Here are previews of girls track and field teams from around The Times coverage area.

Ottawa

Coach: Dan Heaver

Top returning athletes: Finley Gross, sr., high jump/sprints; Belle Markey, sr., sprints/hurdles; Makenzie Blazys, sr., distance; Riley Thrush, sr., distance; Ailey Harstad, jr., mid-distance; Savannah Markey, so., sprints/long jump; Karsyn Moore, so., sprints/high jump; Sophia Hart, so., sprints/high jump; Jazmine Adams, so., mid-distance; Leah Ferrantino, so., distance; Keelin Gross, so., throws

Top new athletes: Gwen Jimenez, so., throws; Addisyn Budnick, so., throws; Daisy Rabadan, fr., sprints/long jump; Kendall Justice, fr., sprints; Trinity Casas, fr., long jump/sprints; Maizy Fleck, fr., hurdles; Maddie Salz, fr., high jump/sprints; Kai Berry, fr., distance; Ocean Fowler, fr., distance; Elizabeth Arnold, fr., distance; Sophera Polier, fr., jumps/sprints; Shianne Bensa, fr., throws

Worth noting: Heaver says his focus is on building a stronger culture and significantly increased participation. With more athletes out, the team is no longer stretched thin across events, allowing for better training, more competition within the squad and improved support at meets. “I don’t believe this is just a ‘growth year,’ ” Heaver said. “I believe the team can take a step forward this spring, with several athletes eyeing state berths, including Gross and Moore in the high jump, Belle Markey in the hurdles, Savannah Markey in long jump and Gwen Jimenez. A rising tide lifts all ships, and with a number of girls knowing they have a shot, I hope it pulls a few more that I know have the potential to that next level also.”

Streator

Coach: Devin Doty

Top returning athletes: Lydia Gallik, jr., sprints/hurdles/relays; Isabella Robart, so., pole vault/triple jump/long jump/sprints; Princess Allanah Brown, so., sprints/relays; Rhea Huey, so., high jump/mid-distance; Katherine Pierce, so., sprints/relays; Kinslee Sweeden, so., throws

Worth noting: Sweeden placed sixth at last season’s Class 2A Rock Falls Sectional, missing on a state berth by just a couple of meters. Also at that sectional, Gallik placed 15th in 400, Peirce 18th in the 400, and Huey 17th in the 800 and 19th in the 1,600.

Marquette

Coach: Cordelia Pena

Top returning athletes: Madisyn Trainor, jr., sprints; Lucy McGrath, so., sprints/jumps; Parker Poundstone, so., sprints/jumps

Worth noting: Pena said Trainor sets the tone as a team leader in the sprints, while McGrath and Poundstone return as solid contributors. “The team is focused on continuing to improve and compete at a high level this season,” Pena said.

Seneca

Coach: Terry Maxwell

Top returning athletes: Lila Coleman, sr., 400, relays, long jump; Avery Aldridge, so., pole vault; Emily Aldridge, so., pole vault; Lilly Pfeifer, sr., hurdles; Julie Mueller, jr., mid-distance; Elsa Douglas, jr., relays; Gracie Smith, jr., throws; Lily Mueller, sr., distance; Tenley Yandell, so., distance

Top new athletes: Cora Chapman, fr., mid-distance; Violet Mauer, fr., sprints

Worth noting: Coleman medaled at state in all three of her events last year and will have a shot to break the school record at 400. Avery Aldridge qualified for state in pole vault, while Pfeifer qualified in hurdles. Both Elsa and Lily Mueller medaled at state, as did Douglas and Yandell. There are 40 girls on the roster, providing the Irish with depth. They should compete for a conference title, according to Maxwell.

Sandwich

Coach: Emma Schoonover

Top returning athletes: Sunny Weber, sr., distance; Alayla Harris, hurdles/throws; Delanie Card, sprints; Kayla Kressin, distance; Emily Urbanski, distance

Worth noting: Weber begins the final season of a sensational high school career. The Duke commit is the two-time defending champion in the 3,200, won the 1,600 last year in a Class 2A state-record time and last fall repeated as state cross country champion. She took sixth in the 3,200 at the New Balance Nationals indoor meet in March. Harris and Card are also returning state qualifiers, and Kressin and Urbanski ran on the state-qualifying 4x800 relay. “This is my first year with the program, and while it is a small team, we have a lot of hard workers who I think will make a lot of personal growth over the course of the year,” Schoonover said. “Together with some strong newcomers coming off of the cross country season, like Natalie Walsh and Isla Stevens, I think the distance squad will have a very good year again. Across the entire program, I think these girls will have huge gains and perform well this year.”

