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Graham wins Track and Field Athlete of the Year at Semoball Awards
Darius Graham had a high school career to remember at Poplar Bluff High School in track and field, football and basketball. And winning the Semoball Award for Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year — the area equivalent of college football's Heisman Trophy — just adds to that legacy.
Graham was honored with the award last Friday night at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau after being a finalist for the award last year.
Graham recently completed a high school track career which saw him clear 7 feet, 1 inch to repeat as Class 5 state high jump champion over Memorial Day weekend, breaking a Class 5 state record and Poplar Bluff High School record along the way. He also took second in the long jump at state with a jump of 24 feet, 3 1/2 inches, another PBHS record.
“Just how I was able to progress (this spring) and stay consistent with how I was able to jump (stood out),” Graham said. “I did have a few shaky meets and so for me to get back (to state), it felt awesome.”
Graham won his first state title in the high jump as a junior last spring when he cleared 6 feet, 10 1/4 inches at the Class 5 state meet last spring, setting a new state record at that time. Additionally, he was a two-time SEMO Conference champion in the high jump and won the SEMO Conference in the long jump this spring. Graham also won district and sectional titles in the high jump during his high school career.
So what stood out the most to Graham about his high school track career?
“Honestly? Being around everybody, just competing (in) track and just jumping,” Graham said. “It was something that I hadn't done throughout my high school career, so for it to be one of those sports (was amazing).”
Graham also was a standout in high school in football and boys basketball. He had 58 catches for 750 yards as a senior in football and helped the Mules make their deepest postseason run in more than a decade in 2022.
“The friendships and stuff that you make, and just being able to go out there (stand out),” Graham said. “With every season, you've got different coaches and stuff. And so you know, you're around a lot of different environments.”
After originally committing to Division II Missouri S&T for football and track, Graham has now committed to compete in track and field at Wichita State University, a Division I university and member of the American Athletic Conference.
“I'm excited to go down there,” Graham said. “I really like the campus, everything down there and the program that they've got going on. They've got a super, super nice senior that's leaving, so after talking to the coach, I just made the ultimate decision that that was the right fit for me.”
And the chance to be a Division I college athlete was too good to pass up for Graham.
“It felt nice,” Graham said. “I felt like I put in the work for it, so just to see it finally paid off, felt good.”