Check out our watch list for 2023 USA TODAY HSSA Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year
The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards is pleased to announce its watch list for the 2023 USA TODAY HSSA Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year!
This initial list includes 50 current student-athletes who meet the nomination criteria for this year’s national Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year Award. These athletes were either nominees in last year’s national awards show, or athletes who were seriously considered based on season-wide performance, state championships and any other state, regional and/or national recognition.
The official 2023 USA TODAY HSSA Girls Track & Field Team will be announced later this spring. All 25 final team members will be honored as nominees for national Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. The winner will be revealed during the third annual USA TODAY High School Sports Awards. Visit the event website for updates leading up to this summer's on-demand event.
The purpose of this watch list is to track eligible nominees for this year’s national show. Athletes could be removed from this list if they no longer play for their high school team (either by choice or injury), or if their high school no longer participates in a state-sanctioned championship tournament.
2023 USA TODAY HSSA Girls Track & Field Watch List:
Zaya Akins — SR, sprints | Raytown South High School | Raytown, Missouri
Juliana Balon — JR, sprints | Padua Academy | Wilmington, Delaware
Sophia Beckmon — SR, sprints/LJ | Oregon City High School | Oregon City, Oregon
Mia Brahe-Pedersen — JR, sprints | Lake Oswego High School | Lake Oswego, Oregon
Aniyah Brown — SR, sprints | Cardinal Ritter High School | St. Louis, Missouri
Laila Campbell — JR, sprints | Spring Grove Area High School | Spring Grove, Pennsylvania
Anna Connors — SR, sprints | Bangor High School | Bangor, Maine
Tatum David — SR, distance | Richland County High School | Olney, Illinois
Sadie Engelhardt — SO, sprints | Ventura High School | Ventura, California
Amelia Everett — SR, mid distance | Newton South High School | Newton Centre, Massachusetts
McKenzie Fairchild — SR, javelin/throws | Andale High School | Andale, Kansas
JaMeesia Ford — SR, sprints/mid distance | Jack Britt High School | Fayetteville, North Carolina
Hannah Forde — JR, TJ | Lone Star High School | Frisco, Texas
Gabriella Garcia — JR, javelin/throws | Basha High School | Chandler, Arizona
Akala Garrett — SR, hurdles | Harding University High School | Charlotte, North Carolina
JaiCieonna Gero-Holt — SO, jumps/sprints | Emerald Ridge High School | Puyallup, Washington
Sophia Gorriaran — SR, mid distance | Moses Brown School | Providence, Rhode Island
Meredith Gotzman — SR, distance | St. John's College High School | Washington, D.C.
Amare Harlan — SR, sprints | Fremont High School | Plain City, Utah
Molly Haywood — SR, PV | Tomball Memorial High School | Tomball, Texas
Adaejah Hodge — SR, hurdles | Alexander High School | Douglasville, Georgia
Micayah Holland — SR, sprints | Montverde Academy | Montverde, Florida
Ali Ince — JR, mid distance | Normal Community High School | Norbal, Illinois
Shawnti Jackson — SR, sprints | Wakefield High School | Raleigh, North Carolina
Emily Lamontagne — SR, distance | Arapahoe High School | Centennial, Colorado
Gracelyn Leiseth — SR, SP | Hamlin High School | Hamlin, South Dakota
Lauren Lewis — SR, sprints | Prosper High School | Prosper, Texas
Claire Lowrey — SR, HJ | Rockwall High School | Rockwall, Texas
Yahnari Lyons — SR, sprints | Jonesboro High School | Jonesboro, Georgia
Olyvia Mamae — SR, hurdles/sprints | East Anchorage High School | Anchorage, Alaska
Rachel Mehringer — SR, sprints | Forest Park High School | Ferdinand, Indiana
Bethany Michalak — JR, distance | Air Academy High School | Colorado Springs, Colorado
Tatum Moku — SR, pole vault | Kamehameha School | Honolulu, Hawaii
Amanda Moll — SR, PV/LJ | Capital High School | Olympia, Washington
Brazil Neal — SR, sprints | Junipero Serra High School | Gardena, California
Ciara O'Shea — SR, distance | Madison Central High School | Richmond, Kentucky
Addie Pendergast — JR, sprints/mid distance | Sheridan High School | Sheridan, Wyoming
Chesney Peterson — SR, mid distance | Stanton County High School | Johnson, Kansas
Hannah Pfiffner — SR, HJ | Wakeland High School | Frisco, Texas
Olivia Pielemeier — SR, mid distance | Lake Hamilton High School | Pearcy, Arkansas
Reign Redmond — SR, sprints | Carson High School | Carson, California
Shonedra Richardson — SR, sprints | Demopolis High School | Demopolis, Alabama
Irene Riggs — SR, distance | Morgantown High School | Morgantown, West Virginia
Brianna Rodriguez — SR, sprints/hurdles | Westwood High School | Blythewood, South Carolina
Soraya Ross — JR, sprints | Nashua South High School | Nashua, New Hampshire
Cheyla Scott — SR, HJ | Butler High School | Matthews, North Carolina
Emma Sralla — SR, throws | Marcus High School | Flower Mound, Texas
Mensi Stiff — SR, throws | Brentwood Academy | Brentwood, Tennessee
Yvonne Stinson — SR, sprints/jumps | Alamogordo High School | Alamogordo, New Mexico
Madison Whyte — SR, sprints | Heritage High School | Newport News, Virginia
Who else should we be tracking for national Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year?
Suggestions can be submitted to both roleary@usatventures.com and BFontana@usatventures.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2023 USA TODAY HSSA Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year Watch List
