2026 IHSA Track and Field Girls State: 2A Preview

We have finally made it to the end of the season, and the girls state meet is just around the corner. With 1A prelims tomorrow, we have gone event by event and broken down all of the action that you will see this weekend!

100

Danville currently holds both the boys and the girls top 2A 100m runners. Focusing on the girls side, Jamia Esther is the favorite to win. Now, the tiniest mistake can be made in such a short race, but Esther is currently almost .4 seconds ahead of everyone. She has a little room for error, but not much. Jordan Hamb of Chicago South Shore is the next contender up. She’s been having an amazing season in hurdles, jumps and sprints. She’s gone under 12 once, with her 11.88 with 6.4 m/s tailwind, but with the great day, she could do it again. Sophia Schardan of Triad is returning this year. Claiming a silver medal last year, Schardan is going to want to take the title home herself, so you can expect her to put up a great fight. Rege Cooper Smith of North Chicago is the returning State Champion in the 2A 100m. Although, it seems this year her skills have taken a 200m focus, rather than a 100m. You can still expect her to want to go back to back however, so we are going to have to see what she can pull off. Symone Holman of JCA and Ta’Leiah McElroy of Freeport are also returning All-State runners who could shake up that podium order very quickly if one of them has a great day. Now, Addie Field of Triad ran a great sectional race, narrowly missing that sub-12 feat. If she puts it together at State, she could be very high up on that podium, possibly beating out her teammate, Schardan.

200

Not only is she the favorite in the 100m, but the 200m as well. Jamia Esther is looking for a double state title this weekend, and she is set up pretty well to do it. Being the only athlete in this field to go under 24 seconds this season, she can cruise to a gold medal finish if all goes well. However, Madalyn Marx of Mahomet Seymour is going to be hot on her tail. Although primarily a 400m runner, Max has a killer 200m and could easily take up Esther for the win. It’s going to come down to who really wants it the most and who is feeling the best on that day. Symone Holman and Ta’Leiah McElroy are also top contenders in the 200m. These girls got 3rd and 5th last year respectively, and they could compete for an even higher up spot if things work out for them. Paige Zaltic of Waterloo has been having a great season as well. She did not all-state last year, but definitely has the potential to this year, possibly even a top 5 finish. Now, although she has not had the best time outdoors, Rege Cooper Smith is also returning to fight for a back to back State Title. Winning the IL Top Times 200m, we know she is able to run the times she needs to when it really matters. Addie Field is also Triad’s top 200m runner, and she could mix up those podium spots as well. In all fairness, it’ll probably come down to a Marx VS. Esther showdown for the title, but after that, it’s anyone’s game on who is going to claim the remaining 7 podium spots.

400

The 2A 400 has a very clear favorite coming into the state meet. Defending state champion, Madlyn Marx of Mahomet Seymour is expected to take her second state title in this event, she is seeded well ahead of the competition. Recently, she set a blistering mark of 54.27 at the Apollo Conference meet, which puts her in range of the all-time 2A state record set at 54.19. If she has a great race at Charleston, it is likely that she takes the record along with her second state title. Behind Marx is her conference rival, Mickaylee Patton of Charleston, who has the next best 400 mark in 2A of 57.14. Patton was fifth last year in the 400, she will look to improve upon that finish this year. Paige Zlatic of Waterloo has improved a ton this outdoor season, and her 400 PR of 57.40 would put her in range of second place as well. Addie Field of Triad ran a solid PR at her sectional meet for a 58.00, she could see herself on the podium on a good day. Antonette Bartletti of Sacred Heart Griffin has run under 58 seconds this season, she should be competing for a medal as well. There are two returning all-staters that will be looking to defend their all-state status, they are Jadyn Gerardi of Anna Jonesboro and Hope Klosowicz of Johnsburg. 

