ATHLETE OF THE YEAR? That’s something we unfortunately have to hold in abeyance on the girls’ side this year, until the Briana Williams doping case (see Last Lap) is adjudicated. We have, however, proceeded with choosing our Girls All-America team, applying “innocent until proven guilty” to the Florida sprint star.
Williams (100/200) was the only double No. 1, although Taylor Ewert (steeplechase/walks) did receive double Special Recognition. The team is rife with other multiple scorers, no fewer than 13 of them: Tamari Davis (100/200), Jan’Taijah Ford (200/400), Athing Mu (400/800), Michaela Rose (800/300H), Marlee Starliper & Ericka VanderLende (mile/2M), Tyra Wilson (100H/300H), Morgan Smalls (HJ/TJ), Anna Hall (HJ/hept), Jasmine Moore (LJ/TJ), Jocelynn Budwig, Kalynn Meyer & Gretchen Hoekstre (SP/DT).
Look for a lot of familiar faces next year, as non-seniors dominated the No. 1s: Williams (100/200), Kayla Davis (400), Athing Mu (800), Tori Starcher (mile), Katelyn Tuohy (2M), Jasmine Jones 100H, Ewert (steeple/walks), Smalls (HJ), Claire Bryant (TJ), Kalynn Meyer (DT). All were juniors other than Davis, a frosh.
The 2019 girls team (the key to the various codings appears in a box at the end of this document):
| 100 METERS | ||
| 1. | *BRIANA WILLIAMS’ #@ | (Northeast, Oakland Park, Florida) |
| 1)Great Southwest; 10.94 HSR | ||
| 2. | THELMA DAVIES # | (Girard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| 1)State 1A; 2/1hs)USATF Juniors; 3)Prefontaine; 11.27 | ||
| 3. | SEMIRA KILLEBREW | (Brebeuf, Indianapolis, Indiana) |
| 1)State, 1)Brooks PR; 3/2hs)USATF Juniors; 11.24 | ||
| 4. | **TAMARI DAVIS # | (Oak Hall, Gainesville, Florida) |
| 1)Florida Relays, 1)State, 1)Atlanta Relays; 11.27 | ||
| 5. | DE’ANNA NOWLING | (Calabasas, California) |
| 1)Texas Relays, 1)Arcadia, 1)State; 11.43/11.40w | ||
A LOCK for No. 1, Williams was undefeated by preps and set the national record at Jamaica’s World Championships Trials, where she trailed two pros. She produced the year’s 6 fastest times to easily repeat as No. 1 (after a No. 5 as a frosh)… Moving up 2 spots after being No. 4 as a soph and junior, Davies claims the runner-up spot after beating Brooks winner at the USATF Juniors… Last year’s runner-up, Tamari Davis had no post-season credentials and dropped a couple of spots… Kenondra Davis will move into the top 5 if Williams is forced out of consideration.
| 200 METERS | ||
| 1. | *BRIANA WILLIAMS’ #@ | (Northeast, Oakland Park, Florida) |
| 1)Battle Invitational, 1)Great Southwest; 22.88(A) HSL | ||
| 2. | **TAMARI DAVIS #@ | (Oak Hall, Gainesville, Florida) |
| 1)State-1A, 1)Atlanta Relays; 22.96 | ||
| 3. | JAN’TAIJAH FORD | (Northeast, Oakland Park, Florida) |
| 1)State-3A, 1)Golden South; 2)Battle Invitational; 23.30 | ||
| 4. | *LAILA OWENS | (Bush, Richmond, Texas) |
| 1)State; 2)Texas Southern Relays; 23.38 | ||
| 5. | ARRIA MINOR # | (East, Denver, Colorado) |
| 1)Liberty Bell, 1)State; 2)Arcadia; 23.10(A) | ||
NOT AS DOMINANT here as she was in the 100, Williams was dominant enough, producing the year’s three fastest times. That moved her up a spot from last year… Williams displaced Tamari Davis at the top. Davis had earned No. 1s as both an 8th-grader and a frosh. She still has a chance at a record 5 rankings and 4 No. 1s. As in the 100 she didn’t meet any of the heavy-hitters… Ford lost only to Williams… Owens gets No. 4 after beating a stacked field at Texas State.
