2020 ILXCTF.com Illinois Track & Field Previews - 2A Girls Sprint/Hurdle Events

By Michael Newman

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You could call this classification in these disciplines wide-open especially when you will have only one state champion back.

The sprints are wide-open where we could see new faces emerge at the top of the podium. It could be a two athlete showdown in the hurdle events as Veronica Sherrod of East St. Louis-Senior and Emelia Ness should jump out ahead of the rest of the pack. Sherrod is the defending champion in the 300 Meter Hurdles.

The relays could be a showcase of the speed from East St. Louis-Senior in two of the three relays.

Seven could be the Lucky Number in the Short Sprints

A new queen will be crowned in the Class 2A short sprints in May since 100/200 champ Serena Bolden has graduated. The one runner that could win the double is Seven Hicks of Peoria Richwoods. Hicks had success running for Peoria Heights her first two years winning 1A titles in both events in 2018. After transferring to Richwoods, Hicks earned all-state honors in the 100 Meter Dash last year finishing third. She did not qualify for the finals last year in the 200 Meter Dash. Her season’s best of 12.01 in the finals is the top returning time by almost three tenths of a second.

The field in the 100 Meter Dash is open with three all-state runners back with Mattie Lieb of Monticello (8th place) and Melody Jones of De La Salle Institute (9th place) the 2A returnees. Tori Thomas of Rock Island Alleman finished sixth in the 1A State Finals.

The 200 Meter Dash is just as open as the 100 as three all-state runners are back led by Mattie Lieb who finished fourth at state. Lieb also has the fastest time back (24.81) just three hundredths of a second ahead of Evergreen Park’s Tiera Robinson-Jones. Markia Lampley of East St. Louis-Senior and Melody Jones are the other all-state placers in the event. Hicks has the fifth fastest returning time.

Hurdle Time

Both hurdle events In Class 2A should be fun to watch this spring. Six of the top nine state finalists are back led by last year’s second-place finisher Emelia Ness of Monticello. Ness is the only athlete back that ran under 15-seconds last year. Ali Rapps of Geneseo, Veronica Sherrod of East St. Louis-Senior, and Brooke Barkocy of Burlington Central should be Ness’ chief competition.

The 300 Meter Hurdle event is a better event for Veronica Sherrod as we witnessed in last year’s finals. Sherrod ran 43.97 to win the state title with Ness and Katie Cox of Pittsfield the only other runners at or under 45-seconds. The Eastside senior could be tough to beat. She ran under 45-seconds six times in this event in 2019. Ness was the only other athlete under 45- seconds doing that twice.

Six all-state athletes in this event. Kynzee Boastick of Urbana at 45.23 was the only other 2A athlete to run under 46 seconds last year.

Wide Open in the 400 Meter Dash

There are 13 athletes that are back in this event that had seasonal bests under 60-seconds. Sara Addai of Mt. Zion, who finished third, and Akira Custer of Carbondale, who finished eighth, are the only 2A all-state runners that return. Tya Morgan of Lindblom made the finals but false started. Morgan is back with the third fastest 2019 time.

It might be another Chicago Public League runner that could step into this event. Tesa Roberts of Brooks Prep earned all-state honors in Class 3A last year when she finished fifth overall. Now with her school moved down to Class 2A, Roberts will be the runner to watch. Her seasonal best time of 56.58 is almost a second faster than that of Addai.

Eastside and the Relays

One of the reasons why East St. Louis-Senior won the 2A team title last year was the success of their relays. The Flyerettes won all three sprint relays as well as finishing eighth in the 3200 Meter Relay.

With athletes such as Faith Mitchell, Veronica Sherrod, Brionna Graham, and Marika Lampley coming back, this squad should be the big favorites in the 400 and 800 Meter Relay. It could be a different story for the Flyerettes in the 1600 Meter Relay. They won the state title by 10 seconds in that event, but Mitchell is the only runner back from that quartet. Peoria Notre Dame and Carbondale finished second and third and could be the team’s to watch for, Notre Dame returns three from their quartet while Carbondale brings everyone back.

The Flyerettes could be challenged by Monticello in the two short relays. The Lady Sages returns their entire quartet from their 800 Meter Relay that finished second but more than three seconds behind ESL. Carbondale finished only a tenth of a second behind the Flyerettes in the 400 Meter Relay and return three from that squad.

Top Returning 2A Girls Sprint/Hurdles Athletes

100 Meter Dash

200 Meter Dash

400 Meter Dash

100 Meter Hurdles

300 Meter Hurdles