There's not much time between sports seasons these days.
Like none.
"As soon as the state meet is over," Joey Burkett said, "it's football season."
Burkett, a junior at Jefferson City High School, has verbally committed to play football with the Missouri Tigers next year. This fall, he promises to be a force at linebacker for the Jays.
But first things first --- Saturday, he was a championship force at the Class 4 State Track and Field Championships.
Burkett cleared 15 feet, 9 inches to win the pole vault by a full foot --- if you weren't sure, that's a lot --- to help the Jays finish sixth at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.
"It's pretty awesome," Burkett said. "I practiced hard this week and I just went out there and got it done."
At 6-2, 190, this guy is not your typical pole vaulter.
"He's like a freight train coming down the runway," Jefferson City coach Dan Ridgeway said. "He's so big and powerful and strong and fast, because most of the pole vaulters are a lot smaller, thinner guys.
"He's just explosive."
Earlier this season, Burkett set the school record in the event by clearing 16-1, as he vaulted past a number of noteworthy athletes for the Jays.
So which means more?
"I don't know, that's tough," he said. "They're both great things to do and I had a lot of fun doing both of them."
Burkett didn't have long to enjoy this medal presentation, as he had to run to, and in, in the 4x100-meter relay.
"I barely made it there, they were walking to their spots as they were giving out the medals for the pole vault," he said.
"I had to run down there."
He ran very well, thank you, as Burkett teamed with three other juniors to finish second.
"Elijah Sherwood was great," Burkett said. "He ran the final leg and took us from fifth to second."
Hazelwood Central won the Class 4 boys title with 38 points, while the Jays tied for sixth with Rock Bridge with 29 points --- just three points from winning a trophy for a top-four finish and only nine points from winning it all.
"It wasn't a great weekend, but it was a good weekend," Ridgeway said. "All in all we're happy but, as a coach, you're never satisfied.
"We gave it a run, we just came up a little short."
Jays junior Caleb Ruth was third in the 800-meter run (1:56.65), an event that was won by Rock Bridge senior Jordan Cook (1:55.85).
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Napheesa Collier's fabulous high school career with the Lady Jays ended at 4:27 p.m. Saturday, as she handed off the baton to Kezia Martin, who was running the anchor leg of the 4x400-meter relay.
Collier is a wonderful track and field athlete and she's even better in basketball. She is Maya Moore-esque.
This weekend, Collier helped the Lady Jays finish fifth in the Class 4 team race, as she finished second in the triple jump (38-7.5) and sixth in the high jump (5-6), while the 4x400-meter relay was fourth.
And she's only a freshman.
But she's moving to St. Louis (Incarnate Word).
Ouch.
"It's really bittersweet," Collier said. "I'm excited about meeting new people, but I hate to leave Jeff City.
"I'm really going to miss my friends."
Rest assured, Jefferson City is going to miss her.
"It stinks," Ridgeway said, "because with a freshman, you think you're going to have them for four years. But this is not the first time it's happened to us.
"She's a great kid and it was great to coach her, at least for one year. We wish her the best.
"You just have to appreciate what you've got when you've got it."
Senior Shelby Mustain took third in the discus while Martin, a sophomore who's staying put, was third in the triple jump (38-4).
Oddly enough, sophomore Monique Townson --- who transferred from Jefferson City to Staley last year --- was also all-state in the triple jump, finishing eighth.
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Will Fife made his mark on the state meet this weekend. In all likelihood, he will stamp and stomp his mark in the next two years.
Fife, a Helias sophomore, finished second in the discus (164-10) and third in the shot put (51-5.5) this weekend, scoring 14 of the Crusaders' 19 team points and leading Helias to a 12th-place finish.
"The sky's the limit for him, assuming he doesn't get hurt in football ... there's always that possibility," Helias coach Tom Emmel said.
"He's smart, he's personable and he takes coaching well. He's everything you want in an athlete."
The 6-2, 240-pound Fife is ready for more.
"I'm really excited to come back next year and see what I can do," Fife said. "I'm going to start training and lifting a lot earlier than I did this year."
Also Saturday, Helias junior Griffin McCurren ran a 48.94 in the 400 to break the school record ... the school record he set in Friday's preliminaries (49.51).
Still, McCurren finished fourth.
"There were a lot of great athletes in that race," Emmel said. "The top-four finishers in Class 3 all bettered the time of the state champ in Class 4."
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Sara Rhine is a freshman at Eldon High School.
She didn't start jumping over stuff until two years ago --- but you would have thought she would have been jumping over her couch, if not her refrigerator --- long before that.
"I started in seventh grade," Rhine said, "and I've been doing it ever since.
And now, she's doing it better than anyone else.
Rhine cleared 5-7 in the high jump to win the Class 3 championship. She was the top seed going in and she made it stand up.
"I was excited to be the top seed and I felt good about it," said the 6-1 Rhine, who averaged a double-double for the Lady Mustangs basketball team.
"I was nervous at the start but once I got into it, I felt good."
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