| 400 METERS | ||
| 1. | ***KAYLA DAVIS | (Providence Day, Charlotte, North Carolina) |
| 1)Golden South, 1)New Balance Nationals, 1)USATF Juniors; 51.17 HSL | ||
| 2. | *ATHING MU | (Central, Trenton, New Jersey) |
| 1)Atlanta Relays; 2)New Balance Nationals; 51.98 | ||
| 3. | JAN’TAIJAH FORD # | (Northeast, Oakland Park, Florida) |
| 1)State-3A, 1)Great Southwest; 3)New Balance Nationals; 51.37(A) | ||
| 4. | *ZIYAH HOLMAN | (Georgetown Day, Washington, DC) |
| 1)Mt. SAC Relays, 1)Dogwood, 1)Brooks PR; 3/2hs)USATF Juniors; 52.12 | ||
| 5. | ***AALIYAH BUTLER | (Piper, Sunrise, Florida) |
| 1)Bing, 1)Burley, 1)State-4A; 4)New Balance Nationals; 52.25 | ||
THE 3 FASTEST runners settled things at the New Balance Nationals, Davis (51.17) handling Mu (51.98) and Ford (52.46). The time moved the undefeated Davis to No. 7 on the all-time list and made her only the second frosh ever to claim No. 1 here… Ford moved up a spot from last year’s No. 4… Holman was busy, and her overall record gave her No. 4 over another frosh, Butler.
| 800 METERS | ||
| 1. | *ATHING MU # | (Central, Trenton, New Jersey) |
| 1)USATF Juniors; 2/1hs)Music City Open; 5)USATF; 2:01.17 HSL | ||
| 2. | ***ROISIN WILLIS | (Stevens Point, Wisconsin) |
| 1)State, 1)Brooks PR; 2)USATF Juniors; 2:04.86 | ||
| 3. | **MICHAELA ROSE | (Home, Norfolk, Virginia) |
| 1)New Balance Nationals; 2:04.38 | ||
| 4. | *VICTORIA VANRIELE # | (Livingston, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey) |
| 1)Mt. SAC Relays, 1)State; 2)Brooks PR; 8/6hs)USATF Juniors, 2:05.15 | ||
| 5. | **TAYLOR JAMES | (Niwot, Colorado) |
| 1)State; 2)Arcadia; 3)Brooks PR; 2:05.83 | ||
MU HAD A spectacular season, producing the 6 fastest times of the year. Her year-leading 2:01.17, which moved her to No. 6 on the all-time list, came in taking 5th against the pros at the USATF Championships. She moved up a spot from last year’s No. 2 in the All-Am choices… Willis beat Mu at the New Balance Indoor, and while indoor 800s don’t come into play here, the rest of her season clearly gave her the runner-up spot… The home-schooled Rose had very little exposure, but her New Balance win gives her the No. 3 spot… Vanriele repeated her No. 4 of last year… All 5 rankers will be back.
| MILE | ||
| 1. | *TORI STARCHER | (Ripley, West Virginia) |
| 1)Penn Relays, 1)State; 7) Brooks PR; 4:38.19 HSL | ||
| 2. | *MARLEE STARLIPER | (Northern, Dillsburg, Pennsyvania) |
| 1)New Balance Nationals, 1)USATF Juniors, 2)Penn Relays, 2)State; 4:39.05 | ||
| 3. | *TARYN PARKS | (Greencastle-Antrim, Greencastle, Pennsylvania) |
| 1)State; 2)Brooks PR; 3)Penn Relays; 4:38.68 | ||
| 4. | ERICKA VANDERLENDE | (Rockford, Michigan) |
| 1)State; 4:42.63 | ||
| 5. | *ZOFIA DUDEK’ | (Pioneer, Ann Arbor, Michigan) |
| 1)Brooks PR, 2)State; 4:41.71 | ||
THE PENN RELAYS proved to be the race of the year, with Starcher producing the year’s fastest mile in beating new Balance/Juniors champ Starliper and Brooks runner-up Parks… Dudek won the Brooks race, but ends up behind VanderLende, who beat her at the Michigan State Meet… Reigning No. 1 Katelyn Tuohy (North Rockland, Thiells, New York) had a fine sequence of indoor marks, but citing fatigue had a truncated outdoor campaign and couldn’t claim a spot.
