First one across the finish line is familiar territory for Aaliyah Brown, including the race that started it all for the elite sprinter. (via The Herald News )

Plainfield North senior Cessily Jones and her fellow 100-meter dash finalists emerged from a group hug at the end of their race with beaming smiles. (via Chicago Tribune )

  With her college decision out of the way, Jackie Mink is focused on winning a medal in the 800-meter run at the Class 3A state track and field meet. Mink, a senior at Collinsville, will attend Illinois State University on a track and cross country scholarship. (via )  

Kevin Gummerson, Minooka Gummerson is the girls track and cross country coach. He graduated from Schaumburg High School in 1994 and from Loyola University before coming to Minooka in 1999.  (via Herald News )

Putnam County senior Brianna Downey said she “really wasn’t planning on running” in college.But when she advanced out of the Class 1A Seneca Regional in cross country, she was contacted by the coaches at Aurora University. (via News Tribune )

Last year Kendrick Cornelius battled an opponent tougher than any on Palatine's schedule — cold weather. Arriving from Lake Charles, La., last December, Cornelius got a rude introduction to the spring track season in Illinois. (via triblocal )

Crystal Lake Central freshman Sami Staples is making big waves across Illinois in her first high school season. Staples won the Illinois Cross Country State Championship then the 1500 and 3000 meter runs at USATF Nationals. See how she got started in the sport, what typical training week is like, her goals for the outdoor season, and much more.

Check out performances by Illinois alumni for the week of April 16, 2012 - April 22, 2012.

 Here's a look back at the top performances from across Illinois for the week of April 16 - April 22, 2012.

Rochester High School’s Blake Pasley is a state champion in football and would love to be one in the pole vault. Pasley finished 11th at last year’s Class 1A state track and field meet as a sophomore when he cleared 13 feet 9. (via http://www.sj-r.com)

Metea Valley took an unorthodox approach to capture the most significant girls track and field crown in its brief history. Despite not winning any of the 18 events Saturday at the Ram Invitational in Lombard, the Mustangs secured the title to the 16-team meet largely courtesy of eight runners-up finishes. (via Daily Herald)

Sixteen teams came to Kaneland High School on Saturday in hopes of winning the Peterson Prep Invitational, but it was the home team that finished first. The Knights placed in 15 of 18 events, won two relays and had three individual champions on their way to capturing first place with 84 points. (via beaconnews.suntimes.com)

The Westmont girls track team finished in third place with 73 points at their own quad meet on Tuesday.  (via http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/westmont)

CRYSTAL LAKE – Cary-Grove senior Josh Freeman knew when he let released the shot that it was going to be something special. (via www.mchenrycountysports.com)

Check out performances by Illinois alumni for the week of April 09, 2012 - April 15, 2012.

Here's a look back at the top performances from across Illinois for the week of April 9 - April 15, 2012.

Illinois’ Andrew Riley has used his work ethic to graduate this December from business school. But this summer, Riley is using that same work ethic to clinch a spot on the Jamaican Olympic team. (via www.ncaa.com)

Hannah Finnegan of Pekin, Ill., and Tremont High School has signed a women's cross country scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana. She is XU's second runner signed for 2012. (via www.sportsnola.com)

It has been a rough start to the season for the Richwoods boys track and field team. Sprinters Kendrick Foster and Nick Parks and hurdler Clayton Glasper all have been out with injuries this week. Foster has a hip flexor injury, and hopes he’ll be ready to run Saturday when the Knights compete at the Ottawa ABC meet. Though Foster wants to be running, he knows the real reward will come at the end of May at the state meet. (via http://www.pjstar.com)

Universal Sports Network will provide live television and online coverage of the 2012 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. The marathon will air on Universal Sports Network, with live streaming presented free by TIMEX GPS® available on UniversalSports.com and through a link on BAA.org. The television and online coverage will showcase more than 20,000 runners tackling the historic 26.2 mile course, including many of the world’s elite marathoners. (AP Photo/Stew Milne) (via universalsports.com)

It took some advice from a physical education teacher for Evan Fisher to realize how big of a season his senior year would be. With Wisconsin-bound Malachy Schrobilgen handling the distances and Duke-bound Carl Heinz on jumps, someone was needed fill the gaps for Oak Park-River Forest. That burden has fallen on Fisher, who has become one of the West Suburban Conference’s top middle distance runners.(via riverforest.suntimes.com)

Illinois alumni competing in college for the week of April 2, 2012 - April 8, 2012.

