn’t chasing after those guys; especially Peyton,” Hicks said. “Peyton drove me to practice every single day. We played basketball together. I played football with Bryant. It was a good thing that I had them.”
Better mindset pays off for Carl Junction’s Madilyn Olds
As a sophomore, Carl Junction’s Madilyn Olds says she wasn’t ready for the big stage of the MSHSAA State Track Meet.
“Last year I was really nervous, and this year I felt like I got everything figured out and I just kept building,” Olds said. “I was in my head a lot last year and I got that under control this year. I just focused on everything I knew how to do.”
That focus led Olds from a 10th place finish in the Class 4 javelin as a sophomore to a championship as a junior.
She was dominant in the competition with the leading throw at the conclusion of every round of throws culminating with a personal best throw of 149’7 on her fifth of the competition.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS OF THE CLASS 4 GIRLS MEET
“I think getting first throw out of the way and starting strong helped me not be in my head and focus on what I know how to do,” Olds said.
Olds will have to switch from throwing a javelin to throwing a softball quickly, as the junior left from the state tournament to make a softball tournament in Kansas City.
“I feel like I have all the fundamentals, but my softball coach gets mad at me and tells me I am throwing like a javelin thrower, so now I have to shift back to softball,” Olds said.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS OF THE CLASS 5 GIRLS MEET
Day 2 Area All-State Finishers
1st – Jackson Cantwell (Nixa) – Shot Put (21.92)
1st – Brayden Hicks (Marshfield) – Triple Jump (14.04)
1st – Madliyn Olds (Carl Junction) – Javelin (45.60)
2nd – Hayden Mays (Nixa) – Shot Put (17.21)
2nd – Acadia Badgley (Carl Junction) – Pole Vault (3.41)
2nd – Jayzen Blake (Waynesville) – 110 Hurdles (14.25)
2nd – Samantha Dowd (McDonald County) – 200 (24.05)
3rd – Andrew Jacobs (West Plains) – Triple Jump (13.56)
3rd – Willard (Camille Franks, Harley Durr, Madison Davis, Elise Murray) – 4×2 (1:42.20)
3rd – Chris Vineyard (Branson) – 300 Hurdles (38.54)
3rd – Gracie Troester (Republic) – 3200 (11:03.31)
4th – Brooke Jasperson (Carl Junction) – Pole Vault (3.12)
4th – Aiden Myers (Hillcrest) – Javelin (53.81)
4th – Madison Davis (Willard) – 100 Hurdles (14.53)
4th – Samantha Dowd (McDonald County) – 100 (11.99)
4th – West Plains (Zackery Tinsley, Lincoln Miller, Andrew Jacobs, William Stauffer) – 4×1 (42.70)
4th – Joplin (Phia Vogel, Abigayle Lowery, Abigail Eckert, Brylee Strickland) – 4×1 (48.98)
5th – Carson King (West Plains) – 1600 (4:20.40)
5th – Aryah Moore (Glendale) – 100 Hurdles (14.59)
5th – Afton Hopkins (Nixa) – Pole Vault (4.49)
5th – West Plains (William Stauffer, Lincoln Miller, Andrew Jacobs, Zackery Tinsley) – 4×2 (1:28.75)
5th – Zion Allen (Republic) – High Jump (1.93)
5th – Napela Naihe (Ozark) – High Jump (1.93)
5th – Jessica Mace (Rolla) – Shot Put (11.96)
5th – Sydney Ward (Carl Junction) – 400 (58.16)
6th – Alaina Norman (Republic) – Shot Put (11.88)
6th – Chris Vineyard (Branson) – 110 Hurdles (14.66)
6th – Elise Murray (Willard) – 100 (12.16)
6th – Marshfield (GRACE KIMREY, ABIGAIL MCBRIDE, CASSIE FISHEL, Jordan Jung) – 4×1 (48.64)
6th – Waynesville (Lenayah Thomas, Amalexia Bigelow, A’Nyyah Tollison, Madison Roberts) – 4×1 (49.31)
6th – Audrey Oliver (West Plains) – 300 Hurdles (45.96)
6th – Madison Davis (Willard) – 300 Hurdles (45.52)
6th – Tristen Bough (Branson) – 800 (1:54.05)
6th – Abigail McBride (Marshfield) – Long Jump (5.35)
6th – McDonald County (Dominic Navin, Aidrian Short, SAMUEL BARTON, JOSHUA PACHECO) – 4×4 (3:26.44)
6th – Glendale (Aryah Moore, Harper Glaser, Lillian Walters, Charlie Wistrom) – 4×4 (4:02.69)
7th – Republic (Gracie Woods, Reese Finley, Kristin Probst, Alaina Norman) – 4×4 (4:03.32)
7th – Aryah Moore (Glendale) – 300 Hurdles (45.57)
7th – Chasity Straw (Carthage) – Shot Put (11.67)
7th – Willard (Kenadie Johnson, Madison Davis, Harley Durr, Elise Murray) – 4×1 (49.61)
7th – Morgan Nicholls (Kickapoo) – Shot Put (16.03)
7th – Kyle Eidson (Camdenton) – Javelin (49.53)
7th – Republic (Kristin Probst, Gracie Woods, Reese Finley, Gracie Troester) – 4×8 (9:28.90)
7th – Zion Allen (Republic) – Long Jump (6.86)
7th – Brandon Howard (Waynesville) – 100 (10.82)
7th – Neosho (Izaiah Hill, Isaiah Keezer, Phoenix Rhatigan, Noah Soriano) – 4×4 (1:28.83)
7th – Aaron Ashley (Nixa) – 1600 (4:12.54)
7th – Kickapoo (Noah Harrell, Trey Christian, Easton MacLachlan, Benjamin Musa) – 4×1 (42.50)
7th – Izaiah Hill (Neosho) – 400 (49.62)
7th – Kannon Williams (Ozark) – 200 (22.06)
8th – Jonathan Hedrick (Waynesville) – Long Jump (6.83)
8th – Chase Stilley (Webb City) – High Jump (1.60)
8th – Adyson Clark (Marshfield) – Discus (35.88)
8th – Ryder Pyles (Carl Junction) – Triple Jump (13.25)
8th – Bria Wright (Ozark) – 100 Hurdles (15.04)
8th – Damean Young (Bolivar) – 300 Hurdles (41.31)
