By Michael Newman

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Here are the ILXCTF Illinois Girls Athletes of the Year in the three classifications in the Field Events. Congratulations to all the athletes that were recognized for these honors.

3A Girls

There was one athlete in this classification that distanced herself from the rest of the competition this spring at the IHSA State Track & Field Championships.

Thornwood’s Jasmine Mitchell won two state championships sweeping the weight events. She threw a personal best of 45-10 to win the state title in the Shot Put. The junior came back to throw 147-8 to win the Discus. Mitchell’s best throw of 149-1 came at a small home quad meet in the middle of April.

What puts Mitchell ahead of the rest of the competition is that she went undefeated against Illinois competition in those events during the 2018 outdoor season.

Congratulations to Jasmine Mitchell, a junior from Thornwood High School in South Holland, as the 2018 ILXCTF Illinois 3A Girls Field Events Athlete of the Year.

2A Girls

It was a hard decision to come down to one athlete in this classification. Five of the six athletes in 2A Girls that won state titles last May were seniors. The lone underclassmen, Diamonasia Taylor of Urbana, won her second straight IHSA State Championship in the High Jump. Taylor also won her second straight championship in the event at the Illinois Top Times Championships.

Tayla Schwarz of Dixon ended her prep career in style winning the 2A Girls State title for the third straight year. Schwarz finished her career with only a second-place finish in the Discus in those three years. The other meets that she competed in she went undefeated in that event.

Imani Carothers of Brooks College Prep in Chicago had similar numbers to Schwarz. Carothers won three state championships in her prep career in the Triple Jump as well as earning all-state honors in the Long Jump. Carothers jumped a seasonal best of 41-7 in her sectional competition. She was undefeated against Illinois competition in the Triple Jump this season.

Geneseo’s Erika Furbeck was in the same category as Carothers and Schwarz when it came to the Long Jump. Furbeck finished second as a sophomore in the 2A Girls State Meet. Her junior and senior year resulted in state titles as she went undefeated this senior season. Furbeck’s jump of 20-7 at the Plano Sectional was the longest jump this year in the state. That performance placed her fifth nationally regardless of conditions.

It was those numbers that put Furbeck ahead of Schwarz and Carothers.

Congratulations to Erika Furbeck, a senior at Geneseo High School in Geneseo, as the 2018 ILXCTF Illinois 2A Girls Field Events Athlete of the Year.

1A Girls

Five of the six 1A state championships in the Field events disciplines were underclassmen making next year’s state championship one to anticipate.

Fulton’s Chloe Lindeman stepped into the shoes of graduated Kathleen Young in a major way this past track & field season. Lindeman started her indoor campaign by winning the 1A Girls Illinois Top Times Championships as well as earning All-American status by placing third in the Shot Put at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. Lindeman had the longest throw in the state with her 47-3.75 winning put at the 1A Girls IHSA State Championship.

DaeLin Switzer of St. Teresa High School has put up legendary performances at the state meet in the High Jump in her three years of competition. After finishing second to Kenli Nettles of Arthur-Lovington in the High Jump at the Sullivan Sectional, Switzer came back to clear 5-8 to win her third straight state championship the following week in Charleston.

It was a tough decision between Lindeman and Switzer. It was Switzer that had the slight edge.

Congratulations to DaeLin Switzer, a junior at St. Teresa High School in Decatur, as the 2018 ILXCTF Illinois 1A Girls Field Events Athletes of the Year.

Photo: Erika Furbeck ended the year ranked in the top ten nationally in the Long Jump (Laura Duffy Photo)