IHSA Girls State Track & Field Championships - Class 1A Storylines to Watch

Photo: Anna Perry will look for a state championship this weekend in the 1A distance events (Kevin Dorsey Photo)

By Michael Newman [email protected]

A number of teams will challenge for the team title led by Winnebago and Tuscola. You can read the team preview in this article.

Alyssa Williams will be in the spotlight trying to repeat her three state championships from a year ago. Eureka has moved down from 2A to 1A meaning Anna Perry could end her high school career with a state championship maybe in the 3200 Meter Run. Nashville earned titles in both the 4x1 and 4x2 last June. Will they repeat?

Returning State Champions

Alyssa Williams – Tuscola

The one athlete that stepped into the spotlight at last year’s 1A State Meet could be repeating that performance. This time she could be helping her team in their chase for a state championship. Alyssa Williams came from behind last year to win the Long Jump. She was dominant in the sprints winning both the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. Williams has been perfect on the track going undefeated in both of those sprint events. She has the fastest time in Class 1A 100 Meter Dash with a 12.16 time which is four tenths of a seconds ahead of Emma Randecker of West Carroll. Taylor Jones of Tri-Valley could be the closest to Williams this weekend. Williams is the only runner in the 200 Meter Dash with a time under 25-seconds (24.98). Her teammate Lia Patterson could be her closest competition with a 25.65 sectional time. Williams has only the ninth longest sectional mark and will need a good series on Thursday and Saturday to be among the leaders. Williams, at 17-9, has the #6 mark this season.

Grace Nelson – Altamont

This sophomore is the only athlete to qualify for the state meet from her school. She could be in the mix to score 30 points to put her (and her team) in the mix for a trophy. Nelson was a three-time all-state athlete last year as a freshman including winning the 300 Meter Hurdles and finishing second in the 100 Meter Hurdles. She also finished eighth in the 200 Meter Dash. Nelson has been tougher in the hurdles this spring going undefeated at both distances with times at 14.46 and 43.80 which are best in Class 1A. Nelson is #3 in the 200 Meter Dash and could challenge for a state championship.

Olivia Campbell – Pittsfield

Campbell was double all-state last spring throwing 137-0 to win the Discus as well as finishing fourth in the Shot Put. She is a two-time All-American finishing third in the Hammer Throw at the Nike Outdoor Nationals and second last March in the Wight Throw at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. This senior is on track to contend for possibly two more state titles. Her throw of 137-9.5 in the Discus currently ranks #3 in Class 1A. Campbell has been undefeated outdoors in the Shot Put. Her best mark of 38-1.5 is currently #7.

Lindley Johnston – Stark County

One of the most competitive field events in the 1A program could be the High Jump. Johnson is the defending champion in the event clearing 5-4.25 to win. She has a season’s best of 5-5 in the event but did not compete at it in her sectional competition. She is qualified in the 400 Meter Dash despite having a bone bruise.

Meghan Becker – Bloomington Central Catholic

Becker surprised many last year especially in the 400 Meter Dash. She ran down defending champion Mariah Parks to take home the state title in that event. She also finished ninth in the 100 Meter Dash. She did win her sectional in the 400 last weekend running a season’s best of 1:00.87. Becker currently has the 15th fastest time in Class 1A and has the 11th fastest time coming out of sectionals. She did anchor her team to the win at sectionals in the 4x400m Relay.

Triples in 1A Distances could result in multiple all state medals

The 1A preliminary session on Thursday gives the 1A distance runner an extra day to recover before Saturday’s finals. There are a couple of those runners that have qualified for the three distance events in this classification.

Ahry Comer of Pope County received statewide exposure when she ran 5:03.60 in her second track meet ever to win her section of the 1600 Meter Run at Distance Night in Palatine. The sophomore has kept going after that. Comer ran Cross Country for the first time last fall which ended up finishing seventh in the 1A State Meet. In this weekend’s state meet, Comer will be attempting the 3200/800/1600 triple. She will compete in the 800 Meter Run prelims where she ran the third fastest time in the state last week at sectionals. Her 1600 DNIP time currently ranks #2 in Class 1A. She should qualify in both. Her time of 11:10.99 in her first track meet in April at Carterville currently ranks #2.

