Girls track and field: Previewing the 2024 season across The Times area

Here is a look at the girls track and field season ahead for Ottawa, Sandwich, Streator, Marquette, Seneca, Fieldcrest, Earlville and Newark:

Ottawa

Coach: Emma Schoonover

Top returners: Isabella Ruiz, distance, sr.; Kailey Dicus, distance, sr.; Kate Passwater, sprints/throws, sr.; Krisee Clark, throws, sr.; Layne Krug, throws, sr.; Mayla Ragan, distance, sr.; Payton Nodland, sprints, sr.; Rylee Davis, throws, sr.; Camryn Beals, sprints, jr.; Charley Maierhofer, throws, jr.; Ella Schmitz, sprints/hurdles, jr.; Rachael Stewart, sprints, jr.; Maddie Towne, distance, jr.; Samantha Miller, sprints, jr.; Samantha Ruiz, throws, jr.; Selene Woodard, sprints, jr.; Shaylen Quinn, sprints, jr.; Shelby Rank, throws, jr.; Ava Weatherford, sprints, so.; Belle Markey, sprints/hurdles/high jump, so.; Emmalee Cosby, sprints/hurdles/high jump, so.; Haley Solan, distance, so.; Hallie Kiper, throws, so.; Jada Arroyo, throws, so.; Josie Donahue, throws, so.; Laila Henning, sprints, so.; Lila Windy, throws, so.; Makenzie Blazys, distance, so.; Perla Guitierrez, throws, so.; Riley Thrush, throws/distance, so.

Top newcomers: Ailey Harstad, sprints, fr.; Ashlyn Ganiere, sprints/long jump, fr.; Ava Jacobs, sprints, fr.; Hallee Loza, distance, fr.; Lia Heesch, throws, fr.; Mara McCullough, sprints, fr.; Olivia Power, distance, fr.; Skylee Fredrickson, sprints, fr.; Taylor Johnson, sprints, fr.; Valeria Munoz, sprints, fr.

Worth noting: Schoonover said she anticipates that Quinn and Clark will earn high places throughout the season and do well at the Interstate 8 Conference meet and the Class 3A sectional for the Pirates. “We have an extremely dedicated group of athletes this year, and I look forward to seeing them progress throughout the season,” Schoonover said. “Our biggest focus for our girls is to work on personal growth. Last year we ended with nearly 180 season or lifetime bests across the entire team that were achieved throughout the season, and we hope to continue with that growth this year.”

Marquette

Coach: Wyatt Hettel

Top returners: Mary Lechtenberg, jumps/sprints, sr.; Jaylyn Clairmont, sprints, sr.; Maera Jimenez, throws, sr.; Maggie Jewett, distance, jr.; Izzy Morris, throws, jr.; Olivia Tamblyn, distance, jr.; Hayley Ewers, throws, so.

Top newcomers: Sara Duchon, throws, sr.; Emily Ryan-Adair, distance, fr.; Madalynn O’Connell, throws, fr.; Gwen Jimenez, throws, fr.; Madisyn Trainor, sprints, fr.

Worth noting: After losing a handful of seniors last year, the Crusaders will look to build off some strong performances from key returners from last season, as well as building the program with a group of promising freshmen. Lechtenberg is returning after a tough finish at the Class 1A Erie Sectional in which she just missed out on advancing to state in the high jump after a three-way tie for first place. The distance tandem of Jewett and Tamblyn return to help support the newcomer freshman, Ryan-Adair, who has had a promising start to the season. Finally, the throwers have made great strides thus far as seen in the second- and fourth-place finishes at the indoor Reed-Custer Comet Classic by the sister duo of Gwen and Maera Jimenez, respectively.

Streator

Coach: Doug Harris

Top returners: Claire Durdan, sr.; Mina James, sr.; Lexi Jensen, sr.; Kiley Rhodes, sr.; Tessa Armstrong, jr.; Maddie Martin, jr.; Breanna Perrotta, jr.; Cashae Peters, jr.; Sonia Proksa, jr.; Kylie Simpson, jr.; Maddie Wahl, jr.; Ella Chalkey, so.; Izabelle Dean, so.; Michelle Hendrix, so.

