2026 Clutch Sports Media Girls Track and Field All-Area Team: 94 Central Illinois athletes earn honors

The blue oval at Eastern Illinois University had plenty of representation from Central Illinois at the IHSA State Finals. 

But the area did more than just represent as many girls track and field athletes from the Peoria and Bloomington/Normal area put up some of the best performances of the season. Bloomington’s Claudia Ifft continued a family legacy by winning a Class 3A state title in the pole vault while stars from Normal U-High, Eureka, Normal West, Henry/Midland, Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson and Illini Bluffs took home second-place finishes. 

Central Illinois’ talent was spread out through all three classes as Normal U-High, despite being bumped up from Class 2A, was the highest-finishing area team after taking third in Class 3A. Eureka (2A), Metamora (2A), El Paso-Gridley (1A), Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson (1A) and Tri-Valley (1A) all collected top-20 team finishes as well. 

Athletes from the 39 schools in the Clutch Sports Media coverage area surrounding Peoria and Bloomington/Normal were eligible for CSM’s first girls track and field All-Area teams, which feature a total of 94 honorees.

Clutch Sports Media will also have a Coach of the Year and a Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year, which will both be announced shortly. All of the All-Area nominees below are listed by type of event, then alphabetical order. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area First Team

Ava Alt, senior, East Peoria - Sprints

The East Peoria senior dominated in the sprints and was a two-time state medalist in her final prep campaign. She won the 100 meters in every meet up until the Class 2A State Finals, where she finished fifth. Alt also won the 200 meters on seven different occasions, including the Mid-Illini Conference Meet, and finished seventh at state. She also qualified for state in the 400 meters and finished 17th. Her personal best times were 12.16 in the 100, 24.92 in the 200 and 59.15 in the 400. Alt will continue her career at Bradley University. 

Daniella Bumber, senior, Henry/Midland - Sprints

Bumber accumulated plenty of medals during the season and qualified for state finals in the 200 and 400 and also reached the state prelims in the 100. The senior who attended Midland won every race she ran in up until state, helping the Timberducks’ co-op finish second at the Class 1A Farmington Sectional. She finished as the Class 1A state runner-up in the 400 with a season-best time of 56.63 and took eighth in the 200. She ran a season-best 12.49 in the 100 and a season-best 25.33 in the 200 while also anchoring Henry/Midland’s 4x100 relay that placed eighth at state. Bumber will continue her career at the U.S. Naval Academy. 

Abigail Jackson, junior, Normal U-High - Sprints

Jackson was one of the state’s best runners in the 400 while running on two of the best relays for Normal U-High, who finished third at the Class 3A State Championships. Jackson was the Class 3A state runner-up in the 400, posting a personal best and school-record time of 54.53 in the finals and won Intercity, Central State Eight Conference and sectional titles in the event as well. She anchored the Pioneers’ 4x400 relay that placed second at state and set a school record, as well as running on the team’s 4x100 that placed fifth at state and also set a school record.

Julie Bach, senior, Normal West - Distance

Bach helped lead the Big 12 champion Wildcats team and primarily ran the 800 and 1600, where she qualified for the Class 3A State Championships in both events. A second-team selection on CSM’s 2025 Girls Cross Country All-Area team, Bach was an Intercity and Big 12 Conference champion in 800 and 1600 and took second in both events at the Class 3A O’Fallon Sectional. She finished 14th at state in the 800 and 33rd in the 1600 and owned season-bests of 2:14.66 and 5:08.09, respectively. Bach will continue her career at SIU-Edwardsville.

Audrey Dickinson, freshman, Illini Bluffs - Distance

Dickinson owned the best times in the 800 (2:14.30) and 1600 (4:57.15) in the area and grabbed a pair of top-five finishes at the Class 1A State Finals. She placed second at state in the 800 and was a sectional and Inter-County Conference champion in the event. Dickinson, a first-team selection on CSM’s 2025 Girls Cross Country All-Area team, placed fifth at state in the 1600 and also anchored Illini Bluffs’ 4x400 relay that won a sectional title and placed 10th at state. 