Springfield High track and field was affected by the Illinois High School Association's new enrollment cutoffs for state series competition, with the Senators having to compete in Class 3A this year after being 2A in the past. But Petersburg PORTA also has to make a jump in class this spring, mainly because of a co-op agreement that will end after this year. (via http://www.sj-r.com)

MileSplit, the nation's leading destination for high school track & field coverage, announced today that they have launched a channel for the Roku device. The Roku is a small three-inch set top box that connects to any modern television, allowing a wide range of video content to be streamed to the big screen via a wireless internet connection.

Julian Hylton is ready to get a few good breaks, because he’s already had his share of bad ones. Healthy at last, the Lincoln-Way North sophomore has emerged as one of the state’s top sprinters. After taking third in the 55 meters at the Illinois (via southtownstar.suntimes.com)

BOYS TRACK: Carl Heinz eclipsed his personal record with a 7-foot-1 in the high jump Saturday at the Hornet Relays at Hinsdale South. (via riverforest.suntimes.com)

Scott Filip wandered across the middle of the infield at Wheaton North and spontaneously burst into a roundoff-backflip combo. (via chicagotribune.com)

Josh Freeman's offseason training helped him take more than a few steps toward his goals of winning two outdoor state throwing titles this season. (via chicagotribune.com)

Mark Coglianese, Providence Coglianese, the longtime track and football coach at Providence, has run the track program the past 12 years. On his children: “Mandy is at North Central. She’s part of the varsity 4-by-400 relay and she’s also in the 400 hurdles. Mark is a senior at Eastern Illinois. (via heraldnews.suntimes.com)

BELLEVILLE • Edwardsville runner Garrett Sweatt joined some elite company Friday afternoon at the 77th annual Belleville West/Norm Armstrong Invitational track meet. (via STLtoday.com)

Check out performaces from across Illinois in our Week In Review.

You've all seen someone settng the pace in a major race, the rabbit as they call them in the track and field world. In the spirit of the holidays I started thinking how come they never get any love? After all a great rabbit can help a runner to a new personal best, meet record, or even world leading time. Saucony 800 runner Molly Beckwith and former Indiana University teammate and rabbit for this race have a little fun with our Todd Grasley.

The 2011 boys track season ended with Plainfield South rallying to win the Class 3A state 1,600-meter relay by a nose. The 2012 outdoor season is just getting started, and chances are better than good the Cougars will add to their growing track history. “When (via heraldnews.suntimes.com)

Jillian Schwartz made it sound so simple.The 1997 Lake Forest High School graduate resides in Jonesboro, Ark., these days. “My life pretty much is watching movies, reading books and doing the athlete thing,” the 32-year-old Schwartz said. (via lakeforest.suntimes.com)

Zion Lutheran athletes established new records during the ninth annual Champaign St. John's Indoor Track and Field Invitational on Saturday at the University of Illinois Armory. (via http://www.lincolncourier.com)

The McHenry County area was treated to one of the most amazing girls track and field seasons by a runner in Illinois in 2011, as Woodstock’s Kayla Beattie launched an assault on every record possible. (via www.mchenrycountysports.com)

The host Elmwood/Brimfield boys and girls track and field teams each won a multi-team event Monday at Elmwood. The E/B boys won three of the four relays and received a field event double from Jordan Hoffmann (triple jump, long jump) to score 118 points — 36 more than second-place Notre Dame in a five-team field. (via http://www.pjstar.com)

