Mix of veterans and freshmen highlight top area finishers in Class 1A state track and field

Henry/Midland's Daniella Bumber comes down the stretch of the sprint medley relay at El Paso-Gridley's Titanomachy meet. Jonathan Michel/Clutch Sports Media.

Click here to read Clutch Sports Media's recap of area athletes at the Class 2A State Finals

Click here to read Clutch Sports Media's recap of area athletes at the Class 3A State Finals

CHARLESTON — The Central Illinois Class 1A contingent of IHSA State Finals competitors was highlighted by several veterans, including Henry/Midand’s Daniella Bumber, Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson’s Bri Harms and El Paso-Gridley’s Jaida Reed.

But Saturday’s state finals were further proof that the area’s freshman class is ready to make its mark for years to come. 

Tri-Valley’s Josie Trossen is part of that group and relished her first-ever experience at O’Brien Stadium’s blue oval.

“I love the blue track, it’s super cool, and the crowd is awesome,” Trossen said. “Everyone here is super supportive and super happy and I love it.”

Trossen’s supporters had plenty to cheer about as well. 

The freshman ran a personal-best 15.12 to finish fourth in the Class 1A 100-meter hurdles and also PR’d in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 45.28. She also ran on Tri-Valley’s 4x400 that placed fifth with a time of 4:06.30.

All three of those performances helped Tri-Valley finish 15th in the overall team standings.

“[It’s] my first year in high school so that’s really exciting,” Trossen said. “I’m excited to see how far it goes and it was a lot of fun.”

She hopes that Saturday’s performance can be a great benchmark for the rest of her career and be a springboard to return to state next year alongside fellow returning teammates, including triple jumpers Aleia Baumann and Kinley Morris who qualified for Saturday’s finals as well.

“It’s a lot of adjusting,” Trossen said of her first high school campaign. “But I like the push that it’s came with and I feel like that’s definitely helped me get better.”

Elsewhere in Class 1A, defending state champion El Paso-Gridley (20 points) and Lowpoint-Washburn/Roanoke-Benson (18) took 11th and 12th, respectively. The Titans were buoyed by a pair of fourth-place finishes in the 4x100 and 4x800 relays while Bri Harms led the Wildcats by placing second in the 300 hurdles in a personal-best time of 43.74 and taking sixth in the 200 in 25.51. Henry/Midland’s Daniella Bumber led the Timberducks, who tied for 22nd, with a runner-up finish in the 400, clocking a season-best time of 56.63 and taking eighth in the 200.

Other freshmen that stood out included Illini Bluffs’ Audrey Dickinson and Tremont’s Jessica Henderson, who both competed in the 800. Dickinson, who finished 24th in the Class 1A state cross country finals in the fall, finished as the runner-up in the 800 with a PR of 2:14.30 and took fifth in the 1600. Henderson took ninth in the 800 with a personal-best time of 2:18.68.

The pole vault featured a handful of area competitors in the finals, led by Bloomington Central Catholic’s sisterly duo of junior Meagan Carmouche and freshman Marin Carmouche. Both cleared 10’6 to tie for third while Elmwood/Brimfield’s Ashlyn Bertsch placed eighth and Bloomington Cornerstone’s Madi Orns took 10th. 

Effingham St. Anthony and Maroa-Forsyth tied for the Class 1A team title with 46 points apiece.