Sophia Watson, junior, Eureka - Distance

Watson helped spearhead Eureka, who finished fourth in Class 2A, with strong performances in several events all season long. She placed seventh in the 800 at state after putting up a personal-best time of 2:15.29 to win the event at the Class 2A Metamora Sectional. She also anchored the Hornets’ 4x800 relay and 4x400 relay, which placed second and sixth at state, respectively. She was a three-time Heart of Illinois Conference champion with wins in the 400, 4x400 and 4x800. 

Bri Harms, senior, Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson - Hurdles

Roanoke-Benson’s all-time leading scorer in girls basketball was also a force on the track, where she finished as the Class 1A state runner-up in the 300 meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 43.74. She also won Tri-County Conference and Class 1A Farmington Sectional titles in the event. Harms also finished sixth at state in the 200 meters and qualified for state in the 100 hurdles, finishing 18th after running a personal-best 15.74 at sectionals. Harms will play basketball and run track collegiately at Illinois Wesleyan University. 

Hannah Safranek, junior, Normal U-High - Hurdles

Safranek was a workhorse for Normal U-High in various events, including the 100 hurdles where she finished fifth at the Class 3A State Finals. She won Intercity and Central State Eight Conference titles in that event, as well as the 100 and 200 meters. Her personal-best times in the 100 hurdles (13.99), 100 meters (11.70) and 200 meters (24.74) were all the No. 1 marks in the area. Her times in the 100 hurdles and 100 meters were also school records. She played a big role in Normal U-High finishing third as a team in Class 3A by taking seventh at state in the 100 and 10th in the 200. Safranek also anchored the Pioneers’ 4x100 relay to a conference title, a fifth-place showing at state and a school record.

Mackenzie Matejka, sophomore, Normal U-High - Throws

Matejka finished sixth in the discus at the Class 3A State Finals to cap off a strong sophomore season. Her throw of 140 feet, 7 inches at state marked a personal best and she threw distances of over 132 feet five times. Matejka won the Central State Eight Conference title in the discus and also threw the shot put, finishing as the runner-up in the conference meet. 

Isabella Thurston, junior, Normal U-High - Throws

Thurston owned the top marks in the area in the shot put (42’7) and discus (146’0) and was an all-state honoree in both. The Normal U-High junior finished fourth at the Class 3A state finals in the shot put and seventh in the discus to help the Pioneers finish third as a team. She also won the Central State Eight Conference title in the shot put and finished second in the discus behind Matejka. Thurston. Thurston's other highlights included setting a new school record in the discus and winning both throwing events five separate times, including sweeping both at the Intercity meet. 

Claudia Ifft, senior, Bloomington - Pole Vault

Ifft ended her prep career as the Class 3A state champion in the pole vault, making her a four time all-stater in the event. The Purple Raiders’ senior cleared a personal best 12 feet, 10 inches to take home gold. That performance marked her eighth meet of the season with a clearance of 12 feet or higher and was the top height by any high school girls pole vaulter in Illinois this spring. Ifft won the pole vault in all but one outdoor meet she competed in and took home titles at the Big 12 Conference Meet, Intercity meet and Class 3A O’Fallon Sectional. 

Zoe Liedtke, junior, Pekin - Jumps

Liedtke was one of the area’s top long jumpers and finished fourth at the Class 3A State Finals with a mark of 18 feet, 6.5 inches that tied her personal best. The Pekin junior won the event at seven straight meets between mid-April and early May, including the Mid-Illini Conference Meet and the Class 3A O’Fallon Sectional. Liedtke was also one of the Mid-Illini’s best sprinters as she finished second in the conference in the 100 and 200 meters and qualified for state in the 100. 

Ryan Temples, sophomore, Normal West - Jumps

Temples broke out in her sophomore season and put up the best long jump distance (18’8) in the area en route to a second-place finish at the Class 3A State Finals. Temples finished in the top three in the long jump in each outdoor meet she competed in and won six times. Two of those wins came at the Big 12 Conference Meet and the Intercity meet. The Wildcats’ sophomore also ran on her squad’s 4x100 relay that placed 12th at state and anchored the 4x200 that was the Big 12 runner-up. 

