John's Journal: Aiming For State Titles And An Olympic Berth

The postseason has arrived for high school track and field in Minnesota, with section meets taking place this week, followed by the state championships June 6-8.

For most athletes, these two weeks mark the end of their season and the commencement of summer relaxation. For Irondale senior Juriad Hughes Jr., it’s safe to say that the track and field season is just ramping up. That’s because Hughes, who broke a long-standing state record in the long jump last year and is the state’s fastest runner at 100 and 200 meters this year, has more on his 2024 radar than high school competition.

If all goes well – and it’s not highly probable but certainly is possible – Hughes could be competing in the long jump for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris. That’s one of the goals for the 18-year-old multi-sport star.

“I want to go to Paris and then if I can't do that this year, I'm looking for 2028 (when the Olympics will be in Los Angeles) and home soil,” Hughes said. “But I feel like I’m capable of going 26 feet this year.”

His personal best in the long jump is more than a foot short of that standard, but it’s not smart to underestimate such a talented, dedicated athlete in a sport where results can explode onto another level without warning.

A year ago Hughes set a state record in the long jump with a mark of 24 feet, 11¾ inches. The previous record of 24-9¼ was set in 1982 by Von Shepherd of St. Paul Central. The only previous serious threat to Shepherd’s record was Hill-Murray’s B.J. Otto, who jumped 24-8¾ in 2007.

After breaking the 41-year-old record, Hughes won a Class 3A state title in that event followed by amazing performances that resulted in a national junior championship and an Under-20 Pan-Am Games long jump gold medal. That made him the No. 1 teenage long jumper in the western hemisphere.

Hughes plans to compete in the long jump, 100, 200 and possibly the 4x100 relay at this week’s Section 5AAA meet at Forest Lake.

At the Hamline Elite Meet on April 26, Hughes won the 100 meters in a time of 10.51 seconds, which stands as the fastest 100 in Minnesota this spring. At last week’s Suburban East Conference championships, he won the 100 meters in 10.91 seconds, finished first in the 200 meters in a state-leading 21.36 seconds, and anchored the Knights’ 4x100 relay team to another conference title, along with Fawzan Boukari, Samuel Soto and Franklin Doncavage.

Juriad will remain busy after the Minnesota high school season ends. He will compete at the Nike Outdoor Nationals June 12-15 in Eugene, Oregon. The hope is that by the conclusion of the Nike meet he will have qualified for the Olympic trials a week later, also in Eugene. He needs to jump in the neighborhood of 26 feet, 4 inches to do so and will have opportunities at sections and state as well as the Nike meet to reach that mark.

“I might just stay out there (in Eugene) for that entire week (between meets) and rest,” he said. “I'll try and be there for the trials; my main goal right now is qualifying for trials.”

Whenever Hughes’ 2024 season ends, he will turn his focus to the University of Arkansas. When he signed with the Razorbacks, it seemed like a match made in track and field heaven; one of the best young athletes in the sport committing to one of the top NCAA programs.

“Juriad is a talented young man who we’re excited about,” said Arkansas associate head coach Travis Geopfert, who coaches the Razorback jumpers. “He set a Minnesota state record and is consistently a high 24-foot long jumper.”

At Arkansas, he will focus on track during his first year with the intention of walking on to the football team as a sophomore. The Razorbacks coaches in both sports are on board with that plan.

After finishing his senior football season last fall, Hughes went right to indoor track practices and competitions around the country. That winter workload may have taken on a toll on his legs coming into the outdoor season, and he hasn’t competed in the long jump at every high school meet.

Hughes’ best long jump mark this season is 22 feet, 2 inches. Eleven others in Minnesota have eclipsed that distance in 2024, led by junior Carter Reckelberg of Class 2A Becker at 23-6¾. Juriad comes into the Section 5AAA meet with the second-best long jump among schools in that section; the leader is Roseville senior John Attipoe at 22-8½.

“I'm just waiting for the right moment,” Hughes said.

Tom Rodefeld, head coach of the Irondale boys track team who also coaches long jumpers, remembers seeing Hughes as a talented young athlete.

“I think I first saw Juriad at the Junior Olympic nationals in Norfolk, Virginia, when he was in about fourth grade; my son was running and Juriad’s sister was on my volleyball team. He made the finals at nationals and he was this skinny, scrawny kid and you saw he just couldn't wait to run. There was this look in the eye, he wants to compete.”

Arkansas’ Geopfert echoed that sentiment, saying “Juriad did a great job at the USATF U20 meet last summer and went on to win a Pan Am U20 gold medal in the long jump. It shows when the lights turn on, he’s a great competitor. That’s what we need, a competitor.”

What makes Hughes so good at running and jumping?

“I think Juriad has been laser-focused on track for over a decade,” Rodefeld said. “And I think he has been given a lot of skills and blessings. But more than anything, he knows what he wants and he has taken those skills to get him to where he is.”

Juriad said, “I know I'm going on to bigger and better things and I'm looking forward to it all.”

--MSHSL senior content creator John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at [email protected] or [email protected]