2025 Track & Field State Preview: 2A 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. 

Team Preview

There’s almost no world where the number 1 team doesn’t win this race, but after 1, it’s super messy. There are 8-10 teams who have the potential to score 35-40 points, which makes our job especially hard. We went through and sifted through the teams that we think have the best shot at scoring the most points, so here are your final 2A team rankings.

#1 Normal University

This is the only classification where we will see a win by complete domination. Normal University has put together a formidable relay team, and when you combine it with their star discus throwers, it makes an incredible scoring powerhouse. Normal U is expected to score in every single relay, from 4x1 to 4x8. They will be on state record watch in the 4x1, where they are expected to get a win. The 4x2 will be tougher for them, but they are still in state title contention with a 1:42.64. The 4x4, they will need to be under 4 minutes if they want to capture the win. They have a season best of 4:00.7, so it’s entirely possible that they win that one as well. The 4x8 is 2A #7 with a 9:50, they could score 3 or 4 points for the Pioneers here. Their main assets lie in the throws, where Isabella Thurston and MacKenzie Matejka will clean up shop. Thurston is one of the most talented dual-threat scorers in the state of Illinois, with marks of 40’ 2” and 137’ 10”. She is seeded second in the shot and third in the disc, it should be 13-15 points for her. Matejka is a nice compliment to Thurston in the disc, with a toss of 133’ 2” that has her at 2A #4. She has a solid gap over #5, it will be another 6 points for Normal U. Zoe Carter is their final weapon who will seal the deal for the Pioneers. The 5k specialist will look to take second in a loaded 2A 2 mile. She is the most talented and decorated 3200 runner outside of Sunny Weber of Sandwich. She has an outside shot at scoring in the mile as well. Her season best of 5:03 has her at 2A #8, which is a precarious place to be. If she can sneak her way into an all-state position, we’ll consider it bonus points for Normal U. 

#2 Mt. Zion

This state trophy run by Mt. Zion is almost entirely dependent on how Kendall Smith competes. Smith is an incredible athlete, she will be competing in the 100mH, 300mH, triple jump, and 4x4. She is a top 5 hurdler in 2A in both the 100mH and 300mH, she will score 10-12 points in those two. She holds the top triple jump mark in 2A with a treacherous 39’ 1”, however her competition there is equipped to take her down. There is a 40 foot triple jumper on state record watch that she will need to be careful of. She will still score 7-10 points in that event, even if she has a bad day. She will also help anchor home the Mt. Zion 4x4, who has a chance at a top 5 finish. Every point counts for the Braves, so they will need to be in fifth or higher in order to get the winner here. They will get some serious help from the vault as well, with Brooklyn Kondritz and Alexa Weter in great positions to bring home points. Kondritz has cleared a towering 11’ 10” for 2A #2, she will be gunning for a state title over Molly Russellberg of Central Catholic. Weter has a season best of 11’ 4”, which earns her 2A #6. Having two scoring options in one event is always nice, these girls will bring home 12-15 points between the two of themselves. 

#3 South Shore

A possible triple state champ will propel this South Shore team to a great finish. Jordan Hamb holds the best 100mH mark in the state of Illinois, with a 13.99 (+3.7). She is far ahead of anyone else in 2A, it will take a big PR from one of the chasers to take her down. She also has the potential to take home the win in the long jump with a craterous mark of 19 feet. Her path to a state title in the long jump had no obstacles until Maria Long of Pontiac also leapt over 19 feet. She will now have to pull out all the stops if she wants to get the win, but it’s definitely still on the table. The triple jump will also be a place that she will look to capture a win. With a PR of 41’ 5”, it’s hard to say anyone will compete with her. However, her season best of 37’ 6” leaves room for others to get ahead of her so this will be an uncertainty for her. She is the returning state champ in this event, but girls like Taya Rice of Agricultural Science and Kendall Smith of Mt. Zion could easily step over her. The nice thing is that South Shore has more than one triple jumper who could maybe snag the win. Kylee Gardner has also hit a solid 38’ 1” this season and she was third in the triple jump last year at state. Both of these girls will clean up big points for SS in the triple, but they will need to produce top marks. SS also has a 4x1 who can potentially score as well, with a 48.64 season best. They were especially adept at the 4x2 indoors, so I would hope that speed will translate nicely to a fast 4x1 at state. 

