2025 Track & Field State Preview: 1A Girls

Well folks, we are finally here. This week will mark the end of the girls season with the IHSA State meet, so of course we have to break down all the action. In this article, we will go over all three classes and look at which teams have the strongest chance at a state title this year. We also go into full detail for each event, so you can see which individuals are the favorite for an individual state title. Look for your favorite teams and athletes and let us know who you think is going to have a crazy day at the state meet! 

Before you read though, you should know that this is just one person’s carefully crafted opinion. We can predict and calculate as much as we want, but there is a reason we run the race. Every year crazy stuff happens when you get to the state meet and someone ALWAYS ruins our predictions. One of the few certainties in track and field is the uncertainties, which is what keeps us all on our toes. We could be way off on our prediction. Our knowledge can only take us so far, at the end of the day it’s down to the athletes to decide who wins. That being said, we will do our best to pick the favorites, that’s why you're reading anyways right? Enjoy the girls state preview, and of course, good luck to all girls competing this weekend. 

Teams Preview

Similar to the 3A team race, it’s a two team race for first and then a slew of contenders for third. Unlike 3A, one of the two teams has a slight advantage over the other. The margin for error for one team versus the other is much smaller. This means that one team could miss points and still win, whereas the other team needs everything to go perfect in order to take the crown. There’s a reason they have the meet and it’s just not based on PRs, the two teams will need to lock in and compete to decide the winner. So, without further adieu, here are your final 1A team rankings.

#1 Tuscola

Lia Patterson and Kate Foltz are going to swing it for Tuscola as they are hopeful for the team title. Patterson is one of the best hurdlers in the state, regardless of class. She will be a huge scoring factor for Tuscola, as she is set to score in the 100mH, 300mH and open 200. She has not lost a hurdle race in two years, it is likely that she walks away with 18-20 points in both of those events. The open 200 will be much closer for her, she will be likely be bested by Emma Randecker of West Carroll. By PR, she should take second for another 8 points, however there are plenty of girls that are right on her season best who could upset her if she falters. She will also look to carry the Tuscola 4x2 to an all-state finish, which will rack them up a few more points. Kate Foltz will be the other athlete to score this team points, she is formidable in the distance. With a 5:04 and 10:34, there are only a few athletes who will stand up to her. She will likely come away with 15 or so points, which will be a valuable contribution to this team performance. In order for Tuscola to beat some of the other teams on this list, they will need help from Rylie Vanausdoll and Olivia Wallace. Vanausdoll has a chance at placing in the top 3 in the triple jump with a season best 37’ 1” in that event. She has not jumped over 37 during the outdoor season, but she still sits at 1A #5 with a 36’ 5”. A mark like that would earn Tuscola 5 points. Wallace has a strong chance at placing in the discus with a season best of 127’ 4”, she will likely take home another 5 points for Tuscola. 

#2 Glen Carbon (Father McGivney)

The griffins are going all out in an attempt to capture a state title. They have two stars who are capable of scoring almost all their points, and they will match up with Tuscola very well. Elena Rybak will look to complete one of the hardest lineups ever run at a state meet. She is QUADRUPLING in the 400, 800, 1600 and 4x4. The 800 should be an easy win for her, her PR of 2:07 would easily capture her a win against 1As finest. The 1600 will be more difficult for her. With the return of Isabella Keller of St. Anthony, she will be pushed to run a sub 5 in order to win with athletes like Kyla Babb and Molly Farrell running 4:52 this year. However, Keller will also be doubling back from a 3200, so it could be a tactical race. A tactical race would suit Rybak well, because she has two more races to focus on scoring in. The FM 4x4 is the favorite for the 4x4 title, they have run an incredible 4:03 this season which is a few seconds ahead of the next team. Rybak will also be running open 400, where she has a shot at placing in the top 5. If she can push through the fatigue, she could score almost 35 points by herself. The second big scorer for FM will be Lily Gilbertson, who will also be quadrupling. She will be running the 100, 200, 400 and 4x4, and she has a shot at scoring big in all of them. Her best event will be the 400, where she is seeded second at 57.05. Her PRs in the 100 and 200 also give her a solid bid at a top 5 finish in both events, which would be another 8-10 points. Gilbertson also has a big role in the 4x4, she is one of the main reasons they are able to run in the low 4 minutes. The final piece to this puzzle is FM’s high jumper, Mia Range. She hit a huge PR of 5’ 4” at sectionals which now has her at 1A #3. She will need to hit that mark and bring home 7 more points if FM wants to win here, it will be down to her.