| 2 MILES | ||
| 1. | *KATELYN TUOHY # | (North Rockland, Thiells, New York) |
| 1)New Balance Indoor, 1)State; 9:45.16 | ||
| 2. | ERICKA VANDERLENDE | (Rockford, Michigan) |
| 1)State, 1)Brooks PR; 9:53.00 | ||
| 3. | *MARLEE STARLIPER | (Northern, Dillsburg, Pennsyvania) |
| 1)Loucks Games, 1)USATF Juniors; 7)USATF Indoor; 9:58.22 | ||
| 4. | *KATELYNNE HART # | (Glenbard West, Glyn Ellyn, Illinois) |
| 1)Arcadia, 1)State; 2)New Balance Indoor, 2)Brooks PR; 9:55.42 | ||
| 5. | **BRYNN BROWN | (Guyer, Denton, Texas) |
| 1)Texas Relays, 1)State; 3)Brooks PR; 9:57.54 | ||
AS IN THE MILE, Tuohy didn’t have much of an outdoor season. Her undercover campaign, however, was good enough that she repeated as No. 1. Her 9:01.81 indoor 3000 (worth 9:45.16 for 2M) rated as a national indoor record and moved her to No. 4 on the all-time absolute list… Brooks winner VanderLende had the year’s fastest outdoor time and fills the runner-up position… Starliper edges Hart, No. 2 a year ago, for the 3-spot.
| 100 HURDLES | ||
| 1. | *JASMINE JONES | (Greater Atlanta, Norcross, Georgia) |
| 1)Stanford Invitational, 1)Arcadia, 1)State, 1)New Balance Nationals, 1)USATF Juniors; 13.19 HSL | ||
| 2. | ALIA ARMSTRONG | (Drexel, New Orleans, Louisiana) |
| 1)Texas Southern Relays, 1)Texas Relays, 1)State; 13.36 | ||
| 3. | JAZLYNN SHEARER | (Silver Creek, San José, California) |
| 1)State; 2)Stanford Invitational, 2)Arcadia; 13.36/13.24w | ||
| 4. | **TYRA WILSON | (Rock Bridge, Columbia, Missouri) |
| 1)State, 1)Great Southwest; dnf)USATF Juniors; 13.39 | ||
| 5. | *JAYLA HOLLIS | (DeSoto, Texas) |
| 1)State; 2)Texas Relays, 2)Great Southwest, 2)New Balance Nationals; 13.37 | ||
TO CLARIFY, this Jones No. 1 isn’t same same as fellow Georgian Tia Jones who was No. 1 last year. The latter turned pro early. In her stead, Jasmine Jones had a long and productive season, going undefeated and producing the year’s 4 fastest times… No. 2-rated Armstrong was also unbeaten, but she had no post-season meets… Shearer lost only to leader Jones… Wilson beat Hollis at Great Southwest to determine the order of the final two.
| 300/400 HURDLES | ||
| 1. | BRITTON WILSON # | (Godwin, Henrico, Virginia) |
| 1)New Balance Nationals, 1)USATF Juniors; 2/1US)Penn Relays; 40.78 HSL/56.36 HSL | ||
| 2. | VANESSA WATSON | (Spencerport, NY) |
| 1)State; 2)New Balance Nationals, 3/2hs)USATF Juniors; 4/3US)Penn Relays; 57.84 | ||
| 3. | **MICHAELA ROSE | (Home, Norfolk, Virginia) |
| 1B)New Balance Nationals; 58.16 | ||
| 4. | BROOKE JAWORSKI # | (West, Wausau, Wisconsin) |
| 1)State; 3/2US)Penn Relays; 41.40/58.62 | ||
| 5. | **TYRA WILSON | (Rock Bridge, Columbia, Missouri) |
| 4/3hs)USATF Juniors; 40.79(A)/58.33 | ||
EITHER 300 OR 400, the year’s fastest long hurdler was Britton Wilson, who was undefeated by U.S. preps. She moves up from No. 5 a year ago… Watson’s solid season found her on the losing end to Wilson at New Balance, Juniors and Penn… Rose completes a unique double by being No. 3 here as well as No. 3 in the 800. A home-schooler, she had no regular season… Jaworski was last year’s No. 1.