Samantha Yeh, senior, Dunlap - Jumps

Yeh dominated the Central Illinois area in the high jump yet again and finished sixth at the Class 3A State Finals. Up until state, Yeh won the event at every meet during the season and won her third consecutive Mid-Illini Conference and sectional title. The 2025 Class 3A state champion in the high jump posted a season-best height of 5’6.5 to win the Bloomington Lady Raider Track and Field Invitational. The Eagles’ senior also dabbled in the 400, finishing third in the Mid-Illini and anchoring Dunlap’s 4x400 to a second-place finish at the conference meet. Yeh will compete collegiately at Notre Dame. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Second Team

Jaydah Green, senior, Richwoods - Sprints

Green ran in several different events for Richwoods and starred in the 400, where she finished 12th at the Class 3A State Championships. The Knights’ senior won the event at six meets, including the Big 12 Conference Meet and the Class 3A Rock Island Sectional, where she clocked a personal-best time of 57.16. Green also led Richwoods to first place at the Peoria All-City Meet, where she won the 200, 400 and anchored the winning 4x100 relay. 

Nyameye Maison, senior, Morton - Sprints

Maison was the Mid-Illini’s top runner in the 400 and helped lead Morton to a conference championship. She finished eighth in the event at the Class 2A State Finals and ran a season-best 58.22 in the prelims. She also ran on Morton’s 4x100 that won a sectional title and finished 18th at state, as well as the Potters’ 4x400 that won a Mid-Illini title and took 16th at state. Maison will continue her career at Eastern Illinois. 

Jaida Reed, junior, El Paso-Gridley - Sprints

Reed helped make El Paso-Gridley a complete squad with her performances in the 100 and 200 meters. She won Heart of Illinois Conference and Class 1A Tremont Sectional titles in both events, putting up season-best marks of 12.18 in the 100 and 25.42 in the 200 at the conference meet. Reed took sixth at the Class 1A State Finals in the 100 and finished 16th in the 200 as well. She also keyed a pair of Titans relays as her 4x100 finished fourth at state and her 4x200 placed sixth. Both relays won conference and sectional titles as well. 

Sierra Herrmann, junior, Eureka - Distance

Herrmann was the highest-placing area runner at state in the 3200 and finished 11th at the Class 2A State Finals with a personal best time of 11:19.70. That came on the heels of a Class 2A Metamora Sectional title-winning performance as well. Despite not running in the 4x800 in the state finals race, Herrmann was also a key cog on the Eureka squad that placed second in the state and won a Heart of Illinois Conference title. Herrmann, who was a 2025 CSM Girls Cross Country All-Area second team runner, additionally had several strong performances in the 1600, including a third-place showing at the HOIC Meet.

Ava Otto, junior, Eureka - Distance

Otto qualified for the Class 2A State Finals and finished ninth in the 1600 with a personal best mark of 5:09.37. The Hornets junior collected five top-three finishes in the event, including taking first at Metamora’s Chuck Danner Invite. Otto. who was a 2025 CSM Girls Cross Country All-Area second team runner,  was a part of Eureka’s 4x800 that grabbed second at the Class 2A State Finals and ran on its 4x400 that won a Heart of Illinois Conference Championship. Her personal best time in the 3200 of 11:22.40 was also among the area’s best. 

Sophia Ramirez, senior, Washington - Distance

Ramirez capped off her career by qualifying for the Class 3A State Championships in the 1600 for the fourth straight year. Ramirez placed 31st at state in the event, ran a season-best time of 5:05.26 at the Morton Distance Gala and collected seven top-five finishes in the 1600. The Washington senior, who was a 2025 CSM Girls Cross Country All-Area first team runner, was a first team all-Mid Illini Conference selection by winning the 800 at the conference meet. Ramirez will continue her career at SIU-Edwardsville.