#3 El Paso-Gridley

This EPG team is led by a decathlete, and they will look to compete for third. Aubrey Phillips is set to compete in the 4x2, 4x4, shot put and high jump, and she is expected to place in all of them. Her shot put mark of 39’ 9” has her at 1A  #6 and she can certainly take an all-state position there. Her high jump is currently a towering 5’ 4”, which could potentially even snag a state title if the two girls ahead of her don’t have their best days. She will likely score 10-15 points within those two events. All three of EPGs sprint relays are expected to take all-state positions, but Phillips is a part of the 4x2 that has a shot at a state title. They have run 1:44.56 which is a 1A #1 time, closely leading Monmouth United. Their 4x1 and 4x4 are equally as competent, with a 49.56 and 4:07 respectively. Their 4x1 isn’t too far off of 1A #1 of 49.29, savvy handoffs could secure them a win in that event. Their 4x4 is behind a number of times, but could be towards the end of the podium on a good day. Jaida Reed is their final scoring member, she ran 12.12 at the Lewistown sectional last week. She is seeded fourth, she could score a number of points for the titans as well. 

#4 St. Anthony

Isabella Keller could not have timed her return any better. She has been on a hiatus lately, but it appears that she is back to her usual self and she is ready to run fast. She ran a solid 10:53 and 5:06 at the Newton Sectional and she will be gunning for a top three spot in both races. Her teammate, Aubrey Denning, will also be running the mile. She is seeded first with a new PR of 5:01 which she also ran at sectionals. Denning will be doubling in the 800 where she has a solid shot at top 3. She ran a double PR at sectionals when she ran 2:15 in the 800 for 1A #3. She will compete for a top 5 finish for sure. Reese Hoene rounds out their scoring squad with a shot at placing in the 400 and the long jump. Her 58.23 has her at 1A #5. She will lead the chase pack against the big four in the 400. Her long jump is also solid, with a mark of 18’ 4”. She is tied for 1A #3 with Emma Behrmann of Nashville, and she will likely score big in this event as well. 

#5 Shelbyville

One of the best 1-2 punches in the middle distance, Shelbyville will look to score some big points with Aly Douglass and Lily Woolery. Woolery and Douglass are both expected to make the 800 final and score massive points for the Rams. Woolery’s season best of 2:14 has her at 1A #2 right now, she will be competing against Aubrey Denning of St. Anthony for second place. Douglass has run 2:18 which has her right smack dab in the middle of the chase pack. If she can place in the top 5, it will be a good day for the rams. Both girls will be running on the 4x8 as well, they have a realistic shot at a state title there. They ran 9:41 indoors and their relay card indicates that they will be going with the same exact squad. They will have a few other scoring options in Meredith Chambers and Ava Tucker. Chambers triple jumped a solid 35’ 10” at sectionals, which puts her in range of the top 5. She is currently sitting at 1A #7, but she is only 3 inches back from a top 5 spot. Tucker has vaulted 10’ which has her at an unsafe 1A #9. She will need to bring her A-game to make sure she doesn’t get bounced from an all-state position. Tessa Bowers has been a great distance runner for Shelbyville the last few years, she may be able to steal some points.

#6 Newton

The pole vault gods have gifted Newton with twin studs who will carry Newton to new heights. The Martin sisters, Karasyn and Camryn, are going to be huge in this Newton team run. Alexis Punsalin is the only girl who can stop them, she won the top times indoor championships with a vault of 11’ 10”. Her current season best sits below both Karasy and Camryn, so they could knock out a 1-2 finish on a good day. Newton also has two relays with the 4x1 and 4x2 aiming for top 5 finishes. They have run 49.95 for 1A #5 and 1:46.64 for 1A #4. Both of these relays will need to finish relatively where they are supposed to if Newton wants to crack the top 5 as a team. Their final points will come from triple jumper Sydney Kinder. She jumped 36’ 1” at sectionals and will likely rack up solid points for the Eagles. 