| SPECIAL RECOGNITION | ||
| *TAYLOR EWERT (Beavercreek, Ohio) | Steeplechase & Walks | |
THE BEST prep walker ever continued to rewrite the recordbooks, setting new national stards in the 5000 (22:28.61) & 20K (1:38:55) and won the Junior 10,000. During the winter she set indoor HSRs in the 1500 (6:02.85), Mile (6:28.21) & 3000 (13:24.76)… In the steeple she ran 6:33.61 for No. 6 on the all-time list, winning New Balance. She also miled 4:48.01 and was the New Balance runner-up.
| 4 x 100 RELAY | ||
| 1. | DeSOTO # | Texas |
| 1)Texas Southern Relays, 1)Texas Relays, 1)State; 44.24 HSR (also 44.44 HSR) | ||
| 2. | BUFORD # | Georgia |
| 1)State; 45.19 | ||
| 3. | SUMMER CREEK | Houston, Texas |
| 2)State; 4)Texas Relays; 45.24 | ||
| 4. | NORTHWESTERN | Miami, Florida |
| 1)Florida Relays, 1)State-3A; 45.40 | ||
| 5. | ST. THOMAS AQUINAS | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida |
| 1)State-4A; 45.39 | ||
THE FAMILIAR FACE of DeSoto, the ’15 & ’16 winner, is back at the top. A pair of national records will do that for you. The foursome of soph JaEra Griffin, soph Jayla Hollis, senior Taylor Armstrong & senior Rosaline Effiong combined for a 44.44 at their Regional, then lowered the HSR to 44.24 at State… Places 2–5 ended up matching their positions on the yearly list.
| 4 x 200 RELAY | ||
| 1. | DeSOTO | Texas |
| 1)State; 2)Texas Relays; 4)New Balance Nationals; 1:36.09 HSL | ||
| 2. | RENAISSANCE | Detroit, Michigan |
| 1)State, 1)New Balance Nationals; 1:36.53 | ||
| 3. | ST. THOMAS AQUINAS | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida |
| 1)Florida Relays; 1:36.71 | ||
LIST-LEADING DeSoto also had the year’s Nos. 2 & 4 times. It lost a couple, but winning the year’s biggest race, Texas State, was enough to make it No. 1… Both Renaissance and Aquinas were undefeated. Renaissance is the first Michigan foursome ever to score here.
| 4 x 400 RELAY | ||
| 1. | BULLIS #@ | Potomac, Maryland |
| 1)Arcadia, 1)New Balance Nationals; 4/1US)Penn Relays; 3:39.62 HSL | ||
| 2. | DeSOTO # @ | Texas |
| 1)Texas Southern Relays, 1)Texas Relays, 1)State; 2)New Balance Nationals; 3:39.79 | ||
| 3. | NORTHEAST | Oakland Park, Florida |
| 1)State; 3:41.32 | ||
| 4. | VALOR CHRISTIAN | Highlands Ranch, Colorado |
| 1)State; 3:41.89 | ||
| 5. | NORTH CANYON | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 1)State; 8)Arcadia; 3:42.46 | ||
NEW BALANCE featured a battle of heavyweights, with 2-time reigning No. 1 DeSoto taking on Bullis, last year’s No. 1. The Marylanders came through with a year-leading time to eke out the win, 3:39.62–3:39.93. Overall, the Texans had 4 of the year’s 5 fastest times… Three state champs fill things out, with North Canyon winning the Arizona title by a humongous 14 seconds.
| 4 x 800 RELAY | ||
| 1. | THOMAS WORTHINGTON | Worthington, Ohio |
| 1)State; 8:55.85 HSL | ||
| 2. | LINCOLN # | Gahanna, Ohio |
| 2)State; 8:55.90 | ||
| 3. | UNION CATHOLIC | Scotch Plains, New Jersey |
| 1)New Balance Nationals; 2/1US)Penn Relays; 8:59.78 | ||
| 4. | BEAVERCREEK | Ohio |
| 3)State; 3)New Balance Nationals; 8:59.61 | ||
| 5. | NEUMANN GORETTI # | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 1)State; 3/2US)Penn Relays; 9:02.17 | ||
OHIO’S STATE MEET was the biggie here, with Worthington and Lincoln producing the year’s two fastest times… A New Balance win gave Union Catholic No. 3 over the third Ohio school, Beavercreek, which used versatile steeple/walk star Taylor Ewert on third leg.
