Girls track and field: Five athletes to watch in 2024 in the Northwest Herald area

Here are five girls track and field athletes to watch in the Northwest Herald area for the 2024 season.

Sophie Amin, Huntley, senior

Amin was winning her 100-meter high hurdles race at the Class 3A Huntley Sectional last year when she clipped the third hurdle from the finish and suffered a dislocated left ankle. She worked hard on her rehabilitation and is back faster than ever in indoor meets this season. Amin, who will run at NCAA Division I South Dakota, was part of Huntley’s record-setting 4x100 relay team at the FVC Meet and took seconds in the 100 high hurdles and 100 meters, which are back-to-back races. She should be in medal contention at state in the 100 high hurdles and also may run the 300 low hurdles this year.

Caitlyn Casella, Johnsburg, senior

The Skyhawks’ senior has been the Kishwaukee River Conference’s top sprinter the last two seasons. Although she has not medaled at the Class 2A State Meet, who ran her best 100 time (12.21) in last year’s preliminaries and came up one spot from qualifying. Casella was 100 and 200 champion at the KRC Meet and qualified for state in those races and with the Skyhawks’ 4x100 relay team.

Vicky Evtimov, Huntley, senior

Evtimov ran legs in the Red Raiders’ 4x100 (second) and 4x200 (third) relays in the Class 3A State Meet. She was the FVC 200 champion and ran a leg on Huntley’s record-setting 4x100 relay. At the Huntley Sectional, she ran legs in the winning 4x100 and 4x200 relays and was 200 runner-up. She will run at D-I Milwaukee next year. She was a crucial part of Huntley’s Class 3A team state champion.

Ashley Janeczko, Woodstock North, sr.

Janeczko won the shot put and discus at both the McHenry County Meet and the KRC Meet. She qualified for both in the Class 2A Sectional Meet and made the finals of shot put, where she placed ninth. The Thunder senior is back to defend her KRC titles and make another run toward the state meet.

Dominique Johnson, Huntley, jr.

Johnson won the Class 3A triple jump at 12.35 meters (40-6 3/4), 3 1/2 inches better than her sister Alex, who now competes at Arizona State, who was the defending champion. Dominque Johnson played a huge role in the Red Raiders’ state title, taking fifth in long jump and running legs of their 4x100 (second) and 4x200 (third) relays. She will be a vital part of a team that hopes to make another run at a state team trophy (top-three finish).