Individual Events Previews

100m

This will be the first event in the 1A classification that we will be on record watch for. Back in 2017 Courtney Sockwell of Rockford Lutheran ran 11.95 to set the IHSA 1A State Meet Record in the 100m. That will be challenged by the electric Emma Randecker of West Carroll. Randecker is the defending State Champion in this event and has been undefeated this year. She ran 12.11 to win her state title last year but that mark will be much faster this year as she has run sub 12 seconds two times this season. Saylor Barry of Mendon Unity could potentially challenge Randecker here as she is also undefeated in the 100m this year. Barry has a PR of 12.03 so far, but her most notable performance was her 7.72 that she ran to win the 1A Title at Illinois Top Times Indoors. If she can rekindle that magic then she might just beat Randecker. Bree Schneider of Forreston will be another potential sub 12 second performance here. She ran 12.05 to take 2nd at her Sectional. She could dip below the barrier here in the high pressure cooker that is the State Meet! Jaida Reed of El Paso-Gridley has had a sneaky good season with her best time of the year coming at Sectionals where she ran 12.12. She could potentially be in the top 3 finishers here and pick up big points for her team who are in the trophy hunt. 

200m

Much like the 100m, Emma Randecker of West Carroll will be on record watch here. She ran great at the Sectional running 24.22 in the 200m which is well under Alaina Lester’s 24.49 Class 1A State Meet Record that she ran last year. If she catches the right wind then expect the record to be gone. She will be looking to claim the 200m crown after taking 2nd in the race last year. Lia Patterson of Tuscola took 3rd in the 200m last year after entering the State Meet with a PR of only 25.71. She has run considerably faster this year entering State with a 25.01. It will take a lot to beat Randecker but taking 2nd will be big points for Tuscola’s team title hopes. Bree Schneider of Forreston was 2nd in the 200m at the Sectional behind Randecker. She will be looking to dip under 25 here for the first time. Lily Gilbertson of Father McGivney will be depended on to be one of the two workhorses for this squad. She was 4th in the 200m last year and will be looking to be top 4 this year in her 3rd event of the day. Saylor Barry of Mendon Unity is undefeated in the 200m this outdoor season. She could be a potential name that disrupts things here. 

400m

This 400 will be a big swing event in regards to the team race, motivation will be high for the Father McGivney Griffins to score high in this event. The top seed is Daniella Bumber of Henry-Senachwine. She ran an incredible 56.53 at the Mercy County sectional and she leads 1A by about half a second. She will have to go up against Lily Gilberston of Father McGivney. Gilberston is the only other girl in the field with a PR in the 56s, she will be looking to score her team the two extra points by taking the win here. Emma Randecker of West Carroll will be looking to make it three in the 400. Like we’ve mentioned, she’s the strong favorite in the 100 and 200, but she will have the hardest race of her weekend in the 400. She ran a solid 57.24 and is right behind Gilbertson in season best, she could be in contention for a win. Elena Rybak of Father McGivney is stepping down from the distance events to score points for FM. She has a PR of 57.83, which is a fair amount behind the first three girls. However, because this 400 will be so crucial in FM’s state title run, expect her to get competitive and compete for a top 3 spot. Outside of these four, you will see girls like Reese Hoene of St. Anthony and Alyson Clements of St. Thomas Moore compete for the next spots. 

800m

The returning state champ was second only to Ali Ince last year, this year Elena Rybak will be in a class of her own. She is one of the most accomplished 800 runners in the state of Illinois, and this year she has something more to race for. A team state title could be on the line for Rybak, so expect her to get this win with a tactical race. She has much harder races ahead of her, this is the one where she can get away with a sit and kick the easiest. Unfortunately for her competitors, this might mean that the times will be slow. Lily Woolery of Shelbyville and Aubrey Denning of St. Anthony will do everything in their power to not let that happen. Both Woolery and Denning have similar PRs to each other, and both are also competing for teams who have a shot at top 5 finishes. If they could somehow snap Rybak out of the top spot, it would be huge for their team performances. Madeline Fox of Marshall will lead the main pack of chasers on these three girls. She ran 2:16.96 and is about a second ahead of the large group of girls seeded at 2:18-2:20. If she can stay connected to the top pack of three, she will be pulled to a new PR and a great finish on the podium. 