800

It felt like yesterday that we watched Patrick Hilby dominate the 2024 Boys 2A 800m Finals, just barely beating Garrett Slack’s previous 2A record. Now, coming into this year’s 800m, another Hilby rises to the top of the ranks. Cece Hilby of Aurora Central Catholic is returning for her senior year state series. Last year, she scored a 6th place medal in the 800m. Although it seems she will attempt an 800/1600 double, she is still on the hunt for the title in the 800. However, it’s not going to be a blowout like her brother’s senior 800m was, there are some serious contenders who could get in her way. Klarke Goranson of Manteno is the favorite going into this race, as she was last year’s runner up. Getting 2nd last year and winning the IL Top Times meet against Hilby, these ladies are going to have the rematch of the century to determine who is the true 2A mid-distance queen. Some other names to keep a look out for are Margaret Andrzejewski and Erin Hinsdale of Wheaton St. Francis. These two took 3rd and 4th respectively in last year’s 800 and these two teammates are going to battle it out together on the blue track. They switch places at the IL Top Times meet, but Andrzejewski looks to be the favorite of the two going into the race, as she is within a second of Goranson. Francesca Mora of Chicago Latin is the final All-State returner, and she is in a great spot to claim another medal. However, some names that rose up this season include the killer sophomore Anneke Dam of Prairie Ridge. She has the ability to take away the gold medal based on her dominant performance at DNIP this year. Sophia Watson of Eureka and Sydnie Becker of Wheaton Academy are also some names that I would not be surprised to see on that podium on state finals Saturday. Honestly, this is going to be one of the closest races of the day, every second will matter.

1600

Before even looking at the entries, I’m sure everyone already knows who’s the favorite going into this event. Sunny Weber of Sandwich has been one of the most dominant female distance runners in Illinois history. Although she got bumped down to 1A in XC, she is coming back for a back-to-back 2A 1600m state title and a new 2A state record, as she holds it currently. Who knows, maybe she will even take an all-time IL record, beating Ali Ince’s 4:40.85. She’s not the only athlete in the field though. Sydney Gertsen of Lombard Montini is an exceptional athlete, she’s dropped into the 4:40s this season already. Both her and Weber will be doing a 1600m/3200m combo, so this title will be decided upon who is the strongest runner mentally, as 3 full miles will have been raced before this one, which is more distance than any other runner of the day. Cece Hilby and Klarke Goranson will be battling again here too. The neat thing about this dual is that Hilby actually beat Goranson in the 1600m at IL Top Times. So, maybe this leads to hint at Hilby being able to race more consistently multiple times in a day. Maybe Hilby is going to drop some crazy times, as this will be her last official high school race ever. Either way, these two athletes are extremely talented and after they’ve already matched up in the 800m, this will be interesting to see who closes out the season on top for them. Abigail Baumann of Rockford Lutheran and Francesa Mora are also some serious contenders for those state medals, as they are also a part of the accomplished sub 5 club. All of these ladies will be tired at this point of the day, but you can still expect to see some crazy times and crazy fights for those titles and podium spots. Weber may be the favorite, but races are never run on paper.

3200

Like the 1600m, this race has most likely already been decided before it has even started. Sunny Weber is returning after winning the 3200m state title last year. Going into this race, her season best is 10:00.10, which will be more than enough to get her a win here. This Duke commit is looking for another back-to-back championship, and maybe even two new records in the process. Sydney Gertsen is also looking to be a top competitor in the 1600m/3200m double. Although she sits 20 seconds behind Weber, Gertsen has proved that she can still hold her own in her amazing finish at DNIP with a 10:19. It’s going to take a really good day for her to catch Weber, but that silver medal is looking as good as hers currently. However, Abagail Baumann is also looking to be a great competitor in this race. Getting 6th in 1A last year, Baumann has some serious skills that she can put up against Gertsen. All-state returner Taara Sajdeh from Chicago University is also going to be fighting for a higher spot on that podium here. She has had a stunning season so far and it’ll be great to close it out with another medal. Ashlyn Lindt of Lombard Montini is going to attempt to join her teammate, Gertsen, up on that podium. Brooklyn Smith of Geneseo has also been having a great season, and you can expect her to be competing for that podium spot as well.

100mH

This year, the 100mH has truly been a domination for one athlete in particular. That athlete is Jordan Hamb of Chicago South Shore. Hamb is arguably the #1 hurdler in the state and is the favorite to win this event. Not only is she the defending State Champion in this event, but she is also the NBIN national champion in the 60m hurdles. She is the favorite in 3 out of the 4 events that she is participating in at this state meet, but this event is going to be the one you are all going to want to watch. She could, without a doubt, break the all-class state record set by Dawn Harper in 2001 of 13.54 the year it turned 25 years old. Besides Hamb, there are some other sub 15 second runners in this field. Kendall Smith of Mt. Zion, Aubreyana Thompson of Rantoul, and 2A 2025 6th place Kayleigh Shabazz of Richton Park have all run incredible marks this season. All three of these athletes could take anywhere from 2nd-4th place on that podium. Some other podium contenders include AnnMarie Trentman of Freeburg, Mariah Woods from Metamora, and 2A’s 2025 7th place Baylie Nena from Metamora. Although this is a quick race, there are going to be groups that form, battling it out to determine who is going to stand taller on the podium come Saturday. 

