2024 IHSA girls track and field finals recap: Multiple state records set on final day of season

The champions have been crowned in Illinois girls track and field.

Athletes from across the state competed Saturday in the 2024 Illinois High School Association girls track and field state finals at O'Brien Field at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Here are the highlights from the blue track — including all the champs, plus full details on multiple state records:

Records, gold medals and Olympic dreams: How Peoria-area athletes fared at the IHSA girls state track meet

2024 IHSA team state champions crowned

Glen Carbon Father McGivney (Class 1A), Normal U-High (Class 2A) and Mount Prospect Prospect (Class 3A) are the team state champions after 18 events in Charleston.

Other trophy winners are Tuscola and El Paso-Gridley in 1A; Chicago South Shore and Tinley Park in 2A; and Huntley and Chicago Whitney Young in 3A.

2024 IHSA girls track and field individual state champions

Here is a list of the athletes to win state championships. Class records noted.

Discus

• 1A: Addison Stadsholt, Athens (39.86 meters; 130 feet, 9 inches)
• 2A: Olivia Marshall, Geneseo (42.51 meters; 139 feet, 5 inches)
• 3A: Joi Story, Edwardsville (42.4 meters; 139 feet, 1 inch)
• Wheelchair: Zoe Eisenberg, Galena (10.86 meters; 35 feet, 7 inches)

High jump

• 1A: Kiara Wessah, Newark (1.67 meters; 5 feet, 5.75 inches)
• 2A: Mariyah Elam, Mendota (1.64 meters; 5 feet, 4.5 inches)
• 3A: Zariah Burnett, Rockford Guilford (1.72 meters; 5 feet, 7.75 inches)

Long jump

• 1A: Saylor Barry, Mendon Unity (5.46 meters; 17 feet, 11 inches)
• 2A: Jillian Schlitter, Tolono Unity (5.45 meters; 17 feet, 10.75 inches)
• 3A: Brooke Sawatzky, Naperville Central (5.69 meters; 18 feet, 8 inches)

Pole vault

• 1A: Mya Strahm, Elmwood/Brimfield (4.3 meters; 14 feet, 1.25 inches)
• 2A: Brooklyn Kondritz, Mount Zion (3.6 meters; 11 feet, 9.75 inches)
• 3A: Reese Wolfe, Chatham Glenwood (3.8 meters; 12 feet, 5.5 inches)

Shot put

• 1A: Makayla Galjewski, Nashville (12.11 meters; 39 feet, 8.75 inches)
• 2A: Olivia Marshall, Geneseo (13.21 meters; 43 feet, 4.25 inches)
• 3A: Jaloni Wiley, Homewood-Flossmoor (13.15 meters; 43 feet, 1.75 inches)
• Wheelchair: Madison Hauder, Gurnee Warren (4.64 meters; 15 feet, 2.75 inches)

Triple jump

• 1A: Laney Nelson, Downs Tri-Valley (11.42 meters; 37 feet, 5.75 inches)
• 2A: Jordan Hamb, Chicago South Shore (11.36 meters; 37 feet, 3.25 inches)
• 3A: Dominique Johnson, Huntley (12.25 meters; 40 feet, 2.25 inches)

100-meter dash

• 1A: Emma Randecker, Savanna West Carroll (12.11)
• 2A: Kayda Austin, Cahokia (11.69)
• 3A: Katelyn Lehnen, Chatham Glenwood (11.69)
• Wheelchair: Andrea Ritchey, Belleville West (24.22)

200-meter dash

• 1A: Alaina Lester, Belleville Althoff (24.49) Class 1A state record
• 2A : Kayda Austin, Cahokia (23.72) Class 2A state record
• 3A: Zawadi Brown, Naperville Neuqua Valley (23.71)

400-meter dash

• 1A: Ahry Comer, Golconda Pope County (55.19)
• 2A: Madalyn Marx, Mahomet-Seymour (56.11)
• 3A: Katelyn Lehnen, Chatham Glenwood (54.81)
• Wheelchair: Andrea Ritchey, Belleville West (1:42.74)

800-meter run

• 1A: Elena Ryback, Glen Carbon Father McGivney (2:10.06)
• 2A: Becca Heitzig, Lincoln (2:09.55)
• 3A: Ali Ince, Normal Community (2:05.33) Class 3A state record

1600-meter run

• 1A: Elena Ryback, Glen Carbon Father McGivney (4:54.07)
• 2A: Becca Heitzig, Lincoln (4:58.82)
• 3A: Ali Ince, Normal Community (4:44.86)

3200-meter run

• 1A: Isabella Keller, Effingham St. Anthony (10:34.07)
• 2A: Sundara Weber, Sandwich (10:30.16)
• 3A: Mia Sirois, Barrington (10:19.29)