1600m

An absolute powerhouse, Elena Rybak returns to defend her state title in the 1600 against the state’s best distance girls. Although seeded with a 5:21, if she runs close to her SR of 4:56, she will look to be a part of the pack down state. There are only a few things in her way: the other 11 girls who will run in the final against her. Among them will be Kate Foltz of Tuscola, the 1A XC state champ who is seeded with a 5:08, and the teammates Aubrey Denning and Isabella Keller of St. Anthony, seeded 1st and 2nd but with Keller having an edge over Denning if you look at their PRs and performances at XC State and the 2024 T&F finals. Foltz, Keller, and Denning all look to contribute to Tuscola’s or St. Anthony’s team points, and this race will be vital when it comes down to the final results. Additionally, Molly Farrell of Marshall is a contender for the top of the podium, winning bronze last year and coming into state with a PR of 4:52. Similar to Farrell, Kyla Babb of Wesmont runs a PR of 4:52 and puts up a strong fight against the other finalist contenders. No matter what, the 1600 is always a race to watch and will have an extremely high level of competition this year due to the immense talent from all the qualifiers.

3200m

Just like the 1600, the 3200 will help determine which team will take home the win. Last year, Isabella Keller of St. Anthony dominated the field and led the pack the entire race, earning herself gold. Keller is seeded 1st coming into the finals with 10:53.05, but Kate Foltz of Tuscola is seeded with an extremely close 2nd seed of 10:53.56 and will definitely push the pace at finals with her SB and PR of 10:34. Keller is some people's favorite even though she only has a few races on the year, but don’t forget that Foltz pulled off the upset during XC on Keller. Could the same outcome happen in Charleston? Molly Farrell of Marshall will also return to state, where she finished 2nd last year and is coming in with a SB of 10:41 and Kyla Babb of Westmont, who finished 4th last year and is also seeded 4th this year. Babb ran a terrific 10:23 indoors in the 3200m that gave her the fastest time in the field based on the season's best. She will be the name to watch here. Klaire Eighner of M.-Forsyth also looks to run with the pack again, seeded 6th but with a PR of 10:51 from this season. Despite the names for this race being similar to those in the 1600, it’s a completely different strategy and an extra four laps, so it’s impossible to predict who will finish first. Keller looks to be the strongest competitor, and it would not be surprising to see her win again, Babb, Farrell, and Foltz will put up a good fight, driven by her determination to help Tuscola win the title.

100H

For her final meet of senior year, Lia Patterson of Tuscola will return to Charleston to defend her 1st place finish from last year. She has dominated everything she has run in, remaining undefeated in every hurdle race since the start of the 2024 outdoor season and individually earned 34 of her team’s 45 points at state last year. However, Lily Bosnich of St. Bede will give her a good run for her money; she PRed at sectionals with a time of 14.63, and her times across the season have been getting faster after each meet she runs. This time beats Patterson’s SB of 14.74, but Patterson has definitely been saving her speed for state, and if she can run close to her PR of 14.41, she will take home the win. The battle for 3rd will be exciting to watch: we have Emma Crawford (15.25) and Jillian Hammer (15.28). They both have gone undefeated all season long and are remarkably close in time to each other. 

300H

Speaking of Lia Patterson and Lily Bosnich they will also be the headline athletes for this event as they have quite the gap on the rest of the field. Patterson has been untouchable in this event and has worked her way down to a 44.06 and will be the heavy favorite heading into this. Bosnich was having a decent season but absolutely popped out at sectionals and has put herself on mapo for a potential state title. McKenna Van Til will be fighting with the bug dogs as just a freshman and has a real chance of pulling off a third place finish. To round this out we have to mention Emma Behrmann who also had a great sectional and will be ready to contend with the best and have another breakout performance and sneak into the top three. 

4x100m

Last year was a record setting year for the 4x1, with the all-time 1A state record going down in 48.50. That year, there were 5 teams who broke 50 seconds in the 4x1. This year, there are already 5 teams that broke 50 seconds, and we aren’t even at the state meet yet. Maroa-Forsyth leads the event with a 49.29 that they ran at their home sectional meet. They are flirting with the 49 second border, it would be an epic way to bring home the state title if they went under. El Paso Gridley has the #2 time in 1A with a 49.49, they trail MF by a small amount. It is important to note that they won’t be running with the help of Aubrey Phillips, as she will be competing in other events. This does not appear to be a problem for the Titans, however, as they ran 49.83 without her at their sectional meet. This weakness of losing one of their key sprinters opens it up for Monmouth United to step in and claim a spot at runner up. They have run 49.82 this season, which is just barely faster than EPG’s sectional time. Camp Point Central and Newton are the last two teams under 50 seconds, Newton in particular could be even faster than that. I’m not confident that MF will be able to break the state record, but you can definitely count on an exciting race.

