This year was Isiah Craighead’s last chance to medal at state, and he didn’t miss it.

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In the North Callaway senior’s first appearance at the Class 3 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City on Saturday, he finished eighth in the boys javelin with a throw of 47.09 meters to earn a state medal.

Craighead has been throwing javelin all throughout high school after picking it up in middle school. Prior to this year, he hasn’t been able to throw past 45 meters but soared past that mark many times this season, including a school-record 53.57 meters at districts. 

“This year is different because I did it for my pop,” Craighead said. “I definitely don’t think I could’ve done it without that. I know he’s been with me for every step of the way.”

Craighead’s “Pop,” or grandfather, passed away after North Callaway’s season-ending district basketball game against Montgomery County. Since then, good news has been thrown at Craighead due to his accomplishments in the javelin.

He achieved the school record but also earned a scholarship to William Woods University track and field. All of this started after giving it a try after being recommended for the sport in middle school. Craighead had been playing baseball since a young age and had to choose between that and track and field due to North Callaway not offering dual sports in the same season.

“I ended up choosing track, and it’s worked out pretty good,” Craighead said. “It’s more fun. I’ve done baseball since I can’t remember. I just decided because I was getting a little burnt out, and I was like, ‘Let’s try something new.’”

North Callaway head coach Reid Randolph said he was glad to have a javelin state medalist for the school since 2016 with Tanner Pezold and Erinn Bush, who earned all-state honors by finishing third. The last all-state North Callaway athlete overall was in 2019 when Paden Lewis was the state champion in the boys shot put and second-place finisher in the discus and when Kaleigh Moore finished sixth in the girls 3200.

“It wasn’t what he wanted it to be,” Randolph said. “It says a lot of how hard he’s worked to get to where he is. Coming in, he was tied for third in the state. He had an off-day, and he still got all-state.”

Craighead credits his club coach and former University of Missouri All-American javelin thrower Reinhard Van Zyl for working with him year-round. Randolph said Craighead’s father also competed at Mizzou in baseball so the son has the athletic gift, the lengthy frame and work ethic from that background.

“He’s the hardest working kid I’ve ever seen,” Randolph said. “Anytime I see him not in class, he’s working at something. He’s either working at basketball or working at javelin.”

Randolph said he is confident that Craighead will keep getting better at William Woods and will miss him next year because he can’t create that type of kid. Rather, he needs to scout other sports and see if kids have the frame and skillset to succeed in a certain event or two in track and field.

Craighead said he is ready to focus on honing one sport when he goes to college and believes he can go even further.

“I’m ready to get a full year just training,” Craighead said. “I can’t train during basketball season because my body gets run down. I’ll get stronger and throw it further.”