Top newcomers: Leah Krohe, jr.; Jaiden Adams, fr.; Elizabeth Davis, fr.; Lydia Gallik, fr.; Giselle Guadaramma, fr.; Carriona Hemphill, fr.; Adelaide Mahan, fr.; Isabelle Mahan, fr.; Isabella Robart, fr.; Jayda Webb, fr.

Worth noting: The Bulldogs will look for Rhodes (sprints/jumps), Jensen (throws), Durdan (distance), Proska (sprints/jumps) and James (sprints/jumps) to lead the way. Harris said he hopes Gallik and Webb can help fill the gap in the hurdles left by graduating state qualifier Abby Pierce, while Krohe has shown improvement in the shot put. “We graduated a lot of talented girls who scored a lot of points in big meets, but this year many of the returners are ready to step up and claim those meet points,” Harris said. “We are deep in many track events as well as the field events, so it is a matter of continuing to work hard, stay healthy and gain even more big-meet experience. The team looks forward to the chance of repeating as Illinois Central Eight Conference champions this year. It was a true team effort last year and this year is lining up the same way.”

Seneca

Coach: Terry Maxwell

Top returners: Teagan Johnson, pole vault/jumps, sr.; Faith Baker, throws, sr.; Gabi Maxwell, throws, sr.; Gracie Steffes, relays, sr.; Addison Stiegler, pole vault, sr.; Evelyn O’Connor, distance/relays, jr.; Clara Bruno, 800/relays, jr.; Natalie Misener, distance/relays, jr.; Lila Coleman, sprints/jumps, so.; Lily Pfeifer, hurdles, so.

Worth noting: Last season, the Fighting Irish finished second to Winnebago, 50-48, in the Class 1A state meet, bringing home the program’s first state team trophy. There are plenty of returning athletes who may form a core that can take them to the top. Anna Bruno, who won the long jump and earned a medal in three relays, has graduated, but the other three members of the state champion 4x400 relay – Clara Bruno, O’Connor and Coleman – all return. O’Connor finished seventh in the 800-meter run at last year’s state meet. Coleman and Johnson return from the third-place 4x100-meter relay team, while Coleman and Clara Bruno return from the runner-up 4x200 relay team. “I feel the girls should compete for another sectional title, which would be their 12th straight (a 1A best streak, not sure about other classes),” Maxwell said. “Rising talent in the Tri-County Conference will make for an entertaining conference championship meet as Henry-Senachwine, Lowpoint-Washburn and Dwight all have state medal-caliber sprinters returning. Our Irish Invite should be a great challenge for the girls with an overall tough El-Paso Gridley team, a deep Plano team, as well as Newark’s and their sprinters.”

Sandwich

Coach: Elizabeth Vick

Top returners: Sunny Weber, distance, so.; Ashley Hintz, sprints/hurdles, sr.; Erin Lissman, distance, jr.; Joanna Rivera, distance, jr.; Clara Schiradelly, sprints/pole vault, so.; Scarlett Paul, throws, so.

Key newcomers: Hannah Treptow, distance/high jump, jr.; Alayla Harris, sprints, fr.; Delanie Card, sprints, fr.; Teagan Lederman, sprints, fr.; Addyson Cline, sprints, fr.; Dulce Arriola, sprints, fr.; Tegan Stryszyk, sprints/pole vaults, fr.; Kayla Kressin, distance/middle distance, fr.