#4 Tolono Unity

You can thank the Tolono Unity distance program for putting them in the team conversation. Ashlyn Denny and Emily Decker have pushed this team to new heights, they are both going to score huge for Tolono. Denny is doubling in the 800 and the 400 and she has a chance to score big in both. Her 800 is currently 2A #4 at 2:13.79, she will likely take her place in the top 5. The 400 will be tougher, she has a 57.69 which is also 2A #4. In the order of events, the 800 and the 400 are back to back, so she’s going to need to stay ready for that 400 if she wants to score big there. Decker is slated to run the mile where she is 2A #6 at 5:01. The mile is crazy loaded this year, so it will take her absolute best in order to place well. She is also entered in the 3200m and will score big points there if she runs it. Tolono will be right around the state record in the 4x8 if they choose to load it though. Their composite time with Denny, Decker, MacKenzie Pound and Josie Cler is currently 9:12.92, which is just .1 off of the state record of 9:12.80. It’s unlikely that they will load it up, but even if they don’t, a simple 9:40 should suffice on the scoring front. They will have to load up their 4x4 if they want to place well. They ran 4:00 for 2A #2 with all distance runners, but that includes Denny and Decker who already have quit the workload. It’s more likely that they load up their 4x4 than their 4x8, as they will need the points in the 4x4 more than they need the time in the 4x8. If they choose that route, they will be on a great path scoring wise.

#5 Triad

Triad is almost a lock for a top 5, all they need is their 4x1 to have a good day. Sophia Scharden has put this team on her back, she will be scoring the majority of their points. Her times of 11.62 and 24.65 are expected to take home easy wins in the 100 and 200. She has minor competition from Rege Cooper Smith of North Chicago and Brooklyn Holmes of Marian, but she should be able to put them away. She will run on both the 4x1 and 4x2 as well, they are expected to win the 4x2. Triad’s season best of 1:42.25 is 2A #1, but it’s closely followed by a number of other 1:42s. Their 4x1 is 2A #4 with a 48.17. They have a .3 second cushion over 2A #5, but they will need to dip below the 48 second border if they want to crack the top 3. These four events will allow them to score in the mid to high 30s, and that’s all they will need for a top 5 finish.

#6 Eureka

Eureka has a ton of pieces in the field as well as two solid relays who will score them their points. Their 4x8 is currently one of three 2A teams that are right at 9:40, they will be competing for a hotly contested second place. Their 4x4 just recently shocked the 2A leaderboards with the first sub 4 of the season. They are currently 2A #1 with a 3:59.48, and they will be loading up their 4x4 in hopes to capture a state title. In the field, we’ll see Gaba Mussellman seek out a state title in the shot put. She is leading 2A with a terrific mark of 40’ 4”, she will be a big factor in Eureka’s team finish. Reagan Bishop will also be on the hunt for a state title in the pole vault. She is 2A #3 right now with a mark of 11’ 9”, she is right on the heels of 2A #2 and #1. If she can get just one more place higher, Eureka will be in great shape.

Individual Events Previews

100m

Sophia Schardan of Triad looks to be the top dog in this race based on her PR of 11.62. She hasn’t broken 12 any other time this year though. She ran a lethal 7.54 60m indoors which shows how talented of an athlete she is. She will enter as the favorite but other athletes will give her a run for her money. Brooklyn Holmes of Marian Catholic was only one spot off qualifying for the 2A 100m final last year. She ran a blazing 11.88 this past week at Sectionals to beat Symone Holman of Joliet Catholic Academy. That race was also Holman’s first time under 12 seconds. Both will be fighting for the 2A State Title. Rege Cooper-Smith of North Chicago is undefeated in the 100m this season and can be a potential upset candidate here. She has been running extremely impressively as of late and could nab a top 3 finish. Kamaree Pollard of Mt. Vernon is another athlete that's running well as of late. She had great success as a sophomore and will look to finish off her career with a terrific final state meet. Katherine Jewell of Prairie Ridge is the top returner from last year. She had a great indoor season and has been slowly gearing back up throughout the outdoor season. 

