By Michael Newman

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There are three storylines to keep an eye on the 2A field event disciplines.

The first is whether or not anyone can jump higher than Urbana’s Diamonasia Taylor who is back to defend her state title and looking for her third state win in the High Jump.

The second is whether we see a double win from jumping sensation Serena Bolden of Springfield Southeast. She has quietly lurked in the shadows behind graduated Erika Furbeck and Imani Carothers. Bolden finally went over 20-feet in the Long Jump at the Great Southwest Classic in New Mexico last June. The senior should step up as the best athlete in the event statewide. She could also push her school to a state team championship.

The final storyline happens in the Pole Vault. Mt. Zion’s Josephine Held won the title in 2018 but has graduated. Her sister Rhiannon finished fifth last year as a freshman and has a 12-0 clearance on her resume. She has already started this season clearing 11-7 at the University of Chicago in December. If she wins, this would be the first pair of sisters to win this event in back to back years.

There are plenty of openings for success with Taylor the only returning 2A state champion back in the field events.

Here is a look of what we could see this season in the six 1A Girls Field Events.

High Jump

Top Athletes from 2018

Outlook – It is hard to see anyone surpassing Diamonasia Taylor in this event. She had a spectacular sophomore season clearing 5-5 or better nine times and winning the state championship for a second straight season. Her best is 5-10. Taylor could be among the nation’s best this spring with the capability of clearing 6-0 or higher.

Only three other athletes are back that have cleared 5-5 or higher. Taylor’s chief competition could come from Sarah Flight who cleared 5-7 last year. She did not have her best state meet finishing only 11^th.  Flight cleared 5-7 at the beginning of the outdoor season. The rest of the year she hovered between 5-2 to 5-3 heights. Expect a strong final campaign from this Charleston senior.

Ella Engelhardt (6^th), Breya Christopher (6^th), and Haven Lyons (8^th) are the only other all-state jumpers back. Ashlyn Papin, Carly Tucker, and Macie Gebhardt all cleared 5-4 or higher last spring and will have their sights on higher clearances this season.

Long Jump

Top Athletes from 2018

Outlook – It’s time for Serena Bolden to step into the spotlight in this event. The opportunity is there for this senior. She has finished fourth as a sophomore and third last year. She heads all returning athletes in this event with a 20-2.5 jump in New Mexico along with another jump over 20-feet in her conference meet. No other athlete returning in this event in this classification has an outdoor best past 18-feet. It makes Bolden almost a lock (if she stays healthy) for a state championship doesn’t it?

This event is open for anyone who is opportunistic. Summerlyn Smith (8^th) and Alexis Feaster (9^th) are the only athletes returning. Reagon Dineen, Gina Misek, and Ahmia Dorsey lead a group of jumpers that could have as many as 10 athletes going past 18-feet (besides Bolden).

Triple Jump

Top Athletes from 2018

Outlook – This should be a closer event compared to the Long Jump. Serena Bolden does enter this season with the best 2A jump (40-5.5). Bolden finished fourth in the state finals. Five of the top seven in last year’s finals led by second-place finisher Tiera Jones. Jayla Campbell (3^rd), Chelsea Wells (5^th), and Summerlyn Smith (7^th) are the all-state athletes back. Jones, Campbell, and Jade Marks are the only athletes returning that jumped past 38-feet outdoors. Any of these athletes, along with Bolden, could come away as the new state champion.

Three other athletes went past 36-feet and could figure in the top five include Ahmia Dorsey, Sabrie Strong-McCloud, and Jokeyla Ryce.

Pole Vault

Top Athletes from 2018

Outlook – The top two finishers from last year’s finals have graduated including state champion Josephine Held. Three underclassmen head this event led by last year’s third-place finisher Samantha Spencer. Now a junior, Spencer also has the top returning mark with a clearance of 12-7. Mara Pletcher and Rhiannon Held finished fourth and fifth at state and also had bests above 12-0. Any of these three athletes could be at the top of the podium in Charleston.

Landis Brandon, who finished eighth in the state finals, is the only other athlete back that cleared better than 11-feet last year (11-7). Five other athletes are back that cleared 11-0 outdoors led by Julia Lasley and Alix Rule.

The quality up front of the athletes in this classification shows that we could see one or two athletes past 13-0 this spring. It is by far the toughest of the three classifications in this event.

Shot Put

Top Athletes from 2018

Outlook – This event is wide-open with only three all-state athletes back, There will be a new state champion replacing graduated Evangelynn Harris.  Mye’joi Williams had a breakout sophomore season with a best of 43-5. She finished fifth in the state finals. Jayden Ulrich is the top state finisher as she placed fourth last year. Daija Range (7^th) is the other athlete back among the top nine. She, along with Williams and Ulrich, are the only returning athletes with marks better than 40-feet.

There is a two-foot distance difference before the next pack led by Kaila Poole, Madelyn Daiber, and Bailey Bertrand all with marks better than 37-8. Erin Bishop and Jasmine Davis made last year’s finals and could be surprises by the time we get to state.

Discus

Top Athletes from 2018

Outlook – Just like the Shot Put, this event is also wide-open. The top five returning athletes in the Discus are only separated by five feet. The top returning athlete either place or performance is Sydney Apgar. The senior threw 130-1 last season and left Charleston with a third-place finish. She would like to this year leave Charleston in May with the state championship.

Two of the four athletes over 125 feet are all-state athletes. Lanaeja Carter threw 127-10 last year but did not have her best performance in state finishing eighth. Bailey Bertrand finished fourth and has a 126-6 best. Both athletes will have their sights set on a place at the top of the podium. Kylie Feuerbach (6^th) and Rebecca Beltran (7^th) were both all state last year with seasonal bests just over 115 feet.

Destiny Panega and Madison Colburn return as the only other athletes that went past 125 feet last spring. Osiana Small and Lydia Willis could be among the top five in this event by the time we get to the state series. Both are athletes to watch for.