There used to be an old adage on how one would find pole vaulters.A teacher would get a gym class together, drop down a climbing rope, tell students not to climb it and then leave the room. When the teacher came back, any student who attempted to climb would become a pole vaulter. (via Journal & Topics Newspapers Online)

Courtney Clayton is so good Hononegah coach Danny Savage calls the Class 3A state 800-meter runner-up the second-best athlete he has coached. No. 1 is Pittsburgh Steelers 1,000-yard rusher Rashard Mendenhall, whom he coached at Niles West. (via http://www.rrstar.com)

Since committing to the University of Illinois women’s track and field program in mid-November, Lindsey Rakosnik thinks about next school year every day. (via http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/lombard)

SIUE cross country Head Coach Eileen McAllister announced the signing of Clint Kliem (Burlington) and Scott Woodard (Tolono) to National Letters of Intent. (via www.siuecougars.com)

After winning the 400 and 100 hurdles at the Class 2A state meet last year — setting class records of 54.85 and 14.16 seconds, respectively, in the finals — Shamier Little is back, and looking to lower all those times. (via yourseason.suntimes.com)

With the Illinois High School Association rearranging its classes this year, the Rock Island girls track team wanted to see where it stacks up against its new Class 3A competition. The Rocks handled it just fine, winning the Gene Shipley Invitational by 28 points over 3A’s Wheaton Warrenville South. Rock Island set a half-dozen records on a day that saw 15 records fall of a possible 46. (via The Quad-City Times)

Kara Toel qualified for the Class 3A girls track and field state meet the first two seasons of her high school career. Getting back to Charleston this year for another state meet will be a challenge. The Pekin High School junior is recovering from a case of mono. Even though she’s practiced full-time for two weeks, she’ll run only a leg of a 4x400-meter relay today at the 19th annual Lady Dragon Relays at Memorial Stadium, Pekin’s first outdoor meet of the season. (via http://www.pekintimes.com)

If you have a High Jumper on your track team then you need this information.   Some of the most spectacular athletes to watch at a track meet are the high jumpers who seemingly have no limits.  Have you ever wondered how these athletes get to the point where they are so explosive and graceful to make every jump look as though it was the easiest thing in the world to accomplish? 

Check out highlights of the 2012 Illiniois Prep Top Times meet courtesy of NCTV17.

Heading into the first big weekend of the Illinois’ girls track season, here are five questions that will be answered this spring. (via The Quad-City Times)

When it comes to big meets, the 3,200-meter relay team from Minooka is up to the challenge. The foursome of Danny Bahret, Joey Santillo, Dan Popek and Joe McAsey won the Class 3A state title last year with a strong kick from McAsey to edge Barrington at the finish. (via heraldnews.suntimes.com)

Ford reached the Class 3A state finals in the 100-meter dash last year and finished ninth. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior running back was the Spartans’ leading ballcarrier and will attend Northern Illinois on a football scholarship. (via heraldnews.suntimes.com)

Aubry coached football and track at Streator Woodland, Lemont and Johnsburg before coming to Joliet in 2006. He graduated from Seneca High School in 1992 and attended Illinois Valley Community College and Northern Illinois before finishing at Illinois State. (via heraldnews.suntimes.com)  

This episode of The Fit Runner takes us to RDV Sportsplex in Maitland, Florida where we meet with physical therapist Laura Podschun to learn about stride mechanics, stretching and plyometrics drills.

Ben Rosario brings the 2nd installment on the MoMileSplit.com All Star Mile at the Festival of Miles watch list.

Lindsey Rakosnik of Glenbard East's girls track and field program won a pair of races at Saturday's Illinois Prep Top Times Meet held at Illinois Wesleyan. (via http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/villapark)

The Bolingbrook girls track team's 4 x 200-meter relay team shaved more than a second off its previous best time at the Illinois Prep Top Times indoor state meet on Saturday, but that wasn't the most impressive part. (via http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/bolingbrook)

Evergreen Park senior Chris Cheatham put his best foot forward with a fifth-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles in the Illinois Prep Top Times meet Saturday at Bloomington. (via Evergreen Park Patch)

Check out performaces from across Illinois in our Week In Review including the Illinois Prep Top Times meet which many call "Indoor State".

lllinois alum competing in college for the week of March 19 - March 25, 2012.

