The American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Girls Track and Field Team was selected by Fred Baer, the founder of Track and Field Writers of America, and Mike Kennedy, the high school editor for Track & Field News.
The preseason team features 13 returnees from the 2015 ALL-USA team selected last spring but two other stars have turned pro and are not competing for their high schools this season.
As a sophomore last year at Rockdale County (Conyers, Ga.), Candace Hill, became the first high school girl to officially break 11 seconds in the 100 meters with a wind-legal 10.98, which was also a world youth record. She went onto win gold medals at 100 and 200 meters at the World Youth Championships in Colombia. Hill, who turned 17 in February, signed a 10-year pro contract with Asics.
In March, high jumper Vashti Cunningham of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) became the youngest woman to win an IAAF world indoor title in any event and a week later signed a pro contract with Nike. Last April, she had the best high jump of any American, 6-4 1/4, to break a 22-year-old high school record. In August, Cunningham raised the mark to 6-5 while winning the gold medal at the Pan Am Junior (under age 20) championships. While still competing for Gorman during the recent indoor season Cunningham won the USATF indoor title at 6-6 1/4 to set a world junior record — and lead the world for the season.
RELATED: ALL-USA Preseason Boys Track and Field Team
Sprinter Kaylin Whitney, top 2014 All-USA athlete as a sophomore at East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.), signed a Nike contract after that season and is a third current elite high school girl already on the pro circuit. She turned 18 in March. All hope to earn U.S. Olympic Team berths at the U.S. Trials in Eugene in July 1-10.
The honorees are divided based on event. Follow the links below for each group; athletes are listed alphabetically.
Athletes marked with asterisks denote they were selected last year as well. Races are in meters unless noted. Field events are listed in feet and inches. (i) indicates an indoor performance.