The 2017 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Track and Field teams are coordinated by Fred Baer, the founder of Track and Field Writers of America. Girls selections are made by Mike Kennedy, high school editor of Track and Field News.
Criteria included ranking on USA TODAY Sports and Track and Field News national lists and the number of top performances along with head-to-head competition during the regular season and in major postseason meets.
Athletes are listed alphabetically in each general event area. Races in meters unless noted. Field events in feet and inches.
MORE: ALL-USA Girls Track & Field Teams
Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Sydney McLaughlin, Union Catholic
Girls Track & Field Coach of the Year: Joe Lee, Bullis School
Here are the athletes selected in the long sprints/middle distances (400, 800 and mile). Returning ALL-USA selections are denoted with an asterisk (*).
HSR = all-time U.S. high school record mark.
w = wind-aided (more than 2.0 meters a second).
i = performed indoors.
* = repeat ALL-USA performer.
FIRST TEAM
Caitlin Collier
School: Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Year: Junior
Time, event: 2:03.32 in 800
Lexy Halladay
School: Mountain View (Meridian, Idaho)
Year: Freshman
Time, event: 4:41.80 in mile
Rachel McArthur
School: Patriot (Nokesville, Va.)
Year: Senior
Times, events: 2:05.43 in 800; 4:41.67 in 1,600
*Samantha Watson
School: Rush-Henrietta (Henrietta, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
Times, events: 2:00.78 in 800; 4:47.72 in mile
NOTEWORTHY: Watson finished third against an international pro field at the Prefontiane 800; later made the finals of the USATF championships, finishing sixth in 2:00.99. Her 2:00.78 best at the Adidas Boost Games ranks No. 3 on the all-time high school list, headed by Mary Cain (1:59.51) of Bronxville, N.Y. in 2013 (which is still the only high school sub-2 minute performance).
Collier won the USATF Junior 800.
Halladay set a high school freshman record with the season’s fastest mile, 4:41.80, erasing the mark of 4:42.0 established in 1973 by Mary Decker of Portola JHS (Orange, Calif.). McArthur had the best time in the slightly shorter 1,600 meters (a confusing distance run only on the high school level in several states, but not elsewhere in the world).
SECOND TEAM
Lynna Irby
School: Pike (Indianapolis)
Year: Senior
Time, event: 52.83 in 400
Gabrielle Wilkinson
School: Friends Central (Wynnewood, Pa.)
Year: Junior
Time, event: 2:06.03 in 800