 Despite missing four of its top athletes, the Edwardsville boys track team used its depth Saturday afternoon to claim the Southwestern Illinois Relays at Edwardsville High School. (via STLtoday.com)

BLOOMINGTON — There was no team scoring in the Class 1A portion of the 23rd Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor (via pantagraph.com)

The track meet referred to as “indoor state” opens today at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center. The Class 1A competition in the annual Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic begins at 3:05 today with field events, followed by the first running event at 3:45. The meet showcases track and field athletes that matched or surpassed qualifying marks during the indoor season. (via http://www.starcourier.com)

Elexis Fairley knows what Morgan Park's move from Class 2A to 3A in girls track and field means for her. (via chicagotribune.com)

Check out performaces from across Illinois in our Week In Review.

The East Richland High School boys track-and-field team competed Saturday in the Charleston Indoor Invitational at Eastern Illinois University. Blaine Storer tied for sixth in the high jump and Shane Newman placed eighth in the 800-meter run. Anthony Helm set a personal best in the shot put, finishing 22nd with a heave of 42-5. (via http://www.olneydailymail.com)  

Despite the graduation of superstar sprinter Kellion Gordon, the future looks sunny for the Niles West girls track and field team. Twins Sunshine and Sunbright Simon come into their junior year ready to make their mark on the Wolves’ program. (via lincolnwood.suntimes.com)

Illinois alum competing in college for the week of March 05 - March 11, 2012.

MoMileSplit.com High School All Star Mile is looking for the top milers in the region to compete at this years Festival of Miles on May 31st in St. Louis.

Unseasonably warm temperatures usher in the start of the spring season for high school athletes. Here’s a breakdown of individual athletes to keep an eye on down the school year’s final stretch. (via http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/elmhurst)

Download - Released March 15, 2012 Whoa! This looks different! Please forgive the fact that this update is in a transitional change. We are in the pro… (via racetab.milesplit.com)

First Lady Michelle Obama has been appointed to lead the US delegation to the London Olympics this summer. (via Telegraph.co.uk)

A new artificial turf field for football and soccer has caused plenty of excitement at Collinsville High School, but Darryl Frerker has reason to be pleased as well. (via STLtoday.com)

Edwardsville has a new head coach for girls track and field, but she needs no introduction to the Tiger tradition. (via STLtoday.com)

Roxford Jefferson senior Remaxy Ponchol now knows where he will spend the next four years of his running career. Ashford University Head Cross Country & Assistant Track & Field Coach informed MileSplit Illinois of Ponchol's decision and is pleased to welcome the senior to the team. Ponchol owns personal best times of 10:07.30 in the 3200 and 15:54.30 in the three mile.

The Wolves, who are winding down the indoor season, return two state qualifiers in junior thrower Jasmine Townsend and junior hurdler Sydney Hellwig. Head coach Mark Medland said the pair, along with senior Jessica Sutfin, another veteran of state competition, will play important roles. (via skokie.suntimes.com)

Check out performaces from across Illinois in our Week In Review.

It’s not very often that a record is blown twice in a row. Sarah Bell of Bloomington and Jessica Melchi were too busy fighting for first place in the pole vault, but fans around were reacting in cheers as both broke the Charleston Indoor Invitational pole vaulting record of 11 feet, six inches. Bell eventually set the new record by pole vaulting 12-0, while Melchi finished with 11-9. Belleville West took the Class AA title with 88 points. (via JG-TC.com)

Southern Illinois' Jeneva McCall, a senior from  Dolton , won the weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Division I Championships Friday afternoon in Nampa, Idaho. (via chicagotribune.com)

Illinois alum competing in college for the week of March 05 - March 11, 2012.

