The Nixa track and field wrapped up its 2025 campaign in record-setting fashion at the 98th MSHSAA Boys and 50th Girls Class 5 State Championships on May 30-31 at Jefferson City High School.

The Eagles were represented in a total of 21 events, 12 boys and nine girls.

It was a historic day for the program, as 10 state medalists, including two golds, were captured. The boys claimed their best place ever in program history, finishing as the Class 5 state runners-up.

On the opening day, Jackson Cantwell, Hayden Mays, and Will Sanely kicked off the boys team by winning three medals.

Cantwell and May finished one-two in the discus, securing their third consecutive medal in the event. 

It only took Cantwell one throw to technically win the event, as he launched the discus 61.44m. The 2024 state discus champ followed with throws of 63.73m, 64.14m (top throw), and 62.51m. His gold-winning throw of 64.14m was two meters short of the Class 5 and Missouri record held by Devin Roberson of Jeff. City (66.54m).
  Mays improved once again in the discus. After placing fifth (2023) and third (2024), the junior finished right behind Cantwell as the runner-up on his most important throw. He was third, trailing Troy's Zavier Winton (58.58m), entering his sixth and final throw. With a scream of jubilation, Mays knew he beat that mark when the disc left his hand, as the final distance was 59.35m.

In his first state outing, Will Sanely won the bronze in the pole vault. Sanley cleared 4.13m, 4.28m, 4.43m, and 4.50m in two or fewer attempts. It took all three attempts for the junior to clear 4.57m and 4.64m, but he was unsuccessful at 4.71m. After 4.43m, it was down to Sanley, Kent Sheridan of Central (Cape Girardeau), and eventual champ Jacob Poole of Kirkwood. 4.64m was the mark that captured Sanely's first state medal, setting a new personal record.

In the preliminaries, Nixa needed to place top eight and had all but two of its relays compete on the first day, advancing four, two on each side.

The girls 4x200 of Eva Williams, Olivia Reed, Alex Doulova, and Taylor Hopper placed fourth in their heat with a time of 1:42.44, which was the seventh-best in the prelims. The four went on to place eighth in the finals with a time of 1:43.90 and claimed Nixa's first medal in the event since 1980. Ladue won the event at 1:39.13.

The boys 4x200 also advanced and won a state medal. The team of Troy Huff, Jaren Davis, Keivon Flint, and Randy Flint placed second in their heat at 1:27.20, finishing behind Staley (1:26.66). The four had a personal-record performance in the finals, as the team ran a 1:26.37 to place fifth and win Nixa's first 4x200 medal since 2001, while setting a new school record in the process. The quartet bested Platte County, Hazelwood Central, and Hazelwood East en route to the medal. Rock Bridge was the event champion at 1:25.13.

The girls 4x100 of Carysn Patton, Olivia Reed, Alex Doulova, and Taylor Hopper made history by capturing Nixa's ever-ever medal in the event. The team was in heat two of the prelims and finished second with a time of 48.17, setting a new PR and school record, which was fourth-best overall in both heats. In the finals, the team ran a 48.75 and placed eighth. Ray-Pec was the event champion at 47.07.

The last relay team to advance to the finals and capture a state medal was the 4x400. The team of Toby Thompson, Jaren Davis, Keivon Flint, and Roy Perez had two record-setting performances. In the prelims, they ran a 3:21.11, marking a new PR and school record, and placed sixth overall. The four shattered that time by nearly two seconds in the finals, clocking in at 3:19.35 and placing sixth in the state. The best Rockhurst and Francis Howell en route to Nixa's first medal in the event since 2019.

Alex Doulova (100mH), Aaron Ashley (1600m), Randy Flint (200m), and the boys 4x100 barely missed out on a state medal, placing ninth in their respective events.

At the conclusion of day one, the boys team was third in the team standings with 24 points, behind Kirkwood (25) and Rockhurst (39).