100-meter hurdles

• 1A: Lia Patterson, Tuscola (14.51)
• 2A: Jordan Hamb, Chicago South Shore (14.27)
• 3A: Daisha Brunson, Hoffman Estates Conant (13.81)

300-meter hurdles

• 1A: Lia Patterson, Tuscola (43.10)
• 2A: Gabby Graham, Tinley Park (43.56)
• 3A: Aisha Kazeem, Palatine (42.91)

4x100 relay

• 1A: Virden North Mac (Kaelyn Swift, Emma Crawford, Alexis Bowman, Addison Earley) 48.50 (Class 1A state record)
• 2A: East St. Louis (Bailiy Graham, Sydney Jones, Armoni Glenn, Deairra Spears) 47.76
• 3A: Huntley (Sophie Amin, Emily Byers, K'Leigh Saenz, Victoria Evtimov) 46.60

4x200 relay

• 1A: Monmouth United (Emrick Huston, Rosie Flynn, Katie Flynn, Reece Bertelsen) 1:41.78, Class 1A state record
• 2A: East St. Louis (Bailiy Graham, Sydney Jones, Armoni Glenn, Deairra Spears) 1:40.23
• 3A: Huntley (Dominique Johnson, Emily Byers, K'Leigh Saenz, Victoria Evtimov) 1:38.14

4x400 relay

• 1A: Glen Carbon Father McGivney (Lilly Gilbertson, Kaitlyn Hatley, Jane Cummins, Elena Rybak) 3:56.97
• 2A: East St. Louis (Zhakeya Hawkins, Je'Tira Taylor, Ka'Milla Tugle, Armoni Glenn) 3:52.97
• 3A: Frankfort Lincoln-Way East (Kyra Hayden, Jumi Aremu, Nora Keane, Alaina Steele) 3:50.73

4x800 relay

• 1A: Glen Carbon Father McGivney (Kaitlyn Hatley, Lilly Gilbertson, Jane Cummins, Elena Rybak) 9.30.01
• 2A: Wheaton St. Francis (Allie Sheldon, Elena Mamminga, Margaret Andrzejewski Erin Hinsdale) 9:12.80 (Class 2A state record)
• 3A: Mt. Prospect Prospect (Mary Laba, Veronica Znajda, Lily Ginsberg, Meg Peterson) 9:00.83

IHSA record: Records fall in multiple 200-meter finals

Three runners ran a time faster than the previous Class 1A record in the finals of the 200-meter dash, while the Class 2A champ also set a state mark.

A total of seven state records were set in all events Saturday.

Alaina Lester of Belleville Althoff won the event and set the mark with a time of 24.49 seconds. Runner-up Emma Randecker of Savanna West Carroll (24.51) and Lia Patterson of Tuscola (24.88) each went lower than the previous mark of 24.90.

In Class 2A, Kayda Austin set the 200 mark with a run of 23.72 and again edged Limestone sprinter Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan (24.47) for a sprint title. Austin also edged her in the 100 dash.

IHSA records: Monmouth United sets mark in Class 1A 4x200 relay

Monmouth United won the Class 1A 4x200-meter relay in a class-record 1:41.78. This is the fifth class record set so far today.

Emrick Huston , Rosie Flynn , Katie Flynn and Reece Bertelsen of United beat out El Paso-Gridley, which took second in 1:42.90.

IHSA records: Oregon recruit Ali Ince sets mark in 800 run

Oregon-bound runner Ali Ince of Normal Community set the state record in winning her fourth career title in the Class 3A 800-meter run. Ince won her ninth overall career IHSA track title in a time of 2:05.33, eclipsing the previous mark of 2:07.05 set in 2013 by Courtney Clayton of Rockton Hononegah.

Also in the 800, Becca Heitzig won her third career state title by taking the Class 2A race in 2:09.55.

Both Ince and Heitzig pulled off double golds later in the day, each winning the 2A and 3A 1600-meter runs.

Limestone sprinter strikes silver in sprint

Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan of Limestone finished second in the Class 2A 100-meter dash finals. Howard-Dunigan ran 11.92 seconds, losing out to champion Kayda Austin of Cahokia (11.69)

Howard-Dunigan is the No. 2 seed in the 200 finals, set for later Saturday. Click here to read more about the Rockets sprinter's journey to the top of the state sprinting ranks, in this story from Dave Eminian .

Double gold: Geneseo thrower wins pair of IHSA titles

Geneseo senior Olivia Marshall won both the Class 2A shot put and discus state championships on Saturday. She won the shot put with a throw of 43 feet, 4.25 inches; she won the discus with a toss of 139-5.

The victories come one season after she finished in the top three in both events at the IHSA state finals.

Elmwood/Brimfield pole vaulter sets IHSA record

Elmwood/Brimfield junior Mya Strahm defended her Class 1A pole vault state championship, topping the field with a state record vault of 14 feet, 1.25 inches — also topping her own all-time Peoria-area mark.