The Illinois track and field program came away from the NCAA Indoor Championships without any titles, but gained motivation and confidence for the outdoor season. (via www.dailyillini.com)

  We are now one of the most widely used online registration system for high school meets in Nation. Wanna know why? Because we provide a convinient way for coaches to enter right from the MileSplt calendar and save meet directors HOURS of time. Online Meet Registration by MileSplit is the most affordable, easy-to-use way to handle your online meet entry exclusively for cross country and track & field. AND, it helps to keep your MileSplit state site strong. Launched in fall of 2008, countless meet directors and a number of timers across the country are using it as their go-to online registration system. It is flexible, as well, working with both HyTek and our own FREE meet manager, called RaceTab.  

One of the top-five female runners in the history of East Peoria Community High School will continue her athletic career. (via http://www.eastpeoriatimescourier.com)

As a new feature on MileSplit Illinois, we are honoring top athletes each week by naming a male and female athlete of the week award. This award will go to athletes who were star performers in the week prior. An athlete may only win the award once per season. This week's award goes to Mark Balmes of Hersey and Savannah Carson of Neuqua Valley. Balmes unleashed the shot put an impressive 54-8.5 while Carson put up a great time in the 55 meter dash and leaped a nationally ranked 19-6 in the long jump.

Bremen is coming off its best season in school history, but when competition starts this spring, it will be considered a conference dark horse against district rival Hillcrest in the South Suburban Blue. (via southtownstar.suntimes.com)

Check out performaces from across Illinois in our Week In Review.

Illinois alum competing in college for the week of February 27, 2012 - March 04, 2012.

Kayla MacDavitt has had her share of "Booyah" moments playing volleyball and basketball for St. Bede Academy. Her future moments in the sports arena will come in track and field, however. (via www.bcrnews.com)

Roger Bannister remembers those fabled four minutes as if they were yesterday, still as vivid in his mind today as that blustery late afternoon more than half a century ago. (via www.universalsports.com)

Bahamian junior sprinter Printassia Johnson, a 2011 graduate of Queen's College, was awarded a full athletic scholarship to attended Illinois State University, a prestigious National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I school in Chicago, Illinois, this spring (via www.thenassauguardian.com)

Women’s track and field head coach Tonja Buford-Bailey knew freshman Ashley Spencer was going to be star before she ever donned an Illinois uniform. (via www.dailyillini.com)

In sports, it’s about numbers. Leo High School won their latest track and field state title last May by one point. This marked the school’s sixth state championship. When Leo won its first state title in 1981, it became the first Catholic school to take the top trophy in track and field, and no other Catholic school in Illinois has done that since then. (via Chicago News Cooperative)  

Chanel Kellyman and Megan Gregory each won conference titles Saturday at the Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships, helping the Northern Illinois track & field team to their best indoor conference finish in history. (via www.niuhuskies.com)

For the Illini men’s track and field squad, its work that began in the fall will come to head this weekend. (via www.dailyillini.com)

In the third episode of The Fit Runner our host is Dr. Giddeon J. Lewis, foot and ankle specialist, and Chairman of the MileSplit Medical Advisory Board. Joining Dr. Lewis to talk about "Heel Pain" are professional triathletes Jarrod Shoemaker and Alicia Kaye, along with University of Central Florida athletic trainer Jennifer Perez. The group will discuss causes of heel pain as well as preventative tips. This is the latest episode in our series on being a fit runner.

Geneseo senior track and field standout Kaci Storm has committed to run track at Iowa State University next year. She is being recruited as a pentathlete/heptathlete and will study bioengineering. Other finalists included Iowa, Illinois and Butler. (via http://www.geneseorepublic.com)

Edwardsville standout Garrett Sweatt decided to go past National Signing Day to ensure his college decision was the right one. After much consideration  Sweatt chose to take his talents out west to Palo Alto, California and run for Stanford University. says the recruiting process has been amazing and the opportunity to talk to coaches from all over the country gave him an insight as to what college running would be like.