The boys 4x800 relay upped the medal count to begin day two. The team of Alex Flannery, Reyes Martinez, Asher Coorts, and Aaron Ashley, propelled by its last two legs, jumped up two spots and placed eighth overall. Entering the final 1600m, Nixa was in 10th place, and a 1:58.63 split by Coorts moved Nixa to eighth and Ashley's anchor leg of 1:55.37 kept the Eagles in eighth place, finishing with a time of 7:55.24 and capturing back-to-back medals in the event. 

Nixa's final medalists on day two were the powerhouse duo of Jackson Cantwell and Hayden Mays. The two, again, placed one-two. 

Cantwell capped off his decorated Nixa career with his third straight gold in the shot put. The 2x defending state champ captured the title on all three of his successful throws. On his third attempt, Cantwell broke his own state and meet record with a throw of 23.45m, which was one centimeter short of the all-time high school national record held by Michael Carter (23.46m) set in 1979. His other two throws were 21.35m and 22.41m. The junior will graduate early in next December to begin his football career at the University of Miami. 
 
Mays only needed his third throw to cement his second consecutive silver shot put medal. With a new PR throw of 18.34m, he placed second behind Cantwell. His next three throws of 18.17m, 17.83m, and 17.89m bested the third-finisher's mark of 17.60m.

Olivia Reed was just one place away from capturing her first state medal in the long jump, finishing with a best leap of 5.37m. Eighth place was 5.52m

The boys 4x400 eighth-place performance concluded Nixa's historic outing at this year's championship. The team scored three points in the event, and upped the Eagles point total to 50, helping solidify the program's second-place finish, nine points short of Rockhurst's 59-point title. Nixa finished ahead of Rockbridge (46) and Kirkwood (40).

The 2025 finalist trophy marks the program's second-ever, as Nixa finished third in 1967.

Nixa's Final Results:

Running Events:

• Boys 4x200: Jaren Davis, Troy Huff, Randy Flint, Keivon Flint, 5th, 1:26.37
• Boys 4x400: Toby Thompson, Roy Perez, Jaren Davis, Keivon Flint, 6th, 3:19.35
• Boys 4x800: Alex Flannery, Aaron Ashley, Reyes Martinez, Asher Coorts, 8th, 7:55.24
• Girls 4x200: Olivia Reed, Eva Williams, Alex Doulova, Taylor Hopper, 8th, 1:43.90
• Girls 4x100: Carysn Patton (So.), Olivia Reed, Alex Doulova, Taylor Hopper, 8th, 48.75
• Boys 4x100: Jax Adams, Troy Huff, Randy Flint, Keivon Flint, 9th, 42.30
• Alex Doulova (So.): 9th, 100m Hurdles, 15:59
• Randy Flint (Jr): 9th, 200m, 22.40, 14th, 100m, 11.39
• Aaron Ashley (Sr.): 9th, 1600m, 4:15.35, 15th, 800m, 2:06.01Eva Williams (Sr.): 12th, 100m Hurdles, 16.16
• Reyes Martinez (Jr.): 15th, 3200m, 9:54.21
• Taylor Hopper (Jr.): 16th, 200m, 26.76

Field Events:

• Jackson Cantwell (Jr.): 1st, Discus, 64.14m, 1st, Shot Put, 23.45m
• Hayden Mays (Jr.): 2nd, Discus, 59.39m, 2nd, Shot Put, 18.34m
• Will Sanley (Jr.): 3rd, Pole Vault, 4.64m
• Olivia Reed (Jr.): 9th, Long Jump, 5.37m
• Rylee Eng (Sr.): 10th, Triple Jump, 10.85m
• Gwen Kubik (Jr.): 11th, Javelin, 37.09m
• Avery Muniz (Jr.): 14th, Discus, 34.78m, 16th, Shot Put, N/A

Click here to view the entire Class 5 results.
Click here to hear from Cantwell and his performance.
Click here to view meet photos and video highlights.