The IHSA girls state track and field meet kicks off with semifinal action on May 22-23, with dozens of powerhouse runners, jumpers and throwers from the Rockford area looking to make it through Thursday and Friday into Saturday’s finals.
That’s where the medals are doled out, and that’s where history is made.
Several from the area have a shot at some of that hardware, and even making history. Two of them are from Guilford.
“You get those kind of athletes every 10 to 15 years, and we’ve got two of them right now,” girls track and field coach Greg Ford said. “They are both so good at what they do, and they are so humble … They’re just a special kind of athlete.”
Zariah Burnett is healthy, fired up
Zariah Burnett is finally set to defend her Class 3A high jump state championship.
“This season has been pretty difficult; I haven’t been able to perform the way I want to,” the junior three-sport star said. “It’s been kind of a struggle. But I’m back now. I’m performing better, and I just feel like I’m back.”
Burnett won this title last year and also tied for 13th in the long jump. And she’s been getter better and better in the sprints.
But this year she’s been dealing with a knee injury that flared up during the indoor season and has hobbled her for much of the outdoor season. Her coach called her “90% back to full strength” as of now, and she said, “I’m almost there.”
She’s got to be at least close. She chalkd up a PR while winning the 100-meter dash in 12.10 seconds at the NIC-10 meet, and she soared 19 feet, 6 inches at sectionals in the long jump, her best ever in that event. She then secured her chance to defend her title in the high jump with a make of 5-6½ at sectionals, her second-best clearance this season, just behind the PR of 5-7¼ she set this spring.
“That really helped make me feel a little better about where I’m at. I’ve had a great stretch,” Burnett said. “I’ve been improving on everything, which is huge. I need it. I didn’t have the season to get better, so I have to get better fast.”
She did. She heads into state seeded No. 1 in the high jump, No. 2 in the long jump, and 29th in the 100.
“I’m not really going to worry too much about my 100 dash ― I’ll just do my best and see what that gets me,” Burnett said. “But, well, for the high jump and long jump, you just don’t know how many chances you’ll get. I want to win every time I’m out there.”
Two of those that she’ll have to battle in the high jump are from the NIC-10. She edged Hononegah’s Jordan Dimke and Auburn’s Jaeda Benford for the sectional title ― they both cleared 5-5 ― and Dimke took second at state last year while Benford tied for fifth.
Natassja Bowman is going after it
Bowman is a senior, and she’s on dual missions: To win a state title or two, and to help others find their way in the sport.
“I want to enjoy my senior season, and I want to win,” Bowman recently said. “And I want to help younger throwers right now, and try and find a way to help little kids who want to learn to throw. I would love to work on that.
“But first, I hope to finish strong.”
She took eighth and earned a medal in the discus last year but did not make the finals in shot put. This year, she’s poised to do better in both.
“I do think I’m ready,” Bowman said. “It’s just a mental battle at state, and I think I know how to handle it now.”
Bowman won the shot put with a throw of 42-5 at sectionals. And while she placed third in the discus, she hurled it 132-10, more than enough to get her to state. The standard was 115-6.
She hits this weekend No. 1 in shot put and No. 8 in the discus, and during the season she logged her second-farthest shot put toss and the third-longest distance in discus.
Now, it’s time to do it on the big blue stage at Eastern Illinois University.
“I’m just hoping to get some PRs at state, and do it for my coaches, and do it for those who have been with me this whole way,” Bowman said. “I’m prepared. I’m ready.”
Also, in 3A, Hononegah’s Kylie Simpson has the No. 12 seed in the 800 and No. 21 in the 1,600.
The top nine qualifiers in each running event and the top 12 in field events advance out of the semis and into Saturday’s finals.
Boylan leads another pack of strong contenders
Boylan is a team to watch at this year’s Class 2A meet and, led by senior milers Reese Kohnle and Lily Shields, the Titans are filled with individual medal contenders.
Kohnle is seeded fifth for the 1,600 while Shields is seeded sixth, and they join senior Natalie Tekampe and freshman Nora Wedwick in the 4×800 relay with the No. 1 seed.
Not only is Boylan stacked right now, the Titans also appear to be building for the future. Wedwick got second and advanced in the 400 as well, and is seeded 17th. And yet another freshman, Elle Sosnowski, qualified in the 800. Sophomore Caroline Barker qualified for state in both hurdle events, and junior Sara Dorsey advanced to state in the shot put and in the discus.
Rochelle’s Erin Murphy secured the No. 2 seed in the shot put; Freeport’s Ta’Leiah McElroy has the No. 3 seed in the 200; and Freeport teammate Johanna Rudolph has the No. 6 seed in the 800.
In 1A, West Carroll’s defending state champ Emma Randecker has the No. 1 seed in the 100 and 200, and the No. 3 seed in the 400. Oregon’s Lillian Hammer is seeded fourth in the 100 hurdles and fifth in the 300s, and Lutheran’s Abagail Baumann is seeded seventh in the 3,200 and eighth in the 1,600. Lena-Winslow freshman Brooklynn Kaiser has the No. 4 seed in the high jump.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: IHSA girls track and field state meet: Rockford-area top athletes