There are certain marks in track and field that grab attention when achieved because they are rarely reached. In the girls’ competition, one is going over the 40-foot barrier in the triple jump.
That had been accomplished only one time before in the Jackson Parish girls prep track and field history, and that was by JHHS senior Ciara Gray in the 2025 Class A regionals. That is, until this past Wednesday, April 1st. No foolin’!
Gray hopped, skipped, and leaped her way to the top of the LHSAA prep rankings in the triple jump and rewrote the Jonesboro-Hodge and Jackson Parish all-time record books when she soared 40′ 11.5″ at the prestigious Gator Relays held at Lee Hedges Stadium on the campus of Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport.
The two-time defending state champion in the event and holder of 8 of the best 10 all-time triple jumps in JHHS and Jackson Parish history, obliterated her previous record of 40′ 1.25″. In doing so, Gray also rose to the top of the state in the event, regardless of classification.
As if that wasn’t enough, Gray also took first place in the long jump with a mark of 18′ 2.5″, which also registers in the all-time JHHS and Jackson Parish girls’ prep track annals as 6th best in history.
The two outstanding performances in the field portion of the meet, which saw 25 of the top high school track and field teams from northwest Louisiana and south Arkansas take part, earned Gray a national Elite Performance “silver status” designation by Mile Split.
For the first time this season, Gray didn’t win all four of the events she specializes in, but wasn’t far from it. In the 100 and 300-meter hurdles, Gray came in second place to the state’s top hurdler, Leach Bryant of Class 5A Captain Shreve.
The 4×200 relay team of Derryn Osborne, JaKhorielle Lard, Carmen Livingston and Sanaa Tatum also were “podium placers” after posting a time of 1:50.87, good for third place.
In boys competition Lon’Trevious Burns and Landon Boston had the best finishes for the Tigers with Burns leaping 6’0″ in the high jump and Boston posting a 38’8″ effort in the triple jump, both good for 4th place in their respective event.
UPCOMING MEETS!
Quitman High School will take their longest regular season road trip of the year on Tuesday, April 7th when they make the trek to Lake Charles, LA to participate in the McNeese High School Relays.