These are the 15 top girls track and field stars to watch from the Rockford area

Last year was another powerful season for girls track and field around the Rockford area, and sparked by the Class 1A team title won by Winnebago, and the four state champs, 12 individuals and five relay teams that earned medals, it set the stage for another strong season this year.

And after the indoor season concluded, and things have begun to move outside, it's clear that there is some exciting young talent to keep an eye on in the girls track and field realm around the area.

So let's take a look at some of the top stars to watch for:

Indoor state track and field: Find out who from Rockford area won indoor state titles, or stepped up at indoor finale

Natassja Bowman, Guilford thrower

Bowman, who won the NIC-10 indoor title earlier this month, took 12th in the shot put at the Illinois Top Times Indoor State Championship at the Class 3A level on Saturday with a put of 32-feet-10 1/4. She will be in the hunt for a NIC-10, sectional and state title this year.

Letrese Buisker, Forreston jumper, sprinter

Now a senior, Buisker placed third in the outdoor state high jump in 1A last year, and she is poised to make a run at it again this outdoor season. She is signed to join the Eastern Illinois University track and field team next year.

Zariah Burnett, Guilford jumper, sprinter

Burnett placed fourth in the state in the 3A high jump competition last year, and then last weekend she cleared 5-foot-7, which was her conference record clearance last year, to win indoor state. She's also a key cog to Guilford's blazing fast sprint relay teams that will be in the hunt for medals, and maybe championships, come postseason time, and she also took second indoors in the NIC-10 long jump.

Bianca Colon, Guilford jumper, sprinter

This Guilford senior won the indoor high jump state title last year and then took sixth last weekend with a clearance of 5-3 1/4. She will be involved in Guilford's powerful sprint relays as well.

Jordan Dimke, Hononegah jumper, hurdler, distance runner

Dimke, a sophomore like Burnett, came in second just behind Burnett at last weekend's indoor state championships, clearing the bar at 5-5 3/4. She placed fifth, again, right behind Burnett, last year at outdoor state. She also won the NIC-10 indoor title in the 200 hurdles and was part of the winning distance relay teams.

Sophia Hedges, Hononegah jumper, sprinter

Hedges won the hotly contested NIC-10 indoor title in the long jump, and she will be in contention in several events throughout the year, including the 100 and 200 dashes.

Essence Horton-Graves, Auburn sprinter, jumper

Horton-Graves, now a senior, is one of the area's fastest girls and has been for a couple of years. She will do well in the 100- and 200-meter dashes outside, and she will full-on power the Knights' sprint relays, too.

Anna Jones, Guilford jumper, hurdler

Jones took 14th in the long jump at indoor state with a make at 4-11, and she also placed 11th in the triple jump with a flight of 34-04. She was the NIC-10 indoor champ in the 60 hurdles and in the triple jump and was second in the 200 hurdles.

Imani Jones, Winnebago sprinter, jumper

Jones placed eighth on Saturday in the long jump with a flight of 16-6, and she was a key part of Winnebago's 4x200 relay team that placed fifth in 1:52.18.

Reese Kohnle, Boylan distance runner

Kohnle, who won the NIC-10 indoor title in the 1,600 run by nearly 10 seconds, took fourth in the 1,600 run at indoor state with a time of 5:10.33. She could be tough in the 800, 1,600, 3,200, or any kind of distance relay.

Justice Muhammad, Winnebago sprinter, jumper

Muhammad took ninth in the 1A long jump competition at indoor state with a jump of 16-4, and she's another big piece to the sprint-relay puzzle for Winnebago this year.

Winnebago sprint relays

Led by Jones and Muhammad, Winnebago's 4x200 relay crew took second at indoor state, and will be looking for a lot more as things get heated outside.

Ta'Leiah McElroy, Freeport sprinter, jumper

This McElroy twin won the 200 dash at the NIC-10 indoor championships and took 14th in the 200 at indoor state with a time of 26.87. She was also just one spot away from qualifying for the finals in the 60 dash with a ninth-place time of 7.91 in the prelims, after taking second in that event at the NIC-10 indoors.

Ta'niah McElroy, Freeport sprinter, jumper

Her twin sister, Ta'niah, just missed qualifying for the finals at indoor state in the 60 dash with a 21st-place time of 8.18. She will be a weapon in any event she enters, just like her sister.

Elizabeth Wuebbels, Freeport thrower

This Freeport shot putter took second at the NIC-10 indoor and 10th at indoor state last weekend with a toss of 34-5 1/2, and she is another of the strong throwers in the area this year.

Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years altogether.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: 15 of the best track and field girls to watch from the Rockford area