NewsTribune girls track and field preview: 5 athletes to watch

With the outdoor season just starting, here are five girls track and field athletes to keep an eye on this spring.

St. Bede's Lily Bosnich runs a relay in Thursday's Howard-Monier Girls Invitational at Princeton. (Mike Vaughn)

Lily Bosnich, St. Bede, so.

Bosnich is one of the best all-around athletes in the area, playing four sports for St. Bede. In the spring, she splits time between track and field and softball. Last year, she earned three state medals – sixth in the 300-meter hurdles (47.65 seconds), sixth in the 4x100 relay and seventh in the 4x200 relay – while helping the softball team to a state title. She medaled in the 60 hurdles and 200 at the Prep Top Times Meet, the unofficial indoor state meet.

Henry’s Daniella Bumber fires off the blocks in the 400 dash Saturday, May 20, 2023 during the IHSA state track and field finals at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. — Henry’s Daniella Bumber fires off the blocks in the 400 dash during the 2023 IHSA state track and field finals at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. (Alex T. Paschal - apaschal@shawmedia.com/credit)

Daniela Bumber, Henry-Midland, so.

The Timberducks have had a state champion the past two years, and Bumber has the potential to make it a three-peat. She qualified for the Class 1A state meet last year in four events, placing second in the 400 meters (57.63 seconds), fourth in the 200 (25.35) and sixth in the 100 (12.67). Bumber was a state qualifier in cross country in the fall and had a strong indoor track season, placing third in the 400 and 13th in the 60 at the Prep Top Times Meet.

Holy Family eighth grader Aubrey Duttlinger won three IESA state titles and earned a medal in a fourth event Saturday. She was Holy Family's only competitor but racked up enough points by herself to bring home the third-place team trophy. (Photo provided by Jyll Jasiek)

Aubrey Duttlinger, La Salle-Peru, fr.

Duttlinger was a star in junior high. As an eighth grader, she won Illinois Elementary School Associaton titles in the 200-meter dash, long jump and 100 hurdles and medaled in the 100. She set the IESA record for the 100 hurdles. Duttlinger was the only athlete from Holy Family competing in the state meet but scored enough points to finish third in the team standings. In her short career at L-P so far, she’s already hit the state-qualifying mark in the long jump and won the triple jump in her first meet competing in the event just days after learning it.

Mendota Northbrook eighth grader Mariyah Elam (second from left) placed fourth in the IESA Class 3A high jump by clearing a school record 4 feet, 11 inches. (Photo provided by )

Mariyah Elam, Mendota, fr.

After medaling at the IESA State Meet as an eighth grader last spring, Elam already has made an impact at Mendota. She won the high jump and 100-meter hurdles in the Trojans’ first outdoor meet. During indoor, she won both of her hurdles races, won the high jump in two of three meets and placed second in the triple jump in her second time competing in the event. She placed sixth at Prep Top Times in the high jump. Elam already has eclipsed the outdoor state qualifying standard in the high jump and nearly hit the 100 hurdles mark.

Princeton’s Morgan Foes throws the discus in the 2A event Saturday, May 20, 2023 during the IHSA state track and field finals at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. (Alex T. Paschal - apaschal@shawmedia.com/credit)

Morgan Foes, Princeton, sr.

The Illinois State University recruit is the area’s top returning thrower after qualifying for state in the discus and shot put last season. She was runner-up in the Galesburg Sectional in both events and placed fifth in the discus at state. Foes finished third in the shot put at the Prep Top Times Meet and swept the throws in the Tigresses’ first outdoor meet at Rock Falls.