Details: Elmwood/Brimfield pole vaulter sets IHSA record on way to state championship

IHSA records: North Mac sets Class 1A 4x100 relay mark

Viden North Mac set the Class 1A state mark while winning the 4x100-meter relay.

Kaelyn Swift, Emma Crawford, Alexis Bowman and Addison Earley teamed to finish in 48.50 seconds, nipping the previous mark by .01 seconds.

IHSA records: St. Francis sets Class 2A 4x800 relay mark

Wheaton St. Francis edged Morton to win the Class 2A 4x800 relay, both teams going under the previous state mark in the class.

St. Francis won the title in 9 minutes, 12.80 seconds — just ahead of Morton's 9:13.17. The previous 2A mark was 9:17.32.

The championship runners were Allie Sheldon, Elena Mamminga, Margaret Andrzejewski and Erin Hinsdale . The Morton team of Eve Armstrong, Avery Braker, Sophie Krueger and Taygen Beyer earned silver.

How did Peoria-area athletes do in the preliminary round?

Seven athletes from the Peoria area finished with the top performances during the preliminary competition Thursday and Friday in Charleston. Here is a look at the prelim highlights from each class:

• CLASS 1A: Only three athletes from the Peoria area finished with the top performance in prelims on Thursday: Pole vault favorite Mya Strahm of Elmwood/Brimfield and high jumpers Aubrey Phillips of El Paso-Gridley and Bri Harms of Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson. ... Princeville's Brianna Brodie is second after prelims of the discus throw. Daniella Bumber of Henry/Midland advanced to the finals in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes. Kennady Anderson of Annawan/Wethersfield will compete in the finals of the 800- and 1600-meter runs, and compete in the finals of the 4x800 relay. ... El Paso-Gridley landed in the finals of the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays (all of which include Phillips), while sprinter EP-G's Jaida Reed made the finals of the 100. St. Bede hurdler Lily Bosnich advanced is the No. 3 seed in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles finals.
• CLASS 2A: Two athletes from the Peoria area finished with top preliminary performances: Limestone sprinter Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan in the 100 (also No. 2 in the 200) and high jumper Aubrey Holthaus of Macomb. ... Other Class 2A entries near the top heading into Saturday are: Morton senior Taygen Beyer is fourth seed in the 1600, teammate Avery Braker is No. 5 in the 800, and the Potters' 4x800 relay is No. 3 seed. ... Galesburg's Syriah Boyd made the finals of the 200, while the Streaks' 4x400 relay also made Saturday along with Eureka's same relay. ... Eureka's Reagan Bishop and Limestone's Grace Pauli are among the pole vault finalists, as well.
• CLASS 3A: Dunlap high jumpers Samantha Yeh and Teagan Sullivan of Dunlap tied for the top performance along with multiple others heading into Saturday. Teammate Chelsea Wetzel also advanced in the pole vault. ... In track events, Washington's Sophia Ramirez is the fifth seed in the 1600-meter run, while Ramirez and the Panthers' other 4x800 runners are the No. 8 seed in that event. ... Richwoods sprinter Brianna Johnson also made the finals of the 400.

Other IHSA track and field stories

• Top times: Here's an honor roll of the top athlete performances around Peoria
• The records: The all-time best track and field performances by Peoria-area athletes
• Who's at state? A list of every Peoria-area girls athlete who qualified for the state finals
• Predictions: See who we thought could win a state title. Did we get any right?
• Boys sectionals : Here's a list of Peoria-area athletes to compete next weekend at the boys finals

IHSA girls track and field state finals time schedule

All events at O'Brien Stadium , Charleston. Wheelchair finals are first in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 races, followed by Class 1A, 2A and 3A. Class 1A competes first in other events, followed by 2A and 3A.

• 9:30 a.m. — Parade of competitors
• 9:30-10 a.m. — Opening ceremonies
• 10 a.m. — Long jump, triple jump, shot put, pole vault, high jump
• 10 a.m. — 3200-meter run (first heat)
• 11 a.m. — 4x800-meter relay
• 11:40 a.m. — 4x100-meter relay
• 12:10 p.m. — 3200-meter run (second heat)
• 12:30 p.m. — Discus
• 1:10 p.m. — 110-meter intermediate hurdles
• 1:35 p.m. — 100-meter dash
• 1:55 p.m. — 800-meter run
• 2:25 p.m. — 4x200-meter relay
• 2:55 p.m. — 400-meter dash
• 3:15 p.m. — 300-meter low hurdles
• 3:35 p.m. — 1600-meter run
• 4:05 p.m. — 200-meter dash
• 4:20 p.m. — 4x400-meter relay
• 5 p.m. — team awards

Where is the IHSA state track meet?

The Class 1A, Class 2A and Class 3A state finals of Illinois high school track and field take place at O'Brien Field on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2024 IHSA girls track and field finals recap: Multiple state records set on final day of season