She competed among the most elite 17 and 18 year olds in the country.

Branson incoming senior Cali Essick did not medal at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, but she was in the top 20 in the long jump and triple jump.

Essick competed in long jump first on Monday, Aug. 2. She jumped 18 feet, 8 inches for seventh place out of 77. Her personal record — which she set at the AAU Missouri Valley District Qualifier — is 20 feet, 4 inches.

That jump earned her first place at the district meet, and she is the current state record holder for Missouri in girls long jump. She shares the title with Kiara Strayhorn, a fellow 2022 graduate, from Capital City. The two competed against each other at the MSHSAA Class 5 Section 3 meet as well as the MSHSAA Class 5 State Track and Field Meet.

Two days later she competed in triple jump. She placed first at the MSHSAA Class 5 Track and Field Championships in triple with a jump of 39 feet, 4 inches. At the Junior Olympics, she jumped 38 feet, 4 inches. She placed 14th overall out of 67.

(Story by Amanda Sullivan, Branson Tri-Lakes News)