200m

Sophia Schardan of Triad also enters the 200m as the favorite. She is undefeated in the event this year and sports a PR of 24.65, but her most impressive time was her 24.88 that she ran indoors. She has only run over 25 once this outdoor campaign. Rege Cooper Smith of North Chicago has 1 loss in the 200m this year and that was to Katherine Jewell of Prairie Ridge. Cooper Smith has been on fire as of late. Both girls will be in the running for a top 3 finish here. Jewell just missed the 200m final last year placing 10th in prelims. Symone Holman has dipped under 25 this year with a PR of 24.93. She will be in the running for a top 3 finish here. Madalyn Marx of Mahomet-Seymour has been increasingly getting better in the 200m throughout the year and just ran 25.1 at the Sectional. 

400m

Madalyn Marx of Mahomet-Seymour enters this meet as the defending State Champion. She ran 56.11 to claim the crown. She has been extremely consistent throughout her first 3 years of high school running 56 seconds each year. She is looking to finally break that barrier here to win her 2nd career State Title! Kamaree Pollard of Mt. Vernon has picked up the 400m this year and has been running great as of late as she has been undefeated this outdoor season in the event. Her PR is 57.24 and she will likely run in the 56s here. Nyameye Maison of Morton had a huge day at the Sectional as she ran 57.63 to take 2nd. She could be a top 3 finisher in the event. Ashlyn Denney of Tolono Unity will have her plate full this weekend. The Unity star will be running the 800, 400, 4x4, and potentially the 4x8. Leah Smith of South Shore was the State Runner-Up last year and had a good indoor season, but has been quiet outdoors. Let's see if she can return to form this year. 

800m

In the 800m, there is a clear favorite and it's Emily Stecky. Stecky has been on an nearly unstoppable run this season in the 800m indoors and out. Stecky has gone undefeated in the 800 against any Illinois athlete, only losing at DNIP while still running a time of 2:09.58. Depending on how Stecky decides to race this, the state record set just last year by Becca Heitzig (2:09.55) could be in serious jeopardy. Assuming there is some separation between Stecky and the rest of the field, Klarke Goranson, Marget Andrzejewski, Erin Hinsdale, and Ashlyn Denney will all be duking it out for the silver medal. All four of them were within that 2:12 - 2:14 range. Goranson has the slightest edge, considering her 1600 time is far out of everyone else’s league, but it’s still very close. We will see who will want it more and be willing to grind those gears all the way to the line to finish as high up as possible in the deep pack. If this race goes tackle it's an honest shot to anyone and will be a spectacle to that final stretch.

1600m 

This year’s 1600m is shaping up to be a thrilling race between a seasoned field and a rising star. Sunny Weber enters as the top name to watch, she has had a great season in both indoors and out. She is a the returning runner-up in this event and cruised her way through sectionals and is looking dangerous. Klarke Goranson is the rising star in this event. She has had a great freshman season and with her great closing speed, she could be a real threat going into the bell lap. It's gonna be a great matchup for the bronze medal spot, we have Reese Kohnle and Brooke Zeibert both come in having run 4:56 at DNIP. Kohnle was just barely able to edge out Zeibert on that occasion. Lastly, the ever dangerous Emily Stecky should never be overlooked. Coming off the 800m she has a very real chance to place quite high if the race is tactical. 

3200m 

This 3200m is shaping up to be another cut and dry race upfront. The top athlete and heavy favorite will be Sunny Weber, Weber is the defending champion and has the fastest time in the state this season. My guess is that she will take it from gun to tape and with her smooth, even split running style will be unchallenged. The chase pack with consist of five key athletes. The strongest athlete in the chase pack is Zoe Carter who is the returning runner-up and will be the solid choice for the silver. The rest of the chase pack will sonsit of Izzy Bing, Sydney Gertsen, Emaline Foster, and Cameron Crump. Out of this chase pack, Carter will likely break off with about a K to 800 to go, Gerten holds a slight advanege an the rest of field after that with her solid 1600m PR of 5:06. With this much talent and toughness on the track we could see a dramatic finish and huge moves made to race for the top three position. 

100H

Jordan Hamb of South Shore enters this meet as the favorite to win this race as she is the defending State Champion in the event. She has already dipped under 14 this season as she went 13.99 at the CPS City Meet. It will be hard seeing her lose if she races clean over the hurdles. Kendall Gray of Southland Prep ran extremely impressive at the Sectional as she ran 14.64. She could potentially upset Hamb if she falters. Hannah Safranek of Normal University will be running to score big points for her team here. She has run 14.66 this year down in Edwardsville. She will be looking to be a top 3 finisher here. Jamison Love of Mascoutah was the State Runner-Up last year in this event, but has had struggles this season. The SIU commit will be looking to show the rest of the state that she is still that same hurdler and will look for a top 3 finish here. 

