Preview: IHSA Girls State Track and Field Championships - 1A Girls Teams

By Michael Newman

It could come down to three teams that could win the Class 1A. Here is a look at 10 teams that might challenge for a trophy. The top two finishing team’s in last year’s state meet Father McGivney and Tuscola will again challenge along with an ever-improving St. Anthony Squad.

10 Storylines to Follow

Tuscola

Qualifiers – 12 Total: 11 Individuals, 1 Relay

Notes – Tuscola missed a state title last year finishing second behind Father McGivney. They would like to change that order this weekend. Lia Patterson ran four individual events in last year’s meet. This year she will be in a relay. Patterson is the defending champion in 100 Hurdles and 300 Hurdles and is likely to defend. The senior will be one of the favorites in the 200 Meter Dash. Patterson will anchor her team in the 4x200 Meter Relay where Tuscola is currently ranked #3 in Class 1A. Kate Foltz won the 1A title at Detweiller Park in November. Foltz will be one of the favorites in both the 3200 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run. Olivia Wallace is among the top 10 athletes in the Discus and could be among the top five in that event. Rylie Vanausdoll is #4 in the state in the Triple Jump and could contend for the state title. The senior could also chase after a top five finish in the Long Jump.

Glen Carbon (Father McGivney)

Qualifiers – 13 Total: 10 Individuals, 3 Relays

Notes – The defending Class 1A team champions are in the hunt to defend their state title on Saturday. Elana Rybak missed the indoor season as she recovered from an injury she had during the Cross-Country season. Her performances in her sectional meet. She again will be in four events but with this year’s perhaps a little more difficult. The off day on Friday will help. Rybak is the defending champion in both the 800 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run where she will be one of the favorites in both. Her “new” race is the 400 Meter Dash. She currently has the fourth fastest time in Class 1A and could bring her team major points. Lily Gilbertson will play a big part in the sprints. She will be one of the favorites in the 400 Meter Dash and will pick up big points in both the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. Jane Cummins could score points in the 3200 Meter Run. Cummins could make the finals in the 800 Meter Run and could pick up a few points. Mia Range is a good possibility to score points in the High Jump. Rybak did run in the 4x400 Meter Relay in their sectional meet, Gilbertson did not. If the meet title comes down to that event, we could see both in the race.

Effingham (St. Anthony)

Qualifiers – 13 Total: 12 Individuals, 1 Relay

Notes – One big question was answered at the Newton Sectional when we saw Isabella Keller race for the first time this spring. The Bulldogs finished fifth in last year’s state meet. This weekend they will be in the hunt for a trophy. Keller is the defending state champion in the 3200 Meter Run and will challenge for the state title. She is also one of the top runners in the 1600 Meter Run giving her team big points. Aubrey Denning will be one of the favorites in both the 800 Meter Run and the 1600 Meter Run. A big addition for St. Anthony is freshman Reese Kohne who won the three sprint events last week. She could score in all three events on Saturday. She could score big points in both the 400 Meter Dash and the Long Jump.

El Paso-Gridley

Qualifiers – 11 Total: 7 Individuals, 4 Relays

Notes – Finished third in last year’s state meet and will look to bring home another trophy from Charleston. Aubrey Phillips had one of the top five performances in the Shot and could be among the top three finishers. Phillips finished second last year in the High Jump and is considered one of the favorites in that event. The strength for the Titans comes in the relays where they advanced all four to Charleston. Phillips will be part of both the 4x200 Meter Relay and the 4x400 Meter Relay. The 4x2 has the top time in Class 1A and will contend for the title. Their 4x1 team is #2 heading into state and could come away with the title. Their 4x4 quartet is among the top 10 teams and will be in contention for top five points. Their 4x8 team is ranked #7. Points could also come from that event. Jaida is one of the top 5 runners in the 100 Meter Dash and might win a state championship. Keyli Cogdal qualified in both hurdle races and might make the finals in either of those events.

