Here are the 55 slots in the top 25 girls track and field rankings taken over by area stars
As we hit the girls track and field postseason, it's easy to see that there is a ton of talent coming out of the Rockford area this year.
A quick glance at the well-respected rankings churned out by athletic.net shows that there are plenty of Rockford-area stars who have a shot at not only making state this year, but winning, or earning a medal, once there.
Rockford-area stars shine: Between Guilford and Hononegah, Rockford area home to some of Illinois' best high jumpers
"I can't wait to see what I've got," Guilford's Zariah Burnett recently said.
She currently has the No. 1 ranking in the Class 3A high jump, and she's just outside of the rankings in the long jump.
The NIC-10 and the Big Northern Conference girls track and field meets are Thursday, and sectionals kick in next week, with the girls state meet being held in Charleston from May 16-18.
So as we hit the backstretch, here are all of the girls who have cracked the top 25 rankings in their respective events as we hit the postseason. These are the 55 slots for Rockford-area athletes:
---CLASS 3A---
No. 4 in HJ and No. 7 in LJ: Zariah Burnett, Guilford
Burnett cleared 5-foot-9 during the indoor season, but until last week she was unable to get even close to that in the outdoor campaign. However, she cleared 5-7 with ease on Thursday night, and as she is still nursing a slight strain in her hamstring, she stopped right there. That has her ranked fourth in Class 3A, and in the entire state. She also popped an 18-4 1/2 in the long jump on Saturday, putting her at seventh on that list.
No. 5 in HJ: Jordan Dimke, Hononegah
Just a sophomore like Burnett, Dimke finished second at indoor state in the high jump just behind Burnett, after taking fifth, right behind Burnett, at outdoor state last year. She also happens to be seeded right behind Burnett right now as the postseason approaches, with her make at 5-6 on April 9.
No. 5 in 100: Essence Horton- Graves, Auburn
Horton-Graves fell one spot short of advancing to the 3A state finals in the 100 dash last year, but the senior is on a mission to improve this season, and it's showing. Her time of 12.10 from April 13 is the fifth-fastest 100-dash time in 3A, and the eighth fastest in the entire state.
No. 9 in discus and No. 16 in SP: Natassja Bowman, Guilford
Bowman missed the first half of the season, but she's been on a tear since her return. She threw the discus 125-4 on April 23 for the No. 9 spot, and she tossed the shot put 37-5 1/2 for No. 16 in the rankings on April 19.
No. 12 in 100 hurdles: Anna Jones, Guilford
Jones, who is also one of the top high jumpers around, has the No. 12 ranking in the 100 hurdles after the senior ran a 15.19 on April 9.
No. 13 in 800: Kylie Simpson, Hononegah
Simpson has been a middle-distance star within the NIC-10 and the Rockford area since she came in as a freshman, but now, as a sophomore, she's simply building on that. Her time of 2:16.98 on April 24 was the 13th fastest in the 800 in 3A this year.
No. 15 in 200: Iman Baumgartner, Belvidere
Baumgartner has busted into the rankings of late, and the senior had a 25.54 in the 200 dash back on April 13, which comes in as the 15th fastest time in that even in 3A this year.
No. 16 in 400: Lillian Jarrett, Guilford
Jarrett as three spots off of a state-final-qualifying mark last year, but the senior is climbing the ranks fast this year. Her 58.74 just last Thursday was the 16th fastest in 3A this season.
No. 17 in 3,200 relay: Guilford
The team of Simpson, Dimke, Allyson Niedfeldt and Lauren Frake ran a time of 9:45.23 just this past Saturday to move up to No. 17 in the 3A rankings for the distance relay.
---CLASS 2A---
No. 7 in 1,600, and No. 23 in 3,200: Reese Kohnle, Boylan
This junior Titan just ran a 5:09.04 on April 20, showing she's poised and ready for a strong postseason run with the seventh fastest mile in 2A. She also ran the 23rd fastest two-mile run with an 11:42.57 on April 10.
No. 10 in 800: Natalie Tekampe, Boylan
Tekampe ran a 2:21.81 for the 10th fastest 800 run in Class 2A last Wednesday, and she's been getting faster and faster as the season progresses.
No. 14 in SP: Elizabeth Wuebbels, Freeport
Wuebbels has stepped up her game in the shot put ring this year, and now has the 14th best put in 2A when she hurled the shot 36-1 back on April 20.
No. 14 in HJ: Neve Schilling, Byron
Schilling has climbed the ranks consistently this season, and her make at 5-1 3/4 back on April 10 is still the 14th best in 2A.