| 4 x MILE RELAY | ||
| 1. | ST. FRANCIS | Sacramento, California |
| 1)Arcadia; 20:27.91 | ||
| 2. | GREAT OAK # | Temecula, California |
| 1)Mt. SAC Relays; 2)Arcadia; 20:21.70 HSL | ||
| 3. | URSULINE | New Rochelle, New York |
| 1)New Balance Indoor; 20:28.30 | ||
GREAT OAK, the reigning No. 1, cranked out the year’s fastest time, but lost to St. Francis by 4 seconds at Arcadia, so the nod goes to the NorCal squad… Ursuline was the best of the indoor season.
| SPRINT MEDLEY | ||
| 1. | CORNING-PAINTED POST | Corning, New York |
| 1)New Balance Nationals; 3:58.71 | ||
| 2. | UNION CATHOLIC | Scotch Plains, New Jersey |
| 6)New Balance Nationals 3:58.46 HSL | ||
| 3. | THE WOODLANDS | Texas |
| 1)Texas Relays; 4:00.12 | ||
COMPETITION WAS very limited here. Union Catholic produced the year’s fastest time at New Balance Indoor, but didn’t place well at the Outdoor, where Corning produced the fastest outdoor time.
| DISTANCE MEDLEY RELAY | ||
| 1. | NORTH ROCKLAND # | Thiells, New York |
| 11:41.84 HSL | ||
| 2. | FAYETTEVILLE-MANLIUS | Manlius, New York |
| 1)Penn Relays; 11:45.28 | ||
| 3. | SARATOGA SPRINGS | New York |
| 1)Loucks Games; 3)Penn Relays; 11:44.02 | ||
NORTH ROCKLAND scores for the fifth year in a row, having previously finished in 2-1-3-2. Its list leader came at the New Balance Indoor… Saratoga Springs had the fastest outdoor time, but lost head-to-head with Fayetteville-Manlius at Penn.
| HIGH JUMP | ||
| 1. | *MORGAN SMALLS # | Panther Creek, Cary, North Carolina |
| 1)New Balance Indoor, 1)State, 1)New Balance Nationals; =5/3hs)USATF Juniors; 6-3¼ HSL | ||
| 2. | ELASIA CAMPBELL | Walton, Marietta, Georgia |
| 1)State; 2)New Balance Nationals; 6-¼ | ||
| 3. | SHELBY TYLER # | Noblesville, Indiana |
| 1)State, 1)USATF Juniors; 3)New Balance Nationals; 6-¾ | ||
| 4. | *MADISON SCHMIDT | Blaine, Minnesota |
| 1)State; 3/2hs)USATF Juniors; 6-0 | ||
| 5. | ANNA HALL # | Valor, Highlands Ranch, Colorado |
| 1)Great Southwest Indoor; 2 meets at 5-11½ in Multi. Champ., 5-11½ | ||
NO QUESTION about Smalls (last year’s No. 4) deserving the top spot, despite a blotch at the Juniors. She won both New Balance meets and had the year’s highest half-dozen clearances, with her list leader moving her to =No. 4 on the all-time list… Campbell’s only loss was to Smalls at New Balance… Tyler dropped two slots from last year’s leadership position… Hall dropped 3 spots from last year’s runner-up status.
| POLE VAULT | ||
| 1. | CHLOE CUNLIFFE # | West, Seattle, Washington |
| 1)PV Summit, 1)Arcadia, 1)State, 1)New Balance Nationals; 3)Texas Relays; 14-9 HSR | ||
| 2. | GENNIFER HIRATA | Stafford, Fredericksburg, Virginia |
| 1)Texas Relays, 1)State; 4/2hs)USATF Juniors; 7) New Balance Nationals; 14-0 | ||
| 3. | **ASHLEY CALLAHAN | Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, California |
| 1)Mt. SAC Relays, 1)State; 3)Arcadia; 13-6 | ||
| 4. | RILEY FLOERKE | Gregory-Portland, Portland, Texas |
| 1)State; 2)Texas Relays; 13-6 | ||
| 5. | JULIA FIXSEN # | Mounds View, Minnesota |
| 3/1hs)USATF Juniors; =5)New Balance Indoor; 13-6 | ||
FLYING HIGH all year, Cunliffe topped off a season that featured no fewer than 7 meets over the 14-foot barrier with the two highest clearances ever, 14-9 & 14-8. She had the year’s top 9 marks… Hirata opened her outdoor season with her only 14-footer ever, beating Cunliffe in the process… 3-4 rated Callahan & Floerke had no post-season activity… Defending No. 1 Fixsen missed her State Meet, but rounds things out.