300mH

Kendall Smith of Mt. Zion was already looking pretty set for the 100mh, but now she is the favorite to take home the 300mh title. On a great day, this 2025 5th place finisher can become a 2x state champion in the span of 12 hours. Baylie Nena of Metamora is another returning all-stater from the 2025 season, grabbing a 6th place medal last year. She could be a potential placer this year if she is able to run 3 very hard races before her last race of the day on Saturday. Some other powerhouse contenders include Aubreyana Thompson of Rantoul, Ava Gallia of Triad, and Micheala Gibson of Tinley Park. These athletes have been performing very well this season and if they put it all together, they could take up most of the podium. Kayleigh Shabazz of Rich Township and AnnMarie Trentman of Freeburg were mentioned earlier and are able to keep up with the best in the state when the distance is tripled. It will be interesting to see how this event turns out, as 100mh is way different than the 300mh. So, although Kendall Smith is the clear favorite, the 300mh is the riskiest race, because 1 missed hurdle can cost the crown in the blink of an eye.

4x1

Now, if you’ve read the 100m and 200m previews, you might be able to tell who this event is going to be a true showdown of. The returning state champs are pitted against 3A’s 8th place finisher, it’ll be Triad versus Danville. Both teams have absolutely crazy sprinters in their lineups, and it’s going to come down to who has the smoothest handoffs. Running only .06 seconds apart from each other, it’s impossible to pick a clear favorite. Not to mention, Danville is currently tied with Dunlap’s 2A State Record of 47.25, and Triad has already beaten it. So, this race will very likely result in a new 2A state record holder. St Laurence has also been killing it this season, and they could snag a podium spot as well. They did not All-State last year, but are looking to grab at least a bronze this year. However, you never know who’s going to take home the chip until one crosses the finish line. Other contending squads include 2025’s 4th place Freeport and 5th place North Chicago. Both of these teams return all four girls, so we are definitely going to see some improvement as compared to last year. If all of these teams can have a good enough Prelim mark, we can see one of the fastest 4x100m races on Saturday in all of 2A history.

4x2

The 4x200m relay is going to look pretty similar to the 4x100m relay, that is, with Danville being a favorite to win in this event. However, St. Laurence is better at the 200m races, so they are a favorite to take home this race as well. Both of these teams of 4 have had great seasons, and although it might not result in a record breaker like the 4x100m relay, it’ll definitely be a nail biter to see who takes home the title. Of course, Triad is also going to be a huge contender, as they return several runners from their 8th place finish last year. Speaking of returning runners, the previous state champions from North Chicago are returning all four of their runners. The times have gotten crazy fast this year, but North Chicago could reel this one in for a back to back state title. Freeport and East St. Louis are also running it back with the same four athletes. These teams both received all-state medals last year, and you can assume that they are coming back for even better this year. These sprint relays have always come down to who is truly feeling the best on the day. Although there are favorites, it’s only by a half of a second. That split across four members makes any of these teams mentioned a true contender for that title.

4x4 

The 4x4 is the last and usually the most exciting event because it decides the team title and is usually the last chance for athletes to gain a state medal. This race will be just as exciting as usual. The heavy favorites are Mahomet Seymour, who are the only 2A team to go under 4 minutes this season. They have two returners from last year's state race, one of them being their returning state champion, Madlyn Marx. Another strong contender is the Mt. Zion relay with them having Kendall Smith, Gabby Wisher, and Avery Sommer all returning from last year's 8th place relay. They definitely have the experience and should not be counted out. A team that missed state last year but has the #4 time this season is Carbondale. They have run some wonderful times this season and are definitely a strong contender for the win. The defending state champs are also here with all four runners returning and they're Eureka. They have had a pretty consistent season and will definitely have a strong chance to defend their title. Another team who has had a strong season is Mascoutah who have the #6 time this season in 2A so they will be a team to look out for. Lastly Galesburg was 5th last year with all four runners returning for this season. They will hopefully contend for a top place this weekend. The girls 4x4 relay could be a huge deciding factor in the team race and will definitely be a very entertaining race to watch.

