Adam Papin/MDN John Williams competes in the triple jump at the 2023 NDHSAA State Track and Field Championships. Williams, who won the state title for Minot High, is competing for Minot North this year.

At the 2023 NDHSAA State Track & Field meet, the Minot High girls had five athletes place in the top 20 in the triple jump, with one winning the state title. Last year, sophomore Rachel Nwankwo claimed first in state, senior Ashlyn Nielsen was eleventh, sophomore Haleigh Carr and junior Makayla Whitfield placed seventeenth while Haley Conklin was twentieth at the meet.

At the same meet, the boys swept the top three spots as sophomore John Williams III won the event while juniors Anthony Brown and Grayson Schaeffer took second and third place respectively. Senior Zach Brown was sixteenth for Minot High.

Des Lacs-Burlington’s David Fulin Ross won the Class B boys’ triple jump state title as well.

“The students have a sense of pride and commitment to the event [triple jump],” said Minot High girls track and field head coach Disa Julius. “They set self expectations that are high. The coaches have that same commitment to the athletes and the event. The combination of those two groups and how they approach the triple jump has yielded success.”

Of the five girls and four boys from last season, three girls and two boys return for the 2024 season. In addition to the seniors graduating, the Brown and Nwankwo families have moved from the area. The departures might have some programs stressed, but at Minot, it is the next athlete up.

“The athletes push themselves and compete amongst themselves to continually improve,” said Minot High boys track and field coach James Johnson. “This group of student athletes is pretty special. They drive themselves to get better every day and also are willing to help each other improve.”

The only glitch in the perfect triple jumping system is the split from one high school – Minot High – into two now with the addition of Minot North. The good news is that the same jumping coach is working with the athletes from each school.

“Drew [Hysjulien] is helping the jumpers from both schools this spring,” said Johnson. “Between the off season conditioning, the long time program’s effective training cycle and the special student athletes we have right now, it is very fun to be a part of this program and school.”

The Minot High teams return Haleigh Carr and Haley Conklin as juniors and Makayla Whitfield for her senior year. On the boys side, junior Grayson Schaeffer is joined by senior Colby Albertson this season.

Minot North has junior John Williams III as a Sentinel along with freshmen Cameron Jesz, Gavin Toby and sophomore Christian Deadmond in the mix for the boys. For the girls, sophomores Alyssa Speraw and Jaelynn Zarr and joined by eighth grader Elli Laskowski. The girls add freshmen Eden Brooks, Bryn Francis and Evelyn Jessen.