Nashville

Qualifiers – 18 Total: 14 Individuals, 4 Relays

Notes – Nashville finished tenth in last year’s state meet. The Hornets enter Thursday’s prelims with the most 1A qualifiers with 18. They did qualify all four relays. Their strength should come in the field events. Makayla Gajewski had the top mark in the Shot Put for sectionals and second overall in Class 1A. She will be one of the state favorites. Ellie Bartling also made it to state where she could earn some valuable points for her team. Austi Gale could be a qualifier that gets points in the Discus. Lexi Wells is among the top 10 in the Pole Vault and could earn her teams some points. Emma Behrmann was not among the top five athletes in the horizontal jumps. She is ranked third in both jumps and could make her presence known in both of those events. Behrmann qualified for both hurdle races. The junior is ranked in the top 10 in the 100 hurdles and the top five in the 300 Hurdles and should score in both races on Saturday. Adelie Wilson made it to state in the 800 Meter Run where she could be among the top eight in the finals.

Fulton

Qualifiers – 14 Total: 10 Individuals, 4 Relays

Notes – Fulton won the sectional title at Rockridge through getting all four relays to state. Miraya Pessman qualified in the 100 Meter Dash and could make the finals. In that event. Pessman will anchor both their 4x1 and 4x2 teams that could finish in the top five. Their quartets in the 4x4 and 4x8 could make the finals in both. Any could happen if they qualify for the finals. Emery Wherry qualified in both hurdle events. Her best of the two is the 100 Hurdles where she could finish among the top five finishers. Wherry could also score points in the Triple Jump. Kylie Smither is having a great season in the Shot Put. A nine-inch improvement to 40 feet and might get her in the top six.

Maroa-Forsyth

Qualifiers – 12 Total: 10 Individuals, 2 Relays

Notes – A team that could finish in the top five on Saturday after finishing 25th a year ago. Klare Eighner is under 11 minutes this year in the 3200 Meter Run and might be among the top five in that event. The junior could also pick up in the 1600 Meter Run. Madison Yazel is showed her strength in the sprints as a freshman. Yazel is a possibility of finishing in the top five. She could score points also in the 200 Meter Dash. Yazel will anchor her team in the 4x100 Meter Relay. The Trojans currently have the fastest time in the state entering Thursday’s prelims. Zion Young is among the top three athletes in the Shot Put. She finished third in last year’s state meet and will be among the favorites in this meet.

Lowpoint-Washburn

Qualifiers – 9 Total: 8 Individuals, 1 Relay

Notes – Carly Ulrich and Brianna Harms are among the top 10 athletes in the High Jump. Both athletes could earn all-state honors. Harms won her sectional race in the 300 Meter Hurdles and might finish in the top five. Ulrich could be in the top four. The junior jumped a #2-mark last week in the Triple Jump just an inch and a half behind the state’s best nark. She will be one of the favorites in that event. Their 4x200 Meter Relay quartet could also be in the mix to score in the finals. Ellison Heinecke qualified in both the 3200 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run. She could score in either of those events.

Monmouth (United)

Qualifiers – 6 Total; 3 Individuals, 3 Relays

Notes – United finished eighth in last year’s state meet with fewer qualifiers. 24 out of their 26 points came from those three relays. The same thing could happen for the Red Storm in this year’s meet. United has the third fastest time in the 4x100 Meter Relay, the second fastest time in the 4x200 Meter Relay, and second in the 4x400 Meter Relay. They will score points in all three events. Rosie Flynn is among the top eight in the 400 Meter Dash, should pick up in that event and help in the relays. Sophia Mendoza in the Discus and Ava Anderson in the High Jump are possibilities to qualify for Saturday’s finals.

Downs (Tri Valley)

Qualifiers – 10 Total: 7 Individuals, 3 Relays

Notes – Tri-Valley finished in a tie for sixteenth in last year’s state meet. Expectations are high they could finish among the top five. Grace Klessig is among the top ten athletes in the Discus and could earn all-state honors in that event. Kinley Morris could score points in the Triple Jump. Adeline Bruce could score points in both the 3200 Meter Run and 1600 Meter Run. Their quartet in the 4x200 Meter Relay is among the top 10 in the state and could score in that race. Tri-Valley could pick up points in the 4x400 Meter Relay.