Ayva Davis, sophomore, Normal West - Hurdles

Davis’ season best marks in the 100 hurdles (14.57) and 300 hurdles (45.42) both ranked among the top three in the area. The Big 12 and Intercity champion in the latter, Davis qualified for the Class 3A State Championships in both events and finished eighth in the 100 and 25th in the 300. The Wildcats’ underclassman anchored their 4x100 relay that won Intercity and Big 12 Championships before taking 12th at state and ran on the 4x400 relay that was the Big 12 runner-up.

Josie Trossen, freshman, Tri-Valley - Hurdles

Trossen made an impressive high school debut by qualifying for the Class 1A State Finals in both hurdles events and winning 11 races during her freshman season. In the 100 hurdles, Trossen had a personal best time of 15.04, won Heart of Illinois Conference and Class 1A Maroa-Forsyth Sectional titles and finished fourth at state. In the 300 hurdles, she ran a personal best 45.28 to place sixth at state after winning a sectional title in that event as well. Trossen also ran anchor legs on Tri-Valley’s state qualifying 4x100 and 4x400, the latter of which placed fifth at state. 

Makaylynne Correa, senior, Canton - Throws

Correa made her third trip to Charleston in the shot put and posted her best finish yet of fifth place in Class 2A. Her personal best throw of 38 feet, 5.5 inches helped her earn all-state honors. She placed second at the Class 2A Metamora Sectional and Mid-Illini Conference Meet and won all five of the other events she entered in the shot put. 

Eva Deener, sophomore, Dunlap - Throws

Deener transformed into one of the area’s top throwers as a sophomore, culminating in the 12th place finish in the shot put at the Class 3A State Finals. Her personal best throw of 39 feet, 8.75 inches landed her second at the Class 3A Rock Island Sectional and she won more than a handful of meets in the shot put, including the Mid-Illini Conference Meet. Deener also threw discus, placing fourth in the conference and sixth at sectionals with a personal best of 108 feet, seven inches.

Reagan Bishop, junior, Eureka - Pole Vault

Bishop was part of a lights-out group of pole vaulters in Central Illinois and finished as the Class 2A state runner-up. She cleared 12 feet, 3.5 inches to set a new personal best, earn all-state honors and help Eureka finish fourth in state as a team. She cleared nine heights of 10’8 or higher, won three meets and finished as the Class 2A Metamora Sectional runner-up. Bishop also ran on the 4x200 that placed third at the Heart of Illinois Conference Meet. 

Caty Minton, junior, Normal U-High - Pole Vault

Minton put up an impressive campaign by finishing second in Class 3A in her first full year of pole vaulting in high school. She cleared a personal best 12 feet, 5.5 inches at state and racked up a Central State Eight Conference title in the event and runner-up finishes at the Intercity meet and Class 3A O’Fallon Sectional. Minton also maintained her prowess on the track and ran on Normal U-High’s 4x400 that placed second in the state, its 4x200 that won an Intercity title and qualified for state in the 400 meters. 

Jamiya Jones, sophomore, Peoria High - Jumps

Jones made vast improvements as a sophomore that landed her a spot at the Class 3A State Championships in the long jump and triple jump. She took 26th in the triple jump after putting up an area-best mark of 36 feet, 6.75 inches at the Class 3A Rock Island Sectional and taking second at both that meet and the BIg 12 Conference Meet. She placed 34th in the Class 3A long jump after posting a personal-best mark of 18 feet, five inches at sectionals. 

Carly Ulrich, sophomore, Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson - Jumps

Ulrich competed in all sorts of events for the L-W/R-B co-op but was among the area’s best in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. She placed fourth in the Class 1A triple jump at state with a season-best mark of 36 feet and took 17th in the long jump after winning the Class 1A Farmington Sectional in the event with a PR of 17 feet, 9.5 inches. Ulrich’s season was also highlighted by winning Tri-County Conference titles in all three events.