| LONG JUMP | ||
| 1. | *CLAIRE BRYANT | Memorial, Houston, Texas |
| 1)Texas Relays, 1)USATF Juniors; 2)New Balance Nationals, 2)State-6A; 20-8¾ lo-alt HSL | ||
| 2. | JASMINE MOORE # | Lake Ridge, Mansfield, Texas |
| 1)New Balance Indoor, 1)State-6A; 2)Texas Relays; 20-9¼ | ||
| 3. | ***CAELYN HARRIS | Upland, California |
| 1)State; 2)Arcadia, 2)Mt. SAC Relays; 20-8½ | ||
| 4. | ALYSAH HICKEY | Coronado, California |
| 1)Arcadia, 1)Mt. SAC Relays; 3)State; 20-2 | ||
| 5. | ALEXIS BROWN | Kennedale, Texas |
| 1)Great Southwest, 1)State-4A; 20-9¾(A) HSL | ||
2 TEXANS battled it out for the top spot, and it was close, Bryant winning at the Texas Relays, Moore at State. The big decider was Bryant’s win at the Juniors… Moore repeats from last year with the No. 2 ranking… Californians tussled over spots 3 and 4, and while Hickey won Arcadia and Mt. SAC, Harris beat her by 2 spots at State to get the edge… Third Texan Brown had the year’s farthest jump.
| TRIPLE JUMP | ||
| 1. | JASMINE MOORE #@¶ | Lake Ridge, Mansfield, Texas |
| 1)New Balance Indoor, 1)Texas Relays, 1)State; 44-10 HSL | ||
| 2. | CHRISTINA WARREN | Perkiomen Valley, Collegeville, Pennsylvania |
| 1)State, 1)New Balance Nationals; 3/1hs)USATF Juniors; 4/1US) Penn Relays; 9)New Balance Indoor; 41-10½ | ||
| 3. | *ALISSA BRAXTON | Commack, New York |
| 1)Loucks Games, 1)State; 3)New Balance Nationals; 4)New Balance Indoor; 5/2US)Penn Relays; 42-¼ | ||
| 4. | *MORGAN SMALLS | Panther Creek, Cary, North Carolina |
| 1)State; 2)New Balance Indoor; 5/2hs)USATF Juniors; 6)New Balance Nationals; 41-9¾ | ||
| 5. | *ASHLEY MOORE | Centennial, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 1)Mt. SAC Relays, 1)State; 2)Arcadia; 4)New Balance Nationals; 12/4hs)USATF Juniors; 41-6 | ||
REPEAT LEADER Moore became only the third-ever 4-time ranker, having been No. 3 as a frosh and No. 2 as a soph. Undefeated, she had the year’s 9 farthest jumps and moved to No. 3 on the all-time list… In Moore’s absence, Warren had the best post-season record, but she wasn’t remotely in the same league distance-wise… Warren beat Braxton 2-1 head-to-head… HJ leader Smalls completed a unique double here.
| SHOT | ||
| 1. | JOCELYNN BUDWIG | Fowler, California |
| 1)Arcadia, 1)State, 1)Stanford Invitational, 1)Mt. SAC Relays; 49-2¾ | ||
| 4. | *ZOE VLK | Wilson Central, Lebanon, Tennessee |
| 1)Bojangles, 1)State, 1)New Balance Nationals; 49-4 | ||
| 3. | *KALYNN MEYER | Superior, Nebraska |
| 1)Kansas Relays, 1)State; 49-5 | ||
| 4. | GRETCHEN HOEKSTRE | Seaside, Oregon |
| 1)State; 2)Iron Wood; 11)New Balance Nationals; 50-1½ HSL | ||
| 5. | KEELEY SUZENSKI | Berks, Reading, Pennsylvania |
| 1)State; 2)New Balance Nationals; 3/2US)Penn Relays; 48-2½ | ||
GOING UNDEFEATED was the order of the day, with Budwig, Vlk & Meyer all claiming such status. Unfortunately, that obviously means they never met… Budwig gets the nod for the top spot after winning 3 major invitationals in addition to one of the tougher state meets… Vlk won two important post-season meets, while Meyer had no post-season… List leader Hoekstre wasn’t able to reproduce her 50-foot form again, her next best meet being just 47-8.
