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The 2024 Peoria Journal Star girls track and field athlete of the year and the all-star team

adam duvall, peoria journal star
·3 min read

A record-setting girls track and field season for the Peoria area culminated at the Illinois High School Association state meet.

Local athletes set two IHSA state meet records in winning Class 1A state championships, one individual and one relay. Many more athletes picked up state medals and all-state honors.

Here are the Journal Star's eight girls track and field all-area athletes for 2024, starting with the athlete of the year. The rest of the all-star picks are listed in alphabetical order.

Honor roll: Here are the top times, distances for Peoria-area high school track and field in 2024

Mya Strahm, Elmwood/Brimfield

Elwmood/Brimfield pole-vaulter Mya Strahm.
Elwmood/Brimfield pole-vaulter Mya Strahm.

The 2024 Journal Star girls track athlete of the year put on a performance for the ages during the Class 1A pole vault state finals. Her vault of 14 feet, 1.25 inches helped secure her back-to-back state championships, also setting the all-class IHSA record. The Brimfield junior, who will graduate in December and head to Tennessee to vault, ended her outdoor season with the third-best height in the nation. Strahm was also a state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles, running a personal-best 46.54 seconds during a meet in April.

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Brianna Brodie, Princeville

The senior capped her prep career with an all-state effort in the Class 1A discus. Her season-best throw of 127 feet, 8 inches gave her a third-place finish at the state meet. The Illinois State signee was a sectional champ (117-7) and took second at the Lincoln Trail Conference meet (112-3).

Daniella Bumber, Henry/Midland

Bumber earned three more Class 1A state medals, making it six in her first two seasons as a sprinter. She repeated her finish as the 400-meter runner-up, clocking in at a personal-best 55.84 seconds. The Midland sophomore added all-state finishes in the 100 (8th, 12.44 seconds) and 200 (5th, 25.27 seconds) dashes.

Reece Bertelsen, United

The Monmouth United 4x200 relay team of Emrick Huston, Rosie Flynn, Katie Flynn and Reece Bertelsen combined to run a 1:41.78, setting a Class 1A record Saturday at the IHSA girls track and field state finals in Charleston.
The Monmouth United 4x200 relay team of Emrick Huston, Rosie Flynn, Katie Flynn and Reece Bertelsen combined to run a 1:41.78, setting a Class 1A record Saturday at the IHSA girls track and field state finals in Charleston.

Bertelsen was a key figure in three Class 1A all-state relays for the Red Storm. She was a member of the 1A record 4x200-meter relay, clocking in at 1:41.78. She also ran the 200-meter dash (8th, 25.75 seconds) along with anchoring the 4x100-meter (2nd, 48.84 seconds) and 4x400-meter relay (4th, 4:06.93) relays.

Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan, Limestone

Limestone's Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan, left, edges U-High's Reese Mitchell for a victory in the 100-meter dash during the Class 2A girls sectional track and field meet Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Metamora.
Limestone's Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan, left, edges U-High's Reese Mitchell for a victory in the 100-meter dash during the Class 2A girls sectional track and field meet Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Metamora.

The senior emerged as the Peoria area's fastest female sprinter in 2024. She posted career bests in the Class 2A state prelims, running the 100- (:11.84 seconds) and 200-meter (:24.27) dashes. Howard-Dunigan then took second in each event, finishing in 11.92 seconds (100) and 24.47 seconds (200) in the finals.

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Aubrey Phillips, El Paso-Gridley

Phillips was a big reason the Titans took home a Class 1A third-place team state trophy. She was a part of three all-state relays — 4x100 (3rd, 49.02 seconds), 4x200 (2nd, 1:42.90) and 4x400 (3rd, 4:04.87). Phillips also finished second in the high jump of 5 feet, 0.25 inches. The junior was also a sectional winner in those four events.

Sophia Ramirez, Washington

Washington's Sophia Ramirez competes in the Class 2A girls race of the First to the Finish Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 at Detweiller Park. Ramirez finished in seventh-place to help the Panthers to a third-place team finish.
Washington's Sophia Ramirez competes in the Class 2A girls race of the First to the Finish Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 at Detweiller Park. Ramirez finished in seventh-place to help the Panthers to a third-place team finish.

Ramirez ran both sprints and distances during her second varsity season. The sophomore then capped the 2024 campaign by taking fourth in the Class 3A 1600-meter run, clocking in at 4:57.86. During the regular season, she ran everything from the 4x200-meter relay to winning the 400-meter dash at the Mid-Illini Conference meet.

Chelsea Wetzel, Dunlap

Dunlap's Chelsea Wetzel, right, celebrates with teammate Adeline Hudelson after Wetzel set a new all-time record for Peoria-area girls in the pole vault Thursday, May 11, 2023 during the Galesburg Sectional Track and Field Meet at Galesburg High School.
Dunlap's Chelsea Wetzel, right, celebrates with teammate Adeline Hudelson after Wetzel set a new all-time record for Peoria-area girls in the pole vault Thursday, May 11, 2023 during the Galesburg Sectional Track and Field Meet at Galesburg High School.

Wetzel, the 2023 Journal Star girls track athlete of the year, won the Class 2A pole vault last season, then finished as the Class 3A runner-up this year. Wetzel vaulted 12 feet, 5.5 inches to garner all-state honors again. The senior was also the Mid-Illini champion in the triple jump (35-1.25) and second in the long jump (17-1.25).

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2024 Peoria girls track and field athlete of the year, all-star team