Teams coordinated by Fred Baer, founder, Track and Field Writers of America.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Don Norford, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
Retiring Long Beach Poly (Calif.) coach Don Norford has won 18 California Interscholastic Federation state girls and boys team titles, more than any other coach.
His Poly teams own more national relay records that any other school – and dominated the 2014 season. Long Beach Poly had national-leading times in three of the four regular championship meet relay races, and all won California state titles.
The Long Beach Press Telegram has called the 68-year-old Norford “the most successful high school coach California has ever seen.”
*Don Norford is both the ALL-USA Boys and Girls Coach of the Year
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Kaylin Whitney, sophomore, East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.), 11.10, 100; 22.49, 200
Say goodbye to Marion Jones, Allyson Felix, and Angela Williams — who have dominated the high school record book for most of the last quarter century.
Say hello to Kaylin Whitney, just finishing her sophomore year at East Ridge High in Clermont, Fla. The 16-year-old has catapulted to the top of the high school sprint record lists and leads the 2014 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Track and Field Team.
In June, Whitney had not even posted the best high school times this year.
This month, she became the fastest high school sprinter ever in America and the World Youth (under age 18) record-holder at both 100 and 200 meters.
On consecutive days at the USA Track & Field’s Junior Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., Whitney ran 11.10 seconds for the 100 and 22.49 for the 200, both with legal aiding winds well under the allowable of 2.0 meters per second.
Whitney was surprised with her 200-meter performance on top of her 100 record.
“I think more this one than the 100,” she said, “because my PR before this one was just 22.8. Yeah, it was insane. Sky’s the limit. You can only go up from here … and bringing it out in a few weeks when I come back. … It really helps me get closer to that dream of being on the Olympic team one day.”
She will begin her international dreams next week (July 22-27), however, leading Team USA at the IAAF World Junior Championships on the same University of Oregon track.
The previous 100 records were 10.11 (high school) by Williams of Chino, Calif., in 1998 and 10.13 (world youth) by Chandra Cheeseborough of Ribault (Jacksonville, Fla.), at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials (which also was the high school record until Williams broke it).
The 200 marks were 22.51 (high school) by Felix of Los Angeles Baptist (North Hills, Calif.) in 2003 and 22.58 (world youth) by Jones for Thousand Oaks, Calif., in 1992.
There is one faster 200 mark — 22.11, by Felix — set at high altitude Mexico City in 2004. That time has not been internationally ratified due to the lack of drug testing in conjunction with that meet.
(Although the 22.11 is the “listed” American Junior record, the IAAF recognizes the 22.18 by Felix as a 19-year-old post high school pro as the World Junior record. Whitney has a few more years to try to straighten that out.)
Not since USATF Hall of Fame member Cheeseborough, nearly four decades ago, has one athlete headed both sprint lists. And Cheeseborough’s 22.76 record at 200 meters in 1975 came with the advantage of Mexico City’s mile-high altitude, running for Team USA at the Pan American Games. Her best marks were not set the same year, let alone at the same meet.
Jones was the previous fastest high school sophomore, running 11.17 and 22.76 for Rio Mesa (Oxnard, Calif.) in 1991, before transferring to Thousand Oaks – and then 11.14 and 22.58 for 16-year-old age records. The latter mark, at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials, remained the official world youth (under 18) record until this month.
FIRST TEAM
Teams coordinated by Fred Baer, founder, Track and Field Writers of America. Girls selections by Mike Kennedy, high school editor of Track and Field News.
Criteria included rankings on USA Today and Track and Field News national lists, the number of top performances and head-to-head competition during the regular season and in major postseason meets. The selections were made by Mike Kennedy, high school editor of Track and Field News, and coordinated by Fred Baer, founder of Track and Field Writers of America.
Athletes are listed alphabetically in each general event area. Races in meters unless noted. (Field events in feet and inches).
w = wind-aided (more than 2.0 meters a second).
i = performed indoors. All other marks are with outdoor specifications.
Implements and hurdles (H) are high school unless noted: (yth.) world youth, (jr.) junior, (intl.) college/international.
* = repeat All-USA performer.