| DISCUS | ||
| 1. | *KALYNN MEYER | Superior, Nebraska |
| 1)Kansas Relays, 1)State; 176-8 HSL | ||
| 2. | *SHELBY FRANK | Red River, Grand Forks, North Dakota |
| 1)State, 1)Iron Wood, 1)New Balance Nationals; 5/1hs)USATF Juniors 169-1 | ||
| 3. | JOCELYNN BUDWIG | Fowler, California |
| 1)Stanford Invitational, 1)Arcadia, 1)Mt. SAC Relays, 1)State; 171-10 | ||
| 4. | GRETCHEN HOEKSTRE | Seaside, Oregon |
| 1)State; 2)Iron Wood, 2)New Balance Nationals; 160-9 | ||
| 5. | **FAITH BENDER | Liberty, Bakersfield, California |
| 2)Stanford Invitational, 2)Arcadia, 2)State; 4)New Balance Nationals; 168-6 | ||
AS IN THE SHOT, the first 3 were all undefeated, but Meyer—despite no post-season meets—separated herself from the pack with the 3 longest throws of the year… Frank made a good case for the top spot with 3 superior post-season results… Shot leader Budwig was the best during in-season invitationals.
| HAMMER | ||
| 1. | SAMANTHA KUNZA # | Timberland, Wentzville, Missouri |
| 5/1hs)USATF Juniors; 197-9 HSL | ||
| 2. | ANNIKA KELLY’ | Barrington, Rhode Island |
| 1)State, 1)Iron Wood, 1)New Balance Nationals; 190-8 | ||
| 3. | EMMA ROBBINS | Esperanza, Anaheim, California |
| 1)State; 184-8 | ||
THE UNDEFEATED Kunza moved to No. 8 on the all-time list with her list-leading 197-9. Overall she had 8 of the year’s 10 farthest whirls as she moved up from last year’s No. 2… Kelly had a pair of nice post-season wins.
| JAVELIN | ||
| 1. | SKYLAR CICCOLINI #@ | Mifflin, Lewistown, Pennsylvania |
| 1)Penn Relays, 1)New Balance Nationals, 1)State; 2/1hs)USATF Juniors; 184-2 HSL | ||
| 2. | BRIELLE SMITH # | Oakcrest, Mays Landing, New Jersey |
| 1)State; 3)Penn Relays, 168-6 | ||
| 3. | **KATELYN FAIRCHILD | Andale, Kansas |
| 1)Kansas Relays, 1)State; 2)New Balance Nationals; 156-11 | ||
| 4. | **SYDNEY JUSZCZYK # | Trinity, St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2)Iron Wood; 3/2hs)USATF Juniors, 13)USATF; 158-5 | ||
| 5. | KRISTEN HERR | Strasburg, Lampeter, Pennsylvania |
| 2)Penn Relays, 2)State; 157-5 | ||
JUST 18 INCHES separated Ciccolini’s list-leader from the national record. Undefeated by preps, she produced 8 of the 9 farthest throws of the year. She completed her rise to the top after being No. 3 as a soph and No. 2 as a junior… Smith moved up a spot from her ’18 rating, while Juszczyk dropped a spot in her repeat year.
| HEPTATHLON | ||
| 1. | ANNA HALL # | Valor, Highlands Ranch, Colorado |
| 1)USATF Juniors; 5847w/5829 HSR | ||
| 2. | *JADIN O’BRIEN | Divine Savior Holy Angels, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 3/2hs)USATF Juniors; 5167 | ||
| 3. | *ALAINA BRADY | Tahoma, Maple Valley, Washington |
| 1)State; 5160 | ||
THE VERSATILE Hall repeated as No. 1 after claiming the national record while taking Pan-Am Junior gold. Her winning total was illegally wind-aided (long jump), so no record for the 5847w, but she had a legal backup LJ, hence ratification of the 5829.