4x8

The heavy favorite coming into this event is Wheaton St. Francis, who returns all four runners from their 2A state record holding team from 2024. The quartet of Margaret Andrzejewski, Elena Mamminga, Erin Hinsdale, and Alicen Sheldon return as back-to-back 2A state champions in this event, and their 2024 time of 9:12.80 set the 2A state record. So far, they’ve run 9:36 this season, which sits at IL #24 overall, but #1 for 2A. They will absolutely be challenged by 2A #2 Eureka, who have run just behind them in 9:37. They return 3 runners from their 2025 4th place team: Sophia Watson, Adeline Hubert, and Brenna Metzger. They will be looking to finish on the podium, and potentially go for a state title. Highland is another team that will be in the mix. They’ve run 9:41 this season, led by sub 2:20 performer Rachael Reckmann. Waterloo is a team that’s looking to improve on their 11th place finish from last year, they will be returning all four runners from that relay. They’ve run 9:43 this season, which is already a big improvement from last year. They could absolutely finish in the top 5 this weekend. Finally, Rochester returns as the defending second place team. Even though they’ve only run 9:44 this season, they always have a massive breakout performance at the state meet. They return three runners from their 9:19 relay in Ashley Zeibert, Natalie Nichols, and Calista Gardner. Don’t be surprised to see them run something big and place in the top 3. 

Shot Put

This competition has three girls that have thrown over 40 feet this season. Emma Skeate of Marion has been winning ever since she entered high school. She is the defending state champion from last year and won the Illinois Top Times meet this indoor season. She will enter this one as the favorite to win as her PR of 42’ 8” is 2 feet better than everyone else’s PR in the field. Isabella Brown of Geneseo is entering this state meet as a returning all-stater after her 7th place finish from last year. She has not lost this outdoor season, but her performances have varied. If she can be on her A-game here, then she can potentially be 2nd in this one. Abi Moser of Clinton has also gone over 40 feet this year. She was 5th in 2025 at the State Meet and will be looking to battle for 2nd place this year. Maeve Bonakdar of Fenwick has shown glimpses of being one of the best throwers in the state with multiple marks over 39 feet. She can potentially take 2nd in this event. Don't count out returning all-staters Keagyn Koenig of Effingham who took 2nd in 2025 and Sadie Sallee of Paris who took 6th in 2025. Each can make a huge impact in this event. 

Discus

The girls discus will be pretty competitive with multiple girls having similar marks so it will be a fun event to look out for. One of the favorites is Elsie Williamson of Taylorville who placed 4th last year and has had a consistent season where she has shown some important growth. The other favorite for the title is Krista Cobb of Sycamore who placed 5th last year and has had a similar season to Williamson but still is looking very strong for the win. Another athlete from last year's state is Vivian Smith of St. Joseph(S.J.-Ogden). She placed 12th last spring, but with how things are going this season it looks like she has a strong shot for the top three. These girls are not the only athletes that have a shot, as Sophia Most of Manteno is a strong contender to go in the top five. With her 7th place finish last year showing, she has the experience to place high up on the podium. Lastly, Dakota Thorman of Macomb has had a very strong season. With lots of wins and a few 2nds, hopefully she carries that momentum into this weekend at the state meet. This discus final will be very close and will hopefully give some athletes their first state medals.

High Jump

The girls 2A high jump has many notable names but only a few medaled last year, so this will be a very close and competitive event this weekend. The highest seed is Olivia McElroy of Manteno. She is only a freshman, but has already gone undefeated in both indoor and outdoor. She has won the Illinois Top Times high jump and many other large meets, so she will be one to look out for. One athlete right behind her is Morgan Allen of Jerseyville Jersey, who has had a huge breakout season. After claiming 9th last year, she is definitely a strong contender for the win. Another athlete who will definitely be looking for that title after her 2nd place performance last year is Mariyah Elam of Mendota. She is a very strong contender for the win this weekend and she has one of the biggest PRs in the field of 5’ 8”. Two more notable names are Camdyn Burgholzer of Effingham and Keagan Noel of Paris who have both put up some great marks this season. Both will definitely be some athletes to look out for as they shoot for their first state medals in the high jump. The girls high jump is looking like a super interesting and fun event to watch and definitely should be one to look out for this weekend.