300H

AnnMarie Trentman heads into this race as the favortie as she is the 4th returner and will be leading the rest of this close knit field. This field is one of deepest ive seen as all these athletes fall within a 45.1- 45.8 window and the placements could switch around depending on who has a standout day. On paper the tight race for the silver will be between Brenna Stearns, Jamison Love, and Brielle Seiler. All three of these athletes showcase great abilities in the first ha;lf it will be down to who can hold there form and strengthen over the final few hurdles. then it's the battle of the Kendalls’. It'll be fun to see who will come out on top as the superior kendall between Kendall Smith and Kendall Gray. 

4x100m

Normal U is getting closer and closer to the state record, they have one last chance to hit the mark. The squad of Lydia McIntyre, Addie Cortese, Hannah Safranek, and Harper McIntyre will give their all in hopes of etching their name in history, and they are so very close. The Pioneers have hit an impressive 47.26 for 2A #1, which is one 100th of a second off of the state record. Dunlap set a 47.25 in 2018, but it won’t last much longer. Marian Catholic is a decent ways behind Normal U, with a 47.59 2A #2 time. They have big help from Brooklyn Holmes who ran a ridiculous 11.88 at their sectional meet, they will be a strong second to Normal U. Freeport and Triad are the two other teams that will look to break 48. Freeport has already done it, they just cleared 48 seconds with a time of 47.96. The McElroy sisters, Taniah and Ta’Leiah, power this relay, both of them are running great times in the open 100 right now. Triad has been tantalizingly close to 48, they currently sit at 48.17. If their handoffs are smooth, they will likely be under as well. 

4x200m

This will be possibly the closest event of the day. There are several teams right around 1:42 that could all contend for a state title. Triad leads the field with a season best of 1:42.25, which is a 2A #1. Sophia Scharden fuels this relay, her 200 PR of 24.65 definitely comes in handy when trying to win a state title. Normal U closely tails Triad with a time of 1:42.32. The Pioneers have built a fantastic relay squad this year, it would be an excellent way to end the season if they won both the 4x1 and 4x2. Marian Catholic is in the mix as well, with a season best of 1:42.59. They are just holding off East St. Louis in 1:42.64. ESTL might be more adept at the 4x4, but they will still compete for the win in the 4x2. North Chicago will recycle their 4x1 and use the same squad to compete for the 4x2. Their season best of 1:42.91 is 2A #5 and marks the end of the 1:42s. They are a sleeper team when it comes to the state meet, they somehow always end up running fast towards the end of the season. They might not be able to catch a win, but watch out for them to at least drop their time down.

4x400m

After a complete leaderboard redesign last week, Eureka comes out on top with the first sub four minute 4x4 of the season. They ran 3:59.48 to win their sectional and take the mantle of 2A #1. It’s very possible that they don’t load up, as they ran with mostly distance runners who will be running other events throughout the day. However, given that they have a shot at a state title, you could see them go all out. East St. Louis is used to dominating the 4x4, and you should expect to see a continuation of that trend. They have two returning runners from their state championship 4x4 from last year, both Je’Tira Taylor and Ka’Milla Tuggle were both crucial in the team that ran 3:52. Taylor was the second leg, so we’re not sure what she split, but we know Tuggle pulled off a 59.1 as the third leg of that relay. Both of them have run around 1:00 in the open this season, so it’s safe to assume that there is more in the tank for both of them. It would be shocking if this team of Flyers doesn’t break 4, they have a very good shot at a state title. Normal University, yet again, has another strong relay in the 4x4. They ran 4:00.70 at the Normal Intercity invite earlier this season, and they enter as 2A #3 with that time. Their ace, Caty Minton, is in high all-state contention in the open 400, she will be crucial for the Pioneers. Tolono Unity is another team that is nearing the 4 minute border. Their relay entirely consists of distance runners, so we’re not sure if they will load here. We’ve seen in the past, with teams like Hinsdale Central, where distance 4x4s won’t run at state even though they have a shot at a state title. However, based on the relay card, Tolono has only left Emily Decker out of their lineup. This team still has the capability to run in the low 4 minutes, and they will contend for a top 3 spot. 