Athlete, high school (location), performances
Sprints (100 & 200)
Teahna Daniels, junior, The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.), 11.31, 100; 23.68, 200
Candace Hill, freshman, Rockdale County (Conyers, Ga.), 11.44 (11.34w), 100; 23.12, 200
*Ariana Washington, senior, Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), 1l 22, 100; 22.96. 200
Kaylin Whitney, sophomore, East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.), 11.10, 100; 22.49, 200
Long Sprints / Middle Distances (400, 800)
*Olivia Baker, senior, Columbia (Maplewood, N.J.), 52.46. 400; 2:06.01, 800
*Elise Cranny, senior, Niwot, Colo., 2:04.81, 800; 4:10.95, 1,500; 10:17.48, 3,200
*Alexa Efraimson, junior, Camas, Wash., 2:03.26, 800; 4:07.05, 1,500; 4:33.29, 1,600; 4:32.15i, mile; 9:55.92, 3,200
Kaelin Roberts, freshman, Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), 52.52, 400
Raevyn Rogers, senior, The Kinkaid School (Houston), 54.51, 400; 2:04.40, 800
Distances (1,500, 1,600, mile, 3K, 3,200, 2-mile, 5K)
Hannah DeBalsi, sophomore, Staples (Westport, Conn.), 9:55.05, 2-mile
Sarah Feeny, senior, Ogden, Utah, 4:39.42, mile; 10:13.86, 3,200
Stephanie Jenks, sophomore, Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa), 4:42.68, mile; 9:24.67, 3,000; 10:06.54, 2-mile
Bethan Knights, senior, Northwood, (Irvine, Calif.), 4:42.29, 1,600; 9:18.1, 3,000; 9:53.34, 2-mile
Amelia Paladino, senior, University (Morgantown, W.V.), 10:00.42, 3,200
Hurdles (100, 300, 400)
Tiana Bonds, senior, Centennial (Las Vegas), 13.50, 100H; 40.90, 300H
Reonna Collier, freshman, Piedmont Hills (San Jose, Calif.), 40.90, 300H; 58.55, 400H
Alexis Duncan, sophomore, DeSoto, Texas, 13.33, 100H
*Dior Hall, senior, George Washington (Denver), 13.00, 100H
Sydney McLaughlin, freshman, Union Catholic (Scotch Plains, N.J.), 13.34, 100H; 55.63, 400H
Vertical Jumps (high jump, pole vault)
*Vashti Cunningham, sophomore, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 6-3, HJ
Bonnie Draxler, senior, Wrightstown, Wis., 13-11 1/4, PV
*Desiree Freier, senior, Northwest (Justin, Texas), 14-3 1/4 (14-6i), PV
Kaitlyn Merritt, junior, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) 13-9, PV
Lexi Weeks, junior, Cabot, Ark., 14-0, PV
Horizontal Jumps (long jump, triple jump)
*Courtney Corrin, sophomore, Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 20-8 1/4, LJ
Margaux Jones, junior, Redlands, Calif., 20-5 1/2 (20-9w), LJ
*Keturah Orji, senior, Mount Oliver (Flanders, N.J.), 20-11 3/4, LJ; 44-1 1/2 (44-9w), TJ
Chyna Ries, senior, East (Denver), 20-10 3/4 (21-4w), LJ
Throws (shot put, discus, hammer, javelin)
*Ashlie Blake, senior, Liberty (Henderson, Nev.), 53-10 3/4i, SP; 166-1, DT
Raven Saunders, senior, Burke (Charleston, S.C.), 56-8 1/4 (56-7 1/4i), SP
*Stamatia Scarvalis, senior, Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.), 53-9 1/4, SP; 172-7 DT
Haley Teel, senior, Gregory-Portland (Portland, Texas), 51-6 1/2, SP
Heptathlon
Shaina Burns, senior, South (Lakeville, Minn.), 5,363
Ashlee Moore, senior, Hamilton (Chandler, Aziz.), 5,418
SECOND TEAM
Sprints
Diamond Spaulding, junior, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 11.61 (11.51w), 100; 23.36 (23.00w), 200
Ky Westbrook, senior, Chandler, Ariz., 11.43, 100
Long Sprints / Middle Distances
Zola Golden, junior, Arlington (Lagrangeville, N.Y.), 52.82, 400
Rose Christen, senior, Central Kitsap, (Silverdale, Wash.), 2:05.64, 800
Distances
Allie Ostrander, junior, Kenai Central (Kenai, Alaska), 10:03.66; 3,200
Katie Rainsberger, sophomore, Air Academy (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 4:41.07, mile
Hurdles
Ashley Miller, sophomore, Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), 13.38, 100H
Jasmine Quinn, senior, Fort Dorchester (Charleston, S.C.), 13.37 (13.33w), 100H
Vertical Jumps
Kaitlyn Merritt, junior, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), 13-9, PV
Kally Long, Wimberley, Texas, 13-6, PV
Horizontal Jumps
Tiffany Flynn, senior, Miller Grove (Atlanta), 41-11, TJ
Bria Matthews, junior, Forest Park, Ga., 42-1, TJ
Throws
Tairyn Montgomery, sophomore, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 163-1, JT
Haley Showalter, junior, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), 193-4, HT