4x200m

A two way showdown for the state title is always an entertaining watch, El Paso Gridley and Monmouth United will put on a show in the 4x2. EPG ran 1:44.56 earlier this year, and they will be stacking this relay in hopes of capturing a team title. Monmouth United is right behind them in 1:44.82, which was a 2 second season best for them. The Flynn twins, Rosie and Katie, are the big contributors to this 4x2. They are both excellent 400 runners who are sizing down to help their 4x2 win a state title. After these two teams, you’ll see a pretty large gap, until Tuscola appears leading the rest of the teams. Tuscola ran 1:46.31 earlier this year and they will be utilizing their star, Lia Patterson, in hopes to take third in this event. Newton and Lena-Winslow will be two more teams that can be in contention for third. Newton has run 1:46.64 this season and leads LW by about .2 seconds. Newton, in particular, will want to knock Tuscola as far down as they can, as they will be gunning for that third place trophy. 

4x400m

Father McGivney’s superstars will be on their final legs here in the 4x4, it will be the deciding factor in the team race. Lily Gilbertson and Elena Rybak give this team a punch up front, however they will both be on their 8th event of the weekend. They have run 4:03 together this season, and they will need that energy for the last event of the day. There are a slew of teams sitting at 4:05 that will be ready to eat up FM if they aren’t locked in. Monmouth United narrowly leads that group with a 4:05.11, thanks to their excellent twin 400 runners, Katie and Rosie Flynn. Shelbyville closely tails them in 4:05.21, Pleasant Plains is behind them in 4:05.28 and Lena-Winslow is after that in 4:05.36. It’s a very close race for second, and it could end up being a close race for first depending on how well FM comes back.

4x800m

In a move of extreme dedication, Pleasant Plains has loaded up their 4x800m to go after the win. Abigail Wolters will compete for an all-state position in the open 800. This team has run 9:40 together and they are currently 1A #1. The idea of a fully loaded PP team is dangerous for the rest of the state to compete against. Shelbyville is the only school with a shot at taking them down, as they have the best 800 duo in 1A with Lily Woolery and Aly Douglass and with Tessa Bowers. They ran 9:41 to win the 1A top times championships but they haven’t run it since. They have a chance at placing in the top 5 as a team, so it’s likely that this team will be hyper-competitive for the win in this event. After them, expect Stark County and Cambridge to follow up. Stark County is another team that could be fighting for a spot in the top 5 as a team, and they need every point they can get. They ran 9:52 at their sectional meet and they will be a strong competitor in this race. Cambridge has a similar makeup to Shelbyville in that they have two incredible 800 runners up front who fuel this relay. Jane Vande Kemp and Emily Downing both run 2:20 and both will be huge factors in this race. 

High Jump

Two girls sit above the rest, it will be a test of speed to see who can get the win. Ainsley Johnson of Springfield Lutheran and Savannah Streeter of Orion have both cleared 5’ 6” this season and are tied for 1A #1. In high jump, when there is a tie, the person who clears the bar in fewer attempts wins the tiebreaker. This means that whoever clears 5’ 6” first wins a state title, so every attempt will count here. Both girls will have to survive 5’ 5” first, which is where a lot of the competition is currently seeded. Riane Bear of Sullivan has cleared 5’ 4” and is the only other girl that Johnson and Streeter have to worry about. Her PR of 5’ 5.5” puts her in range of both Streeter and Johnson, and she could snipe a win on a good day. Gracie Tremble of Oregon is the only other girl to clear 5’ 5”, when she cleared it during the indoor season. She has only cleared 5’ 2” during the outdoor season, however her PR makes her a dangerous athlete in this event. There are a multitude of athletes around 5’ 4”, such as Aubrey Phillips of El Paso Gridley and Carly Ulrich of Lowpoint-Washburn, who will look to take their place on the podium as well. Phillips has been 2nd at the State Meet the last two years in the High Jump and is the top returner. 

