2016 Class 2A Girls Sprints & Hurdles Preview

Mariya Hudson finishes light years ahead of the competition in one of her state title races in 2015 (Sabrina Mendoza photo)

As we move up the chain to 3A the firepower and talent in the speed category really begins to show its head. Let's use Cahokia junior star Mariya Hudson as an example. Hudson won the triple crown last year at the state meet when she swept the 100, 200, and 400 in dominating fashion. Her team was victorious enroute which made her feat even better. The speed and hurdles events will unfold with excitement and uncertainly as the year moves along.

100m-

2015 State Champion: Mariya Hudson (Jr., Cahokia) 12.02

Outlook: Prior to the state championship all the talk was surrounding the favorite Dominique Lewis (Champaign Centennial) who was the queen of the indoor season. Even Anna Sloan (River Forest) Trinity was supposed to finish among the top two. However, Mariya Hudson had other ideas for her foes. Being that she was already one of the state's premier speedsters it was hard to believe that she could even sneak up on competition and then go for the kill. Did they not pay attention to the 11.95 that she dropped in early April? Probably not and the end result was a surprising finish over Lewis. This season things should be just as thrilling with Hudson pursuing another triple crown. It will start with the Century which is the ultimate crap shoot race. Among some of the returning names are quality athletes who may not yet be household names. The list leader Keniya Smith waited until the summer to show off some burning speed. Her time does come into question because her previous best was 12.88. Hopefully she is not a one-time wonder. Her teammate Imani Carothers on the other hand is extremely talented as she is the 100H defending state champion. Tredaja Harris is a little known name in from the southern sector qualified for the state meet but missed the state final. Makayla Pierce may be a factor after dropping in from 3A. She is a two-time all-stater in the 4x1 and 4x2 relays. Hopefully this season she will find herself among the best.

Top returners in 2016-

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100HH-

2015 State Champion: Imani Carothers (Chicago Brooks) 14.46

Outlook: Carothers was a bubbling figure just above the surface before entering the Illinois high school scene prior to high school. The former youth standout came to do what she wanted in her initial prep season and the end result was a tight win over Raynesha Lewis. Carothers, a basketball standout through much of the winter, was even better during the summer season producing a national attention seeker 14.07. That legal mark should Carothers even more confidence against the likes of newcomer Grace Cronin, who moves down from 3A. Cronin is more a long sprinter but being a technically sound hurdler keeps her ripe for upsets. State runner up Lewis cannot forget about the narrow loss to a then freshman Carothers. A total of seven all-staters will make this a race one of the key items to watch all season.

Top Returners for 2016-

*Complete List

400m-

2015 State Champion: Mariya Hudson (Cahokia) 54.79

Outlook: Hudson is the top overall returner in the state in her best event. This may be the season that we see Hudson run even faster. It is time for us to witness a mark under 54-seconds and that progression appears to be the way. Hudson is already one of the premier long sprinter in IHSA History after just two seasons. She now in position to be a figure on the national scene. The only downside to Hudson's resume is she usually shuts it down or scales back after the high school calendar. Another figure on the scene is not a misprint. Karina Liz is not only one of the best 800m runners in the state, she is one of the elite 400m sprinters as well. The 56.18 is not something you want to overlook. It happens to be the fifth fastest returning time in the state. Of the eight all-staters returning, it is name Allie Heinzer that is the most underrated on the page. It may be that Heinzer is on a team that does not get the same accolades as Cahokia. However, Heinzer should not be ignored when you consider that she never ran under 60.00 prior to last year. Heinzer also ran on the all-state 4x1 and 4x2 relay teams. The only name not returning is the second placer Deven Bax of Lincoln Way West who graduated. Likkaya Keyes is on the list as being from Morgan Park but she transferred to Rich South. This event may be the deepest top to bottom in the classification.

Top returners in 2016-

 *Complete List