4x800m

Last year, Wheaton St. Francis set the state record in this event with a searing 9:12.80. This year, we might see TWO different teams break that record. Wheaton St. Francis did not run their hot 4x8 at sectionals, because why waste your energy when JV will get the job done. They still qualified with a 10:18, and they absolutely have a shot at a state title. Their composite time (which is the time you get if you add all the open times together) comes out to 9:13.33 by season best. If you go for PR composite, it drops all the way down to 9:08.44! That is a time that would compete in 3A for crying out loud. Hopefully they do load it, because what’s even crazier is they aren’t alone. Tolono Unity is just as stacked, and they also have a shot at breaking the record. Ashlyn Denny and Emily Decker are the driving force behind Tolono’s 4x8. Denny is in the conversation for the open 800 with a time of 2:13.79, and Decker has a season best of 2:15.90. These two, along with MacKenzie Pound and Josie Cler, add up to a blistering composite of 9:12.92. This could be one of the craziest 2A 4x8’s of all time, it will certainly be interesting to see who goes for it and who doesn’t. Boylan Catholic will lead the chase pack if either team load it up, they have run a solid 9:29 this season. Reese Kohnle and Lily Shields pull this team forward, both of them have an incredible 1600 that translates well to the 4x8. Rochester, Sherrard and Eureka are all teams that are sitting around 9:40, they will fight amongst themselves for spots 4, 5 and 6. 

High Jump

The current state leading mark resides in 2A, it will be hard to get around Mariyah Elam of Mendota. Elam is the returning state champ in this event and she hit a towering 5’ 8” at the TRAC conference meet. She leads the field by about an inch, but in high jump, every inch counts. The good news for Elam, is that 2A #2 will not be competing at state. For whatever reason, Amaryllis Miles was unable to compete at the Mascoutah sectional, and she will therefore not be competing at the state meet. This almost secures the win for Elam, there is only Katie Kostro of Rosary who has a shot at beating her. Kostro has a season best of 5’ 6.5”, which she has hit multiple times this season. She’s much more consistent than Elam, in fact, she beat Elam at their sectional meet. While this is a little worrying for any Elam fans, Elam’s PR is still so much higher, so this event is still in Elam’s favor. 2A #4, Aubrey Holthaus of Macomb, also missed out on the sectional meet, which means another 5’ 6” high jumper is off the board. This opens the door for girls like Jacqueline Dill of Pinkneyville and Addison Vicary of Genoa Kingston to step into a top three position.

Long Jump

It’s a good year for the 2A long jump, we could see three girls clear 19 feet. Symone Holman of Catholic Academy has the biggest PR in the field with a tremendous 19’ 6” from the indoor season. She used that leap to take the win at the 2A top times championships. The only concern with Holman is that she hasn’t been near that mark since indoors. For most of the indoor season, she was floating around 17 feet, and she's been the same for most of the outdoor season as well. If she can land a crazy 19 footer, she will be within title contention, but it’s a big if. Jordan Hamb of South Shore is in a similar boat. She has been known to hit the occasional bomb of 19 feet, but she also has been averaging in the 17s for most of the outdoor season. On a good day, both of these athletes are capable of taking the gold, but it has to be a good day or it won’t happen. Maria Long of Pontiac is much more consistent than both Hamb and Holman, and she enters as the favorite for the long jump. Her mark of 19’ 2” is 2A  #1, and she has been in the low to mid 18s for most of the outdoor season. She has managed to replicate her 19 foot mark on one other occasion, which gives her the advantage over Hamb and Holman, who only have one 19 footer apiece. Outside of Long, you will see girls like Charlotte Okulaja of IMSA and Natasha Bianchi of Genoa Kingston in contention for an all-state spot. Okulaja is a rare sight indeed, as the Illinois Math and Science Academy is not known for its athletics. She would look to join a rare club as an all-state athlete and an attendee of IMSA, a very exclusive group of incredible athletes and really smart people. Bianchi has a huge PR of 19’ 1” from last season, but she hasn’t been over 18 yet during outdoors. She was 18’ 6” during indoors, so it’s likely she still has a huge jump somewhere in those legs, she could be on the podium this weekend. Last year, the state champ came from Tolono Unity in the form of Jillian Schittler, she will look to defend her title. She won last year with a mark of 17’ 10”, and if that’s all it takes to win this year, she will likely go back to back. 