Pole Vault

The 2A girls pole vault looks to be locked up by previous state-qualifying athlete, Samantha Brown of Danville. Her most notable recent win came at the Mattoon sectional with her PR of 12’ 9”, good for IL#1 and US#44. She’s had one of the fastest sophomore to junior progressions we’ve seen as she's PRd by over a foot since last outdoor season. As the seasons progressed, she consistently hit over 12 feet which would’ve placed her in the top 4 at 3A states last year (Danville moved down a division). She now has the chance to break 13 and do something special at the state meet. Molly Russelburg of Central Catholic could be a sneaky competitor for the title because of what she can do on any given day. In this year's indoor season she tied Brown’s lifetime PR of 12 ‘9 and was actually IL#1 during the indoor season. She also traveled to the Nike Armory (NY) to compete at NIN, where she finished an All-American in a 5th place finish. Last year, she placed 5th at state and has the chance to better that finish this year. Reagan Bishop of Eureka may not look like a challenger for the podium based on her entry, but don’t let that fool you. She has the highest PR of anyone in the field with a PR of 12’ 10.75” which was done at NBNI in Boston to place 7th in the country! Glenbard South produces some of the best pole vaulters in the state and Mila Goetting is a prime example of that. She is IL#8 with her PR of 12 ‘0. As a freshman, she's already won her sectional and has only gotten better since the beginning of the season. Karigan Littlejohn of Waterloo is another top-10 athlete looking to make a comeback from her state finish last year. Littlejohn recently PRd on May 1st with her near 12 foot (11’ 10.75”) mark. Sydney Fabrizius of Sycamore is another top competitor with her 2A#5 mark of 11’ 8.5” that she achieved at her sectional, 2nd place to Russelburg. Another athlete to watch out for this weekend is previous 6th place finisher, Violet Weinman of Metamora, who will be looking to get back on the podium this year.

Long Jump

For the first time in many years, we might actually have a predictable 2A long jump. Jordan Hamb of South Shore has been the favorite in this event for the last few years, but this year looks to be her year. She is one of the few jumpers on this list who can consistently jump in the high 18 feet, which means she has a pretty good shot at winning the state title. She has a huge PR of 19’ 4” from her junior year, which shows that her big jump capabilities are absolutely there. With big jump capabilities and consistency, there’s not much else you can look for in a candidate for the win. The top mark of the outdoor season goes to Gabrielle Jones of St. Laurence. Jones was fourth at IIC this indoor season, and she’s had a pretty strong freshmen campaign in the sprints. If she is able to break into the 18s here, she should be in for an all-state medal. Jillian Schittler of Tolono Unity was a state champion two years ago, she will look to return to the top of the podium this year. Her season best of 18’ 3” is the fifth best mark in 2A this year and it would cement her in the all-state section if she was able to hit it on the day. Alannah Lowery of Springfield Southeast is one of the more consistent jumpers in the field, as she’s hit 18 feet several times this season. She will also be competing for a top spot in the triple jump, where she is highly ranked as well. Peyton Ziedler of Rochester has been steadily improving throughout the year, and her mark of 18’ 1” is a huge threat to the podium. She is extremely consistent in the high 17s, which means that she will likely finish with a medal around her neck. There are two other returning all-staters in this event, they are Grace Trentman of Freeburg and Symone Holman of Joliet Catholic Academy. Holman is definitely a wildcard entering this event, as her PR of 19’ 6” would smoke this field and likely earn her a state title. She has only hit that mark once, and every other time she’s been below 18’ 6”, so we will see if she brings the big guns to the state meet. 

Triple Jump

Once again, it’s looking pretty good for Jordan Hamb of South Shore. Hamb has been very consistent in the triple jump this season, and her mark of 40’ 7” from the indoor season. She broke into the 40s on three separate occasions this winter, and has been pretty close to her best of 41’ 5” from her sophomore year. She was the state champion as a sophomore, and it looks like she’s on her way to another state title. Alannah Lowery of Springfield Southeast has seen great improvement this season, as she’s hit a big PR of 39’ 0”. She was fourth in this event last year, and there’s a pretty strong chance she improves that this year. Alaiyah Penn of Carbondale was the runner up last year in this event, and she has the #3 mark in 2A this season. She is one of the more consistent jumpers in this field, so expect her to wind up on the podium again. Peyton Zeidler of Rochester has made vast improvements in her triple jump, and she’s also been very consistent in the high 37s. She was just off the all-state list last spring, she will look to rectify that this time around. Kendall Smith of Mt. Zion hit a huge 38’ 11” during the indoor season, and she’s been fairly consistent above 38 feet. Her outdoor best is only 37’ 10”, but I would bet she finds a way to put herself pretty high on the podium this weekend.