2020 ILXCTF.com Illinois Track & Field Previews - 3A Girls Field Events

By Michael Newman

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The door is wide-open in this classification with the six field event disciplines. Five of the six events have state champions that have graduated. It happens every three four years in the largest classification in this state.

Time for new faces to step into the spotlight. Time to discover an athlete that no one has heard of at the beginning of the year, but we will know everything about them by the time we get to the outside portion of the season.

Ammenhauser Chaises After Her Third Straight Triple Jump Title

There seems to be an aura that surrounds Neuqua Valley’s Riley Ammenhauser when she steps onto the runway for the Triple Jump. She competed eight times during the Illinois season in the Triple Jump. She won all eight of those meets. Ammenhauser had the lead after the prelims at state. She stretched that lead out in the finals establishing a new personal best. Ammenhauser enters her junior season as one of the top athletes in this event nationally.

Five other all-state athletes return to challenge Ammenhauser led by Gloria Oteng-Bediako of Belvidere North and Lovie Annafi of Whitney Young.

A New Face in the 3A Pole Vault

Lillianna Ifft was one of the top athletes last year in the Pole Vault as she finished third in the Class 2A State Meet while competing for Prairie Central. That scenery changed during the summer as her family moved as she enrolled at Bloomington High School. Entering her sophomore season and now competing in Class 3A, Ifft becomes the state favorite in this event.

Ifft was consistent her freshman season going over 12-feet four times including the 12-3 personal best she achieved at state. The 3A field is not as strong as compared to the 1A and 2A classes. There are five all-state athletes coming back. Kelsey Rothas of Lake Zurich had an 11-10 outdoor best as well as finishing third in the 3A state meet. Abigail Kuhn of West Aurora achieved an 11-6 personal best when she finished second in the 3A State Meet. Rothas and Kuhn are two of the athletes that could challenge Ifft for the state title.

Who Replaces Mitchell as Queen of the 3A Ring?

Jasmine Mitchell had a two reign on the two Class 3A weight events before graduating and now competing at the University of Mississippi. One of the storylines to watch for in this 2020 season is who steps up to the top spot.

The Class 3A Shot Put is wide-open with only two all-state athletes back. Dior Nicholson of Hinsdale Central finished sixth last year at state and is the top returning athlete by place and by performance (41-10). Julia Reglewski of Grayslake Central finished ninth and will be one of those athletes challenging for the championship. Sam Satterfield of Ottawa and Camille Clay of Stevenson made the state finals and are athletes to also keep an eye on.

It is a similar storyline in the Discus with only three all-state athletes returning. Janine Boyan of Hersey finished fourth at state last year and is the top returning placer. Reglewski finished fifth but has the top returning throw from last year (136-7) in this classification. Nicholson and Kaya Mikottis of St. Charles North, who finished sixth last year, are two other athletes that should challenge for the win.

Field Events Notes

Five all-state athletes are back in the Long Jump led by Raelyn Roberson of Glenbrook South.  The senior finished fourth last year at state with a 19-5.5 wind-aided jump. She does have a personal best of 19-10.5 at her conference meet. She is already on a roll at the beginning of this track season. Roberson jumped 19-4 at a club meet in Hillside in January.

Mariam Azeez of Lincoln-Way East could be the one athlete to keep an eye on. She jumped 19-0 to finish sixth in the state meet last year as a freshman. She could be on the verge of doing some great things on the runway.

Sydney Willits of Glenbrook South, Riley Ammenhauser, and Emily Kim of Vernon Hills are the other returning all-state athletes. Janea Gardner of Bloom Township is someone that has the ability to win and could be a surprise in 2020.

The High Jump is wide-open with four athletes that finished in the top nine returning. Jennelle Rogers of Oswego could be the one athlete that rules this 3A event. Rogers cleared 5-6 to finish second in last year’s state meet. It is her personal best of 5-9 that has our attention. Rogers’ teammate Olivia Solis and Annika Bynum of Warren Township both enter this season with 5-7 personal bests and will be Rogers’ top competition.

Top Returning Class 3A Girls Field Event Athletes

Long Jump

Triple Jump

High Jump

Pole Vault

Shot Put

Discus