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

By Michael Newman

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This is an announcement to all Class 3A Girls sprint and hurdle athletes ready to compete for the 2020 season: The door is wide open. Feel free to step to the top of the podium this season.

There is a feeling of opportunity in these five events especially in the 100 and 200. The one event that could be a lock is Ashanti Denton defending her state championship in the 400 Meter Dash. But, this year in these disciplines could be a rollercoaster with anyone’s guess who will be crowned champion in Charleston.

Denton Is The Athlete to Beat at 400-Meters

Homewood-Flossmoor’s Ashanti Denton was one of the big reasons why her team won the state meet last year and will be one challenging for a state championship this May. Her win in the 400 Meter Dash was one of the memorable moments in last year’s state meet. She finished the day by anchoring the Lady Vikings to a win in the 1600 Meter Relay.

The senior ran a 54.45 personal best in her state win. Don’t be surprised if she is in the 53 second range in 2020.

The event is wide-open…after Denton. Olivia Schmitt of Lakes Community and Amaiya Barnes of Homewood-Flossmoor are the two all-state runners that will return. Jessica Coughlin of Belleville West has the closest time to Denton among the returning runners. That time of 57.13 is almost three seconds behind the state champion. Another note: three of the top four returning runners come from Homewood-Flossmoor.

McCall Looks to Reclaim Hurdles State Title

Kaylah McCall entered last year as the athlete to beat in the 100 Meter Hurdles after winning the crown her sophomore year. She won her five Illinois races in the event heading to the state meet. She did run a then 13.92 personal best in the finals. The problem was that Kayla Walters of Bolingbrook got in the way running 13.75 to win the title.

McCall responded in a positive way during the summer club season. She ran a personal best of 13.56 to win this event at the USATF Junior Olympics National Championships at the end of July. I am sure she will be focused on reclaiming her state championship in May. She may even get the state record of 13.54 set by Olympic Champion Dawn Harper 19 years ago.

Four other all-state athletes are back to challenge McCall including Victoria Spagnola of West Aurora and Macee Rivers of Belleville West. Rivers could be the surprise. She ran 14.23 last year as a freshman as well as finishing sixth at state.

Sprint/Hurdle Notes

Athletes such as Taylor Gilling, Ameia Wilson, Lyn’Nikka Vance, and Kiara Pauli have graduated and have moved on to the next level. There is a gaping hole in the 3A sprints in which it is anyone’s guess who will take the sprint queen crown home from Charleston.

Who will step up in the 100 Meter Dash? Two athletes, who were all-state last year, stand out ahead of the rest. Ayanna Tommy of Antioch had a seasonal best of 11.97 as well as finishing fifth at state. Kaylah McCall came right back from her hurdle finals to finish eighth. Both athletes had seasonal bests that are over two tenths of a second ahead of the ahead of the rest of the returnees. Renee Raglin of Alton, Jessica Coughlin, and Sydney Weaver of Kenwood lead a group of runners that are ready to take the next step up.

The same hold true at 200-meters as only two all-state athletes are back led by Janea Gardner of Bloom Township and Akela White of Homewood-Flossmoor. Gardner and Ashanti Denton both have the top returning time (24.38). Denton did not run the event at state instead running the relay following it. Sydney Robinson of Whitney Young is the only other athlete back, besides Gardner and Denton, that ran under 25-seconds.

The 300 Hurdles could be the toughest of these five disciplines with four all-state athletes back. Victoria Spagnola, and Kate Sciarini of Lincoln-Way East are the only athletes back that ran under 45-seconds in 2019. Sciarini has the fastest returning time (44.48).

First Relay Notes

Homewood-Flossmoor has a good shot at sweeping the three relay events as they did heading into last year’s state meet. They just need to have a smooth state finals to accomplish that. That did not happen last year in the 400 Meter Dash when they were disqualified. The Lady Vikings went on to win the 800 and 1600 Meter Relays. Trelyn Newkirk is the only runner missing from the sprint relays. Everyone else is back plus they have a strong group of sprinters in waiting. Bloom Township and Whitney Young, both have all their runners back, could be the chief challengers in the sprint relays.

The Lady Vikings were six seconds ahead of the rest of the pack in last year’s 1600 Meter Relay and they have all of their runners back from that squad. Lincoln-Way East is always a perennial power and should be in the mix along with Barrington, Evanston, and Glenbard West.

Top Returning 3A Girls Sprint/Hurdle Events Athletes

100 Meter Dash

200 Meter Dash

400 Meter Dash

100 Meter Hurdles

300 Meter Hurdles