Triple Jump

One of the best events of the day will be the triple jump, there are four girls in particular who will make it an explosive event. Jordan Hamb of South Shore is the returning state champ in this event, she will be on the hunt for another gold medal. She is a 41 foot triple jumper, and by PR, she blows this field away. She has an indoor season best of 38’ 10”, but her outdoor season best of 37’ 6”  leaves room for desire. To be fair, 37’ 6” is the mark that won her a state title last year, so it might be all she needs for a win. But if you look at the competition, 37 feet will not be enough for a win this year. Kendall Smith of Mt. Zion is the current 2A leader with a mark of 39’ 1”, she will force Hamb to jump further than 37 feet. She also has Taya Rice of Chicago Agricultural Science who is jumping 39’ 0” who will push for a further mark as well. Hamb actually lost to Rice at the CPL conference championships, so we could see a repeat of that here. Kylee Gardner is the final girl who will challenge Hamb for a win. The two teammates would put South Shore in a great team position if they could pull off a 1-2 finish, but they will need to survive Rice and Smith first. Gardner has a season best of 38’ 1” and a PR of 38’ 5”, she’s the most consistent out of the field. It’s very possible she pulls away with the win as well. 

Pole Vault

Molly Russelburg of Aurora Central Catholic is set up to take her first state title home. She leads 2A with a mark of 12 feet, which she has hit multiple times throughout the season. Her PR comes from the indoor season, it sits at 12’ 1”. Her only loss during outdoors has been to the notorious Eva Bach of Lake Park, so expect her to take the win here. Reagan Bishop of Eureka has recently seen a spike in her PR, with an 11’ 9” at the sectional meet. She was third last year at the state meet with a mark of 10’ 8”, she will be in contention for a title this year. Brooklyn Kondritz of Mt. Zion is another girl to watch out for here. She was the 3A top times champ over Russelburg and her mark of 11’ 10” is definitely scary to go up against. The only thing that’s stopping her would be fatigue, as she will be running the open 400 and the 4x4 earlier in the day. If she’s still got energy for vault, she will definitely be in the running for a win here. Sophia Burciaga of Reed-Custer will be another name to watch here. She has cleared 11’ 8.5” this season and trails just behind Bishop and Kondritz. 

Shot Put

When you look at who the strongest Shot Put throwers in 2A are, you might notice that almost the entire top 10 is made up of frosh athletes. There is only ONE senior in the top ten this year. only thought to mention this because the marks this year aren’t anything insane, but give it a few years and 2A will be utterly insane. There are only two girls in the field who have thrown past 40 feet, it will be Gaba Musselman of Eureka vs Isabella Thurston of Normal U. Musselman leads 2A with a toss of 40’ 4”, which she has replicated on several other attempts. Thurston is a more recent addition to the 40 foot club, when she threw 40’ 2” at sectionals. Musselman and Thurston were in the same sectional, and Thurston beat Musselman by about 4 feet there. If state goes the same way, then Thurston will walk away with a state title under her belt. Outside of these two, we will see the only upperclassmen appearance on the podium with Erin Murphy of Rochelle. She currently sits at 2A #3 with a mark of 38’ 11” and she has hit 38 feet two weeks in a row. She will be a fair distance away from Musselman and Thurston, but a third place medal is in her range for sure. 

Discus

Caysie Brady of Depaul Prep has not lost in the disc since last year at state, it hard to see this being her first loss. She has thrown an incredible 139’ 1” this season, which was a huge PR compared to what she was throwing last year. She has competition, but I think it’s likely she walks away with a win here. Saidie Shemek of Sherrard, for whatever reason, was unable to compete at the sectional meet, which means 2A #2 is off the board. This is huge for a team like Normal U, who will take that second spot happily with Isabella Thurston. Thurston has thrown a strong 137’ 10” and she has been very consistent at hitting 130. She will be a strong contender, but Brady should be able to put her away. Thurston’s teammate, MacKenzie Matejka, will also look to take a spot on the podium. She throws a very strong 133’ 2”, which sits at 2A #4. She actually beat Thurston at their sectional meet, so she could maybe step into the second position if Thurston is having an off day.