No. 16 in HJ: Lola Robertson, Durand/Pecatonica
Robertson, just a freshman, burst onto the high jump scene and into the rankings last week when she cleared 5-1. She will be a threat in the month to come, and in the years to come.
No. 22 in 100 hurdles: Malia Morton, Byron
On April 22, Morton cracked the top 25 in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.45.
No. 25 in 100, No. 16 in 800 relay, and No. 22 in 400 relay: Ta'Leiah McElroy, Freeport
McElroy ran a 12.63 in the Freeport invite on April 12, and that cracked the top 25, just barely. She also teamed up with her twin Taniah McElroy and Aaliyah Martin and A'nyla Routen for the 16th fastest time in the 800 relay (1:48.12) and for the 22nd fastest time in 2A in the 400 relay (50.82).
---CLASS 1A---
No. 1 in SP: Sydney Stanfield, Rockford Christian
Doing it at her own invite, Stanfield, a senior who is coming in to her own at just the right time, threw a 39-feet even on April 20 that is more than three feet further than anyone else in Class 1A has thrown all year. She also had a 37-11 indoors, but this was well beyond what she had ever thrown before.
No. 2 in 200, No. 8 in the 100, and No. 19 in 400: Emma Randecker, West Carroll
Now a junior, Randecker, who took sixth at state in the 200 dash last year and 11th in the 100, is seeded No. 2 in the 200 dash headed into the postseason with her 25.37, and is at No. 8 in the 100 dash with a time of 12.72, both from April 8. She's also got the 1A's 19th fastest time in the 400 run with a 1:01.52 from last week.
No. 7 in 1,600 relay; No. 16 in 100; No. 14 in 800 relay; and No. 19 in 400 relay: Imani Jones, Winnebago
Jones, a junior, has a 12.89 from a meet last week that puts her in the 16th position when it comes to 1A rankings in the 100 dash. She also joins forces with Justice Muhammad, Mya Walker Pollare and Audra Mecum in the 4x200 and 4x100 relays, and they have the 14th and the 19th best times right now, respectively. Jones is also part of the 4x400 relay team that has the seventh fastest time in the state in 1A.
No. 10 in discus: Anna Palmer, Winnebago
Palmer had a 119-4 3/4 back on April 9 during a quad meet, and that put her in 10th place in the state in 1A for discus.
No. 11 in HJ, Grace Tremble, Oregon
Tremble's make at 5-1 3/4 earlier this month still has her at 11th in the state headed into the conference meet.
No. 12 in 1,600, and No. 10 in 3,200: Abagail Baumann, Lutheran
With a 5:24.05 on April 19, this sophomore has the 12th fastest time in 1A for the 1,600 run, and the 10th best in the 3,200 run with a 11:44.68 from last week, just as we hit the postseason.
No. 14 in 1,600 relay, No. 18 in 3,200 relay, and No. 22 in 400: Adelynn Anderson, Lena-Winslow
Anderson, just a freshman, has a 1:01.99 that she ran on April 22 that has her ranked 22nd in 1A in the 400 run. She's also part of two relays that will be in the hunt for state medals as well.
No. 17 in 100, No. 14 in the 200, and No. 25 in the 400 relay: Gabriella Davis, Lutheran
This Crusaders' freshman has poured it on of late, and already seems at home against high school competition. She ran a 25.37, which is the second fastest 200 dash in 1A, back on April 8, and her 12.92 last week has her at No. 17 in the 1A rankings for the 100 dash. She's also instrumental in the 4x100 relay, which has the 25th fastest time in 1A with a 52.50 from this past Monday.
No. 21 in discus, and No. 15 in SP: Sydni Badertscher, Forreston
Badertscher is currently ranked 15th in the shot with a put of 36-3 from just last week, and she threw the discus 111-9 earlier this month, and that moved her up into 21st position headed into the postseason. She finished eighth in the state in shot and 19th in the state in discus last year as a junior.
No. 21 in LJ, Bree Schneiderman, Forreston
This freshman soared 16-10 in mid-April, and that has her at 21st in the state in 1A headed into the final backstretch of the season.
No. 22 in discus, Molly Amendt, Lena-Winslow
Amendt had a 35-4 in the shot just last week, and that moved her into the rankings at 1A in discus, and into the 22nd spot.
No. 22 in HJ, Letrese Buisker, Forreston
Buisker finished fifth in the state in high jump last year, and she's moving up this season, now at No. 22 after a clearance of 5-foot earlier this month.
No. 23 in PV, Sonya Plescia, Oregon
This junior has a make at 9-foot even back on April 19, and that has her tied for 23rd in the state at the 1A level.
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @JayTaft. 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: Find out who holds the eye-popping 55 spots in the girls' top 25 rankings