Long Jump

This will be an excellent battle in the long jump. Saylor Barry of Mendon Unity enters with the top mark in the field with her 19-2 she jumped at Sectionals. She was the 1A Champion in the LJ at Illinois Top Times Indoors and will be looking to claim a state title here. It won't be easy though as Ava Bee of Athens is breathing down her neck. Bee has jumped 19-0 this year She hasn't lost a LJ competition outdoors and will be looking to continue that streak at the State Meet. Reese Hoene of St. Anthony is only a freshman and will be a major name to watch for in this event. She is also undefeated in the Long Jump this outdoor campaign. The jumps are such a flukey event, she may be in contention to win this on the right day. Same goes for Emma Behrmann of Nashville who could be another potential State Champion on the right day. She is also undefeated outdoors. Emma Crawford of North Mac has plenty of speed, she will need it to translate to her runway here. She is in play for a top 3 finish. 

Triple Jump

This event is the most wide open 1A event of the weekend. Tori Brown of Illini Bluffs enters the State Meet with the best SB in the field of 37-11.25. She was the Top Times Indoor Champion and has only 1 loss on her resume this year. She will be challenged by Rylie Vanausdoll of Tuscola, who jumped over 37 feet indoors. Vanausdoll will be looking to score big points for Tuscola here and help their team title hopes. Carly Ulrich of Lowpoint-Washburn just made her way over the 37 foot barrier this past week at the Sectional. She was 2nd at Illinois Top Times to Brown and will be looking to avenge that loss here. Emma Behrmann of Nashville is a beast that is being depended on to do it all for her team. She can sneak her way into the top 3 here. Can’t forget to mention Ella Neihls of Teutopolis who is the top returner from last year when she took 3rd. Maybe she can rekindle some magic here. 

Pole Vault

This will really be a toss up between 4 amazing athletes here in this event. Alexis Punsalan of Somonauk looked untouchable indoors as she won the Illinois Top Times title in the Pole Vault. She hasn’t looked nearly as good during the outdoor campaign. A few NH meets throughout April and a 2nd place finish at conference. She will look to avenger those defeats here with winning a State Title. Tess Carlson of Newark has been the one who has had Punsalan’s number as of late. She beat her at both Conference and Sectionals. She also is the top returner from the State Meet last year. The twins from Newton, Karasyn Martin and Camryn Martin have been having big seasons as they have gotten outdoors. Both will be contenders for the win here. Maybe they can share 1st place like they did last year. 

Shot Put

The 1A Girls Shot Put looks to be a battle of heavyweights as we have 6 athletes with PRs over 40 feet in the field. Chelsey Stotler of Stark County has heaved a throw over 43 feet this year. She has thrown over 40 feet on 4 different occasions this year. She will be the favorite entering this meet. Makayla Gajewski of Nashville is the defending State Champion. She hasn’t lost a Shot Put competition in High School yet. If she can pop a great throw at State then she can walk away with another gold medal. Zion Young of Maroa-Forsyth was the Illinois Top Times Champion for this event indoors. She has thrown over 40 feet on 8 occasions this year. She is the most consistent thrower in the field. Isabella Bunting of Dwight has thrown over 40 feet in the last two meets of the year. She is coming on strong late in the year. She may be able to sneak into the top 3. Emma Whightsil of Warrensburg-Latham has shown potential to be Top 3 but her teammate Brenna Dutcher has had her number as of late. Both can fight for a top 5 finish here. Aubrey Phillips of El-Paso Gridley is a very interesting name in this field. She is not a well known thrower, she is more known for the HJ as she is a 2x State Runner-Up in the event. She is an excellent thrower that took 2nd at the Illinois Top Times Meet indoors. 

Discus

The Discus will be another event that will be up for grabs to 4 terrific athletes. Warrensburg-Latham teammates Emma Whightsil and Brenna Dutcher will be two of those athletes. They both have thrown 146 feet and 145 feet this year. Dutcher took 2nd last year at the State Meet. Addison Stadsholt of Athens has been undefeated in the Discus this year. She is the defending State Champion in this event and will need to pop off a big throw to retain her crown. Reagan McGlaughlen of Pana is also undefeated this year. She on the right day can walk away from the State Meet with a gold medal.