The old adage, what a difference a year makes can be one used when talking about Jaxon Hunter.
The sophomore at West Plains High School is preparing for the upcoming outdoor track and field season by attending indoor track meets.
He made the 3-plus hour drive to Pittsburg, Kan.,, on Jan. 6 to take part in the Prentice Gudgen Invitational at Pittsburg State.
He took fourth in the event with a throw of 15.19 meters -- 49 feet, 10 inches. That was a new personal record for him.
It also was a big improvement from exactly a year ago when was 14th with a throw of 12.33 meters.
Hunter, who also plays football at West Plains, is one of the top returning throwers in the state in all classifications in the event.
In the 5 different MSHSAA finals last May, only six freshmen qualified for the state finals in the shot put. Hunter finished 10th in the MSHSAA Class 4 finals.
He had a solid debut season with nine top-four finishes, as seen above at the Boys Night Out event at Hillcrest.
Hunter joined MoMileSplit to talk about indoor meets and preparing for the 2024 season.