Worth noting: Sandwich is coming off a fifth-place finish at state last spring, as Claire Allen won the shot put and discus titles, and Sunny Weber capped her freshman year by taking third in the 1,600 and second in the 3,200. Weber, third at state cross country last fall, just set a Sandwich indoor 3,200 record at the Top Times meet. Lissman was a state qualifier in the 4x800 relay as a freshman, as was Rivera, who is coming off an injury but is determined to make big strides in the 800. Schiradelly joined Sandwich midway through last season after gymnastics season and emerged as one of the team’s top sprinters and also will pole vault this spring. Paul was Sandwich’s No. 2 shot putter behind Allen as a freshman. Added to the mix is an impressive group of freshman sprinters, and basketball star Treptow has joined the team after taking two years off of track and field. “We’re excited for the future with this girls team,” Vick said. “We have some incredible incoming talent and a wonderful group of upperclassmen to guide them along the way. On the distance side, we have a group of athletes that are eager to either return to state or earn their way to state for the first time. Sunny Weber, in particular, is eager to return and outdo her already impressive performance from last year. We have many incoming sprinters with experience at the IESA state level that is sure to set them up for success this year. After experiencing that level of competition before, this group is ready to make it to that stage again.”

Fieldcrest

Coach: Carol Bauer

Top returners: Clare Phillips, distance, sr.; Macy Gochanour, hurdles/sprints, so.; Pru Mangan, throws, so.

Worth noting: Gochanour is a returning state qualifier for the Knights in the 300 hurdles, winning a sectional title last spring in 48.71 seconds. She’ll also run the 100 hurdles and 400. “We hope to take [Gochanour] back to Charleston, obviously, with the hope of advancing to the second day and medal position, and I feel both goals are realistic,” Bauer said. Mangan, who also will play softball, will compete in discus and shot put, while Phillips returns for her senior season after a successful cross country season in the fall.

Earlville

Coach: Jillian Harp

Top newcomers: Makayla McNally, long jump, sr.; Jessie Miller, 200/relays, so.; Bailey Miller, 200/relays/long jump/discus, so.; Elizabeth Vazquez, 200/800/relays/long jump, fr.; Chasity Stavenhagen, sprints/distance/shot put, fr.; Pennylane Shufelt, throws, fr.; Vyvienn O’Connell, 400/relays/pole vault, fr.; Alexa McNally, 200/800/relays, fr.; Sage Mahler, 200/discus/relays, fr.; Rylee Hill, sprints/relays/long jump, fr.; Kiley Franzese, 800/relays, fr.; Madelynn Domin, 100/relays/long jump, fr.; Mackenzie Clemens, 100, fr.

Worth noting: The Red Raiders have a young and inexperienced squad but solid participation numbers that now include athletes from Serena. “We are really looking forward to this season because we now have more athletes than we have had in years, which will make us so much more competitive, and we will be able to have relay teams for the first time ever,” Harp said. “We are excited about the opportunities that this co-op with Serena will allow our athletes to have. We also have our first pole vaulter in the history of our team with Vyvienn O’Connell and are excited to watch her compete.”

Newark

Coach: Abbey Akre

Top returners: Kiara Wesseh, 100 dash/hurdles/high jump/long jump, sr.; Brooklyn Hatteberg, 200/relays, sr.; Addi Ness, triple jump/400, jr.; Tess Carlson, pole vault, jr.

Key newcomers: Stephanie Snyder, distance, sr.; Olivia Smith, distance, jr.; Makenzie Doss, sprints/relays, fr.; Annalyse Creps, sprints/relays, fr.

Worth noting: Newark last year took the whole girls team downstate, qualifying in seven individual events and three relays. Wesseh was first in Class 1A high jump, third in the 300 hurdles, fourth in the 100 hurdles and fifth in the 100-meter dash. Carlson took ninth in pole vault. Newark took second in its conference meet. Wesseh, Ness and Carlson qualified for the Top Times indoor state meet this spring. Wesseh was second in the high jump, third in the 60 hurdles and seventh in the 60 dash at Top Times, Carlson was sixth in the pole vault and Ness 11th in the triple jump. Snyder and Smith have joined Newark’s team this year and are huge additions in distance races, as Newark had no girls running longer than a 400 last year. “The girls relays have the potential to be very strong this year, as we have multiple girls back and others that can fill spots when needed,” Akre said.