Here are the top girls returners by event
The distance events (including the 4x8 relay) is going to another pressure cooker this season. Count on it!
2014 was a banner year when you compare it to... 2013 when it was incredibly awful.....
The sprints will be hot this season with many star juniors back and other emerging speedsters ready to make a name for themselves. Check out this preview to see what is predicted of them.
2014 turned out to be a very memorable year in the field. The action was highlighted by the exploits of Luke Winder in the pole vault with his record setting performances indoors and outside. Secondly, Jonathan Wells went from the gridiron to the track and did his thing. He won the state long jump and high jump titles. Along the way was a top 5 mark in the HJ with a sensational 7-2 at the Wheeling Relays indoors. It will be hard for this year's crop of talent to duplicate what happened in 2014, but don't expect the next crop of emerging talent to sit silent. 2015 should be another year in the field events.
We once said that the 3A sprints and hurdles were hotter than a stove. The wave of super talent coming and going over the past six seasons bared nothing but the truth. The list is too long to dispel but you have heard of Aaliyah Brown and Shamier Little haven't you? How about Akinosun Morolake or Emma Spagnola? The talent pool has just gotten much lighter with the exodus over the past two seasons. We will now sit back and watch emerging talent come to the surface and become stars.
Eureka is definitely a team to watch for outdoors but what about during the undercover season? There are teams like Chicago (Leo), Tuscola, Paxton-Buckley-Loda, and Shelbyville who run a competitive indoor season and put a premium on their performances. We all know that the outdoor season is much more important with higher stakes on the line, but why not see where you sit with the outdoor season still several months way?
If you believe in momentum then you have to tab Lindsay Graham as the pre-season's premier choice in the 3200m.
Cahokia uses the indoor season as a set up for the all important outdoor campaign. The Comanches will be aiming for their 5th consecutive state title in May.
These rankings were calculated by scoring the rankings as a meet. We scored 20 deep for individuals and 20 deep for relays. For example, for individuals 1st place received 20 points for their team, on down to 1 point for 20th place.
Athletes whose graduation years are unknown were left out of the list.
Here are the top running 100m dash men for the 2015 season
The field events are the life source of track and field. It is where the meet begins and sometimes end depending on what event it is.
There are very few high school student-athletes who can make the claim that they have competed well on the elite level since grammar school- let alone still competing well on the varsity level. We all know the horror stories of child prodigies growing bored of the sport they loved as youngsters. We have seen the kids who showed promise at age 10 to only become a statistic of mother nature's maturing process.
We all know that the outdoor season is much more important with higher stakes on the line, but why not see where you sit with the outdoor season still several months way? The virtual meet is based on the returning athlete's performances from the 2014 indoor track and field season. Can talented athletes such Jenny Kimbro (Jamaica) and Anna Sophia Keller (Effingham St. Anthony) carry their team to victory during the undercover season?
Not a single competitor at the 2A Boys track level enters this season with a state track or cross country state championship…
Relays are a vital part of running track and field- especially in high school and at the state level. It often can make or break one's team chances of winning a meet. It doesn't matter if it is a dual, invitational, and especially the state championship
The field events will be interesting this season and perhaps historic with Cahokia superstar Ja'mari Ward leading the way in the jumps. He will be like a rock star in a sport dominated by sprint men and great distance runners.
The 2A division was shown an infusion of talent at the start of 2014-15 school season led by the junior from Peoria (Notre Dame) in Maryjeanne Gilbert. Gilbert produced one of the most memorable cross country seasons this past fall by any Illinois school girl. Now she and a few other ladies hope to continue the surge through the upcoming track and field campaign.
Classification movement will continue to put the sprints and hurdles on an unbalanced plane. Still, it should not keep up and coming athletes from emerging and becoming the next big thing.
Over the coming weeks leading up to the start of the track season we will take a look at the top individuals and teams. We start off with our 1A boys projected team scores where it looks to be good Shelbyville squad looking to dominate. Tuscola and Eureka are quality pics too. See where last year's champ Aurora Christian is positioned.
Over the coming weeks leading up to the start of the track season we will take a look at the top individuals and teams. We start off with our 1A girls projected team scores where it looks to be a tight battle between Illini West, Seneca, and Sullivan. Illini West has a well balanced team despite losing a few quality pieces to graduation. See inside this exclusive who are the teams to beat!
It is true that some familiar and very talented young ladies who have elevated the field events in 2A to prominent status have graduated. But at the same time there are a few top draws to look out for. The long jump, triple jump, and pole vault appear to be the top events on the docket.
The distance side of things in Class A is going to be wonderful this season. At least it plans to be for emerging superstar Jon Davis...
Class A is a little different than say 3A to restock talent and/or relay legs. Let's take a look at each event and what may become law in 2015.
The landscape of Class A sprinting is going to be even more different than last year due to heavy graduation- especially in the 400m. All five sprint events experienced a major power outage. It will be interesting to see who will step up as the long season unfolds.
The Class A Boys field events will be going through some changes with transfers, graduations, and movements
There are some folks who think relays are for the fans, as if the coaches that put together fast units are doing it for fun or to supplement their egos. Yes, it is true that some schools pride themselves in being termed a "relay school." But by and large relays serve a greater purpose of scoring points that help teams score crucial points.