The American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Girls Track and Field team was selected by Fred Baer, the founder of the Track and Field Writers of America, and Mike Kennedy, the high school editor of Track & Field News.
Performances are from 2014 unless otherwise noted. Asterisk (*) denotes a returning ALL-USA first-team selection.
i – denotes indoor performance; all others are outdoors.
w – indicates wind over the allowable limit of 2.0 meters per second for record and ranking purposes.
Sprints (100 & 200)
*Teahna Daniels, The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.), Sr. – 11.31, in 100; 23.68, in 200.
*Candace Hill, Rockdale County (Conyers, Ga.), So. – 11.44 (11.34w), in 100; 23.12, in 200.
Diamond Spaulding, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Sr. – 11.62 (11.51w), in 100; 23.36 (23.00w), in 200.
With 2014 athlete of the year and national 100 meter recordholder Kaylin Whitney (11.10 seconds) of East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.) turning pro before her junior season earlier this month, the 2015 sprint field is suddenly wide open. Leading the group are All-USA returnees Hill and Daniels (the New Balance Indoor Nationals winner at 60 meters this month). Hill won both sprints at USA Track & Field’s Junior Olympics. Spaulding’s wind-aided 200 in 2014 ranks among elite company on the all-conditions all-time high school list for the event.
Long Sprints / Middle Distances (400 & 800)
*Kaelin Roberts, Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), So. – 52.52, in 400.
Zola Golden, Arlington (LaGrangeville, N.Y.), Sr. – 52.82, in 400.
Roberts impressed as a freshman in 2014, winning the California State (CIF) 400-meter title. Golden was the New Balance Outdoor Nationals champ.
Distances (1,500, 1,600, mile, 3K, 3,200, 2-mile, 5K)
*Hannah DeBalsi, Staples (Westport, Conn.), Jr. – 9:26.10, in 3,000; 9:55.05, in 2 mile.
Ryen Frazier, Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.), Sr. – 4:41.21i, in mile; 10:02.86i, in 2 mile (both ’15).
Katie Rainsberger, Air Academy (Colorado Springs), Jr. – 4:41.07, in mile.
DeBalsi had the No. 3 all-time 2-mile time in 2014 (ranking behind record holder Bethan Knights, now at California). Rainsberger ranked No. 2 in the mile in 2014. Frazier was the top indoor distance runner this winter.
Hurdles (100, 300, 400)
*Reonna Collier, Vacaville (Calif.), So. – 13.76, in 100H, 40.90, in 300H; 58.55, in 400H.
*Alexis Duncan, DeSoto (Texas), Jr. – 13.33, in 100H; 43.89, in 300H.
*Sydney McLaughlin, Union Catholic (Scotch Plains, N.J.), So. – 13.34, in 100H; 55.63, in 400H.
Three ALL-USA hurdlers return. McLaughlin set age 14 and freshman class records in the 400 hurdles last year but was too young to compete in the World Junior Championships in Oregon. Collier set an age 15 record and was the California champ in both hurdles, also as a freshman. She was the co-national leader in the 300 hurdles and has transferred from Piedmont Hills (San Jose) to Vacaville. Duncan cracked the all-time top 20 in the 100 hurdles.
Vertical Jumps (high jump & pole vault)
*Vashti Cunningham, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Jr. – 6-3, in HJ.
*Kaitlyn Merritt, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Sr. – 13-9. in PV.
*Lexi Weeks, Cabot (Ark.), Sr. – 14-3 1/4i, in PV (’15).
University of Arkansas-bound Lexi Weeks has already set a national indoor pole vault record this year.
Only the outdoor record of 14-7 1/4, set last year by Desiree Freier of Northwest (Justin, Texas), is better. Lexi’s twin sister, Victoria (Tori), has cleared 14-0 1/2 indoors already this year to rank No. 4 on the all-time high school list. Two-time ALL-USA high jumper Cunningham ranks No. 3 all-time at 6-3, an inch shy of the high school record.
Horizontal Jumps (long jump & triple jump)
Asa Garcia, Texas City (Texas), Sr. – 43-2 1/4i, in TJ (’15).
Kate Hall, Lake Region (Naples, Maine), Sr. – 20-11 1/4i in LJ (’15).
Chinne Okoronkwo, Mount Terrace (Wash.), Jr. – 41-10i, in TJ (’15).
Hall won the long jump and Garcia the triple jump at the NB Indoor Nationals this month.
Throws (shot put, discus, hammer, javelin)
Tairyn Montgomery, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Jr. – 168-1, in JT.
Haley Showalter, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Sr. – 193-4, in HT.
Montgomery won the NB Outdoor Nationals and USATF National Junior Olympics javelin throw in 2014. Showalter won the USATF Junior Nationals hammer throw.