Graham leaps for gold at state meet

Poplar Bluff High School high jumper Darius Graham got his first shot at the state tournament and returned home with the gold.

Graham outlasted 17 other competitors at the MSHSAA Class 5 state track to finish first in the boy’s high jump clearing 2.06m.

“It felt really great to win it all,” Graham said. “Though I am truly happy about this accomplishment, I feel the need to thank God for putting me in the position to compete because without him, I feel like I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I did in the tournament,”

Performing on a big stage can be overwhelming for some, but Graham felt no pressure getting the job done in front of a packed stadium and was blown away by the experience at his first state meet.

Graham said his coaches tried to give him a warning of how the atmosphere would be at a state track meet, but upon arrival, it was far more than he expected

“Stepping into a state meet for the first time was wild,” he said. “I was told how it would be, but once you actually get there, it’s really on another level than anything I have experienced. There were a lot of people, and it was really loud, the atmosphere was just unbelievable.”

Normally, Graham has to compete in multiple events before getting to the high jump. Usually, he’s on the 4x100 and the triple jump, so his legs get a good workout before he gets to the high jump, but everything lined up perfectly that day.

Graham said his legs felt really good not having to compete in the other events, and he believes it’s why he jumped so well.

Not only did Graham finish first in the high jump, but he also left his footprint as the new record holder in the boy’s high jump by clearing 2.09m.

Breaking the high jump record was not the plan going in, but after realizing how close he was, Graham took his shot at being one the best high jumpers in the state.

“I was just shocked that I was so close, so I had to go for it,” Graham said. “It feels good just knowing that I got the record because I put a lot of work in throughout the season. Breaking that record was a nice way to end the season.”

Boy’s head coach Jeff Mannon wasn’t too surprised by Graham winning gold as he saw his dedication to getting better during every practice and meet. Mannon knew the moment would be overwhelming for a first-time competitor but hoped the nerves wouldn’t get the best of him.

Darius Graham took a big leap in the boy�s high jump competition during the 2023 Poplar Bluff International. For his junior track and field season, Graham became a state champion in the high jump by setting a new class 5 record, he had seven first-place finishes in the high jump, a state qualifier in the triple jump with four first-place finishes with a personal best of 13.8m and was a member of the sectional qualifying 4�100m relay team.Submitted Photo - Lybby Mannon

“That morning, he just seemed really nervous,” Mannon said. “Before everything got rolling, it was a whole lot of psychology and just trying to get him to calm down that morning to get his mind cleared. Once Darius started jumping, he made it through everything cleanly, just as he wanted.

It was exciting watching him break the record on his first attempt, but for a kid like Darius, he always wants to do extra. With all the hard work he’s done and just the commitment he’s had in all the sports that he does, it was nice to see him come out on top.”

For his junior track and field season, Graham became a state champion in the high jump by setting a new class 5 record, he had seven first-place finishes in the high jump, a state qualifier in the triple jump with four first-place finishes with a personal best of 13.8m and was a member of the sectional qualifying 4×100m relay team.

Graham is a multi-sport athlete with football and basketball under his belt but has managed to find a balance by being able to turn on the switch in either sport.

“I just kind of go with the flow,” he said. “I feel like throughout these three years of high school, I’ve been so consistent with doing these three things back-to-back throughout the years. I’ve just built consistency of being able to do it all.”

Heading into the summer, Graham is diving back into football, where he will attend a few camps to improve his skills for his senior season.