Carly Manchester of IC Catholic Prep has the experience of that triple. She did it last year and this year in the sectionals qualifying both time in three events. She was smart to scratch out of the 800 last year due to the excessive heats. Manchester is a three time track all-state athlete including earning fourth-place finishes in both the 3200 and 1600 last year. The senior heads to Charleston with the ninth fastest seasonal time in the 3200 Meter Run, seventh fastest in the 800 Meter Run, and among the top 15 in the 1600 Meter Run.

Newcomer leads the 1600 Meter Run field…and other distance tidbits.

Elena Rybak of Father McGivney had a great cross-country season going last fall before two sub-par races ended her season in Peoria. Rybak made her presence known during the season leading her team to a second -place finish in the 4x800m Relay and winning the 1600 Meter Run convincingly. The freshman now heads to Charleston as the favorite in the 1600 Meter Run as the only 1A runner this spring having run under 5-minutes (4:58.13). She is one of three runners that has run under 5:10 this season that also includes Ahry Comer and Kate Ahmari of Urbana University.

Rybak will anchor Father McGivney’s quartet that is ranked #2 in the 4x800m Relay. They will challenge last year’s top two finishers Winnebago and DuQuoin. Winnebago ranks #1 in Class 1A with Grace and Katie Erb, Kaylee Woolery, and Marissa Roggensack. They will look to defend her title in that event. DuQuoin, anchored by Olivia Phillips, is ranked #3. Grace Erb and Olivia Phillips share the 1A fastest time in the 800 Meter Run. Trixie Johnson of Paxton-Buckley-Loda, Ahry Comer, Kaitlyn Hatley of Father McGivney, and Kennady Anderson of Kewanee Wethersfield should be other runners to watch in this event.

Anna Perry of Eureka finished third last year in the Class 2A 3200 Meter Run. She iis favored in the 3200 Meter Run in this classification looking for her first state championship. She has the fastest time in the event this season along with Ahry Comer. Brooklyn Bender of Marshall, Kennady Anderson, and Kate Ahmari appear to be Perry’s and Comer’s top competition at that distance.

Class 1A Notes

Nakeita Kessling of Henry-Senachwine made it to state last year finishing fifth in the 400 Meter Dash. She will be a little bit busier this weekend qualifying in three events. The senior has improved dramatically in the Long Jump going past 19-feet twice including 19-6.75 for her win in the El Paso-Gridley Sectional. She should be the favorite in that event. Kessling also has the fastest time from sectionals (58.34). She should be challenged by Avery Demo of Rockford Christian and Kelsie Minkie of Dakota. Kessling is also qualified in the 100 Meter Dash.

Nashville took the 1A meet by storm last year winning both the 4x100 and 4x200 Meter Relays. The Hornets will look to defend their title in both relays this weekend. Three teams are under 50 seconds in the 4x100m Relay led by Rockford Christian at 49.71. Nashville at 49.79 and Byron at 49.98 could be joined with Maroa-Forsyth also in the hunt. Byron and Nashville are only separated by .24 seconds with Byron with the fastest state time (1:46.52). Tuscola has Alyssa Williams and Lia Patterson on their quartet. They could come away with the win. Winnebago is the top seed in the 4x400m Relay (4:07.48) with a time almost two seconds ahead of Bloomington Central Catholic and DuQuoin.

A new champion will be crowned in the High Jump. Kiara Wesseh of Newark and Brooke Probst of Indian Creek are within an inch of each other with Wesseh with a 5-8 leading height. Five athletes have cleared 11-6 or better this season in the Pole Vault. Brynlee Keeran of Salt Fork at 12-0 and Sophia Summer of Tremont at 11-11.75 will chase for higher heights in this meet. Karlie and Kylie Stauder of Okaw Valley cleared 11-7 last week in their conference meet and will challenge for the top. Isabelle Hemmen of Teutopolis has the highest sectional mark at 11-6.25. Megan Williams leads the field in the Triple Jump with the top sectional performance. Williams best jump of 37-4 is more than a foot and a half ahead of Brynlee Keeran of Salt Fork.

Jenae Bothe of Oregon finished ninth in the Shot Put last year. That may have driven Bothe to do what she is doing this season. The senior is undefeated during the outdoor season which includes eight marks past 41-feet. Her best is 44-11.25 which is more than four feet ahead of Kayla Braun of Sparta. Cassidy Clark of Mt. Pulaski has a best of 142-5.5 in the Discus throw at a meet at Clinton on April 26 and is the list leader in this event. Jenae Bothe, defending champion Olivia Campbell, and Faith Deering of Seneca are the closest to Clark to challenge for the win.