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Honorable Mentions

Addison Cortese, junior, Normal U-High - Sprints 

Avery Eisfelder, freshman, Normal Community - Sprints

Taylor Frawley, senior, Henry/Midland - Sprints

Ella Helms, junior, Elmwood/Brimfield - Sprints

Brianna Johnson, senior, Richwoods - Sprints

Whitney Parker, freshman, Illini Bluffs - Sprints 

Kylie Smith, junior, Morton - Sprints

Taylor Washington, sophomore, Normal Community - Sprints

Jahariah Williams, senior, Normal Community - Sprints

Elyse Brinkmeyer, sophomore, Illini Central/Delavan - Distance

Adelin Bruce, senior, Tri-Valley - Distance

Morgan Coker, junior, Pekin - Distance

Ellison Heineke, senior, Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson, Distance

Jessica Henderson, freshman, Tremont - Distance

Mya Hill, sophomore, Elmwood/Brimfield - Distance

Lorelei Hulsing, freshman, Bloomington - Distance

Mira Kistner, sophomore, Olympia - Distance

Kiley Knapp, junior, El Paso-Gridley - Distance

Haven Miller, junior, El Paso-Gridley - Distance

Elsie Parnham, freshman, Morton - Distance

Bristol Schmidgall, sophomore, Elmwood/Brimfield - Distance

Bethany Sennett, junior, Princeville - Distance

Renee Warren, senior, Normal West - Distance

Amanda Warren, senior, Normal West - Distance

Mia Whitfield, senior, Metamora - Distance

Maya Zopel, senior, Peoria Notre Dame - Distance

Keyli Cogdal, senior, El Paso-Gridley - Hurdles

Kylie Huffaker, junior, Bloomington - Hurdles

Brynn Kendall, junior, Normal U-High - Hurdles

Brenna Metzger, senior, Eureka - Hurdles

Baylie Nena, sophomore, Metamora - Hurdles

Ava Ray, senior, Morton - Hurdles

Avery Striegel, freshman, Morton - Hurdles

Ava Bardwell, sophomore, Tri-Valley - Throws

Grace Klessig, senior, Tri-Valley - Throws

Pru Mangan, senior, Fieldcrest - Throws

Brynna Musselman, freshman, Eureka - Throws

Gaba Musselman, junior, Eureka - Throws

Annabelle Parker, junior, Illini Bluffs - Throws

Marin Carmouche, freshman, Bloomington Central Catholic - Pole Vault

Meagan Carmouche, sophomore, Bloomington Central Catholic - Pole Vault

Emory Hiel, sophomore, Washington - Pole Vault

Addie Lehman, junior, Peoria Christian - Pole Vault

Bre Lehman, junior, Eureka - Pole Vault

Madi Orns, senior, Bloomington Cornerstone - Pole Vault

Sophia Pauli, sophomore, Limestone - Pole Vault

Madalyn Starnes, freshman, Normal West - Pole Vault

Violet Weinman, senior, Metamora - Pole Vault

Aleia Baumann, sophomore, Tri-Valley - Jumps

Lexi Begner, sophomore, Elmwood/Brimfield - Jumps

Audrey Chambers, sophomore, Henry/Midland - Jumps

Alannah Fahrenkrug, freshman, IVC - Jumps

Kate Fitzjarrald, sophomore, Peoria Notre Dame - Jumps

Emily Gross, senior, Normal U-High - Jumps

Aanika Joshi, junior, Dunlap - Jumps

Madeline Kammerer, senior, Dunlap - Jumps

Elle Klopfenstein, senior, Morton - Jumps

Alison Mitchell, senior, Henry/Midland - Jumps

Kenley Molton, junior, Morton - Jumps

Kinley Morris, junior, Tri-Valley - Jumps

Olivia Perry, freshman, Metamora - Jumps

Anna Sears, freshman, Eureka - Jumps

Leah Sears, senior, Eureka - Jumps

Kylie Sullivan, senior, Dunlap - Jumps

Lyla Tate, senior, Heyworth - Jumps

Ra'Niya Taylor, freshman, Farmington - Jumps