Fieldcrest

Coach: Michael Hamer and David Vasquez

Top returners: Pru Mangan, sr., throws

Key newcomers: Ivory Bryant, fr., hurdles/200/400/relays; Clare Forrest, fr., triple jump/relays

Worth noting: The Knights have a small roster with fewer than 10 athletes. Mangan returns after a strong junior season in which she qualified for state in the discus. Mangan swept the throws at Fieldcrest’s first outdoor meet this spring. The Knights also welcome talented freshmen in Bryant and Forrest. Bryant won the IESA Class 2A 100 hurdles (16.66 seconds) last year. She placed third in the 400, seventh in the 60 hurdles and ninth in the 200 in the Heart of Illinois Conference Indoor Meet. Forrest, along with Bryant, ran on Fieldcrest’s sixth-place 4x100 relay at last spring’s IESA Meet. Forrest placed fifth in the triple jump in the Heart of Illinois Conference Indoor Meet.

Earlville/Serena

Coaches: Jillian Harp and Brock Harp

Top returning athlete: Emily Harrison, so., throws

Top new athletes: Ava Wieland, fr., 100/200; Claire Allen, fr., 400/800; Ally Bressner, fr., 400/shot put

Worth noting: “We are welcoming back our thrower Emily Harrison, and we are looking forward to seeing what our freshman girls can bring to our team,” the coaches said.

Newark

Coach: Nina Sittler

Top returning athletes: Malia Maddox, jr., long jump/200/relays; Kyla Wesseh, so., hurdles/400/relays; Kenzie Doss, jr., 400/800/relays; Anna Creps, jr., 400/800/relays

Top new athletes: Saki Matsuycoma, sr.; Ines Riou-Bacar, sr.; Mandy Winninger, fr., sprints/shot put; Nora Johnson, fr., sprints/shot put/discus

Worth noting: Newark is the two-time defending Little Ten Conference champions. Sittler said that while this year marks the beginning of a rebuilding phase, the Norsemen return four strong athletes who will help set the tone for the season. Maddox came just shy of qualifying for state last year. Maddox, Wesseh, Doss and Creps are expected to team up on a 4x400 relay with state-qualifying hopes. “With no seniors on the roster, our juniors are stepping into key leadership roles, growing in both confidence and responsibility,” Sittler said. “Despite our small numbers, this team is defined by its character, determination and work ethic. That drive was already on display during the preseason, where our seven athletes earned a fourth-place finish at an eight-team indoor invitational – an early sign that this group is ready to compete.”

Somonauk/Leland co-op

Coach: Eric W. Roberts

Top returning athletes: Alexis Punsalan, jr., pole vault; Emma Rominski, jr., distance; Junia Johnson, jr., distance; Salena Norris, so., throws

Top new athletes: Londyn Sturgis, fr., throws; Ella Roberts, fr., sprints/long jump; Alexa Larson, fr., sprints; Josie King, fr., high jump; Abigail Hohmann, fr., sprints; Mia Bennett, fr., sprints

Worth noting: Punsalan returns as the Class 1A state champion in the pole vault. The team will also feature Bennett, Larson and Roberts who were all part of a 4x100 relay team that won IESA championships three straight seasons. Roberts also placed second in both the 100 and 200, and fourth in the long jump at IESA State last year. Norris returns as a school record-holder in the shot put. “Sprints will be much stronger this year than in past years,” Roberts said. ”Our team has been focusing on building core stability, quickness, explosiveness and hip mobility on top of our regular track workouts to prepare for the upcoming season.”

Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland

Coach: Luke Mays

Top returning athletes: Kaylee Delheimer, sr., hurdles/400/high lump/long jump; Abbi Armstrong, so., 100/200/long jump/relays; Alivia Waschle, jr., 100/200/ relays

Worth noting: Armstrong was a state qualifier in the 100, 200 (sectional champ) and long jump (sectional champ, seventh at state), and along with Waschle advanced to state in the 4X200 relay.

• Hart Pisani, Kevin Chlum and Josh Welge also contributed to this report.