Meet the high school girls track and field athletes to watch this season
The high school girls track and field season is under way and still loaded with talent.
Leading athletes Arianne Olson, Megan Postma and Eva Whiteman have graduated, leaving the door open for a new wave of stars.
There are several all-state athletes returning and looking for bigger performances this season. Here are the girls track and field returning athletes to watch:
Isabel Assink
SCHOOL: Zeeland West
GRADE: Senior
LAST YEAR: Qualified for the D1 state meet in the shot put and discus. Took ninth in discus.
COACH'S VIEW: "Isabel was already a great thrower heading into the season, and showed even more improvement this year. Particularly in the disc. It was a season of almosts as she just missed breaking the school record in shot by a few inches, and also just missed All-State honors in disc by a few inches. However, I'm so proud of her season, not only for her throwing, but more by being a good teammate." - Aaron Kenemer
Abbe Baas
SCHOOL: Holland Christian
GRADE: Junior
LAST YEAR: Helped Holland Christian break 4x100 school record that was 38 years old as regional champions.
COACH'S VIEW: "Abbe was like a senior leader on our team. She could be seen working on her hurdle technique after most of the team had gone home. She has a contagious smile that can reduce anxiety in those around her. She showed constant improvement throughout." - Michael Mulder
Addie Birkholz
SCHOOL: West Ottawa
GRADE: Sophomore
LAST YEAR: Was a D1 state qualifier on multiple relays and in the 800 meters.
COACH'S VIEW: "Addie has had an excellent freshman season by far exceeding our expectations in terms of the times she’s run, her ability to compete, and qualifying individually and on two relays for the State Championship. It’s a lot for a freshman at the State meet but she’s ready to handle the challenge." - Kyle Barnes
Avery Brower
SCHOOL: Holland Christian
GRADE: Junior
LAST YEAR: Helped Holland Christian break 4x100 school record that was 38 years old as regional champions.
COACH'S VIEW: "Avery was willing to do whatever we asked her to do. We encouraged her to try high jump and in her first meet she cleared 5 feet, two inches off the sophomore record. We asked her to run the 400 and in her first 400 she took second place. We asked her to sub for a teammate on the 4x100 relay and she helped that relay set a school record." - Michael Mulder
Chloe Chesser
SCHOOL: Holland Christian
GRADE: Junior
LAST YEAR: Helped Holland Christian break 4x100 school record that was 38 years old as regional champions. Was third at regionals in long jump.
COACH'S VIEW: "Despite her air of nonchalance, Chloe is competitive and driven. By the end of the season, she was one of the top 100, 200, and long jumpers in our conference. Chloe tied our sophomore long jump record. She led our team in scoring. She is a member of our regional champion 4x100 relay." - Michael Mulder
Meredith Cook
SCHOOL: Zeeland East
GRADE: Sophomore
LAST YEAR: Was a state qualifier on relays and one of top middle distance runners. Set school record in 800 and was part of state runner-up 4x800 relay.
COACH'S VIEW: "Meredith has so much raw ability as a runner, and she's just scratched the surface. It's been so much fun to watch her grow throughout this season and I know she's going to continue to accomplish great things." - Josh Vork
Emma Drnek
SCHOOL: Zeeland East
GRADE: Junior
LAST YEAR: Was one of area's top 800 runners and helped 4x800 relay finish state runner-up at D1 finals.
COACH'S VIEW: "Emma really bought into the distance program this year and it has allowed her to show everyone just how much talent she has in running. She's a great teammate, extremely coachable, and we're excited to see what the future holds for her." - Josh Vork
Jordyn Klaasen
SCHOOL: Zeeland West
GRADE: Junior
LAST YEAR: Was a state qualifier on relays and one of the top middle distane runners, despite also playing soccer.
COACH'S VIEW: "Jordyn balanced both track and soccer this year. She is just an elite level talent and competitor. It is crazy to think that this was just her first year of running track, as she blends right in with others that compete at the highest level. She just scratched the surface of her potential this year." - Aaron Kenemer
CC Kuras
SCHOOL: Zeeland East
GRADE: Sophomore
LAST YEAR: Was part of the state runner-yp 4x800 relay and also one of the top high jumpers in the area.
COACH'S VIEW: "The most impressive thing about CC's freshman season is that she was able to balance being in both the 4x800 relay and high jump all season long - that's a really challenging workload for any athlete, let alone a freshman. She has a unique ability to focus on the task at hand and give her best effort at any given moment." - Josh Vork
Allizon Kuzma
SCHOOL: Zeeland East
GRADE: Senior
LAST YEAR: Finished fourth at D1 state meet in 3,200 meters. Was one of area's top 1,600 and 800 runners too. Led 4x800 relay to state runner-up.
COACH'S VIEW: "Ally was a little banged up this winter and didn't have the training season she wanted, so for her to come out and prove herself among the very best distance runners in the state is a testament to her grit, determination, and commitment to her teammates." - Josh Vork
Avari Peddie
SCHOOL: Zeeland West
GRADE: Senior
LAST YEAR: Set school records in the 100, 200. Qualified for state in the long jump and finished 13th.
COACH'S VIEW: "Avari proved she is the fastest sprinter in Dux history, with multiple broken records. She is a pure competitor, and can compete in anything from the 100 to the 400, as well as field events and relays. She consistently did 4 events in meets. I don’t recall her ever taking an event off. She was our most reliable and most valuable performer for our team this season." - Aaron Kenemer
Ava Porras
SCHOOL: West Ottawa
GRADE: Sophomore
LAST YEAR: Qualified for the D1 state meet in the 3,200 meters and 4x800 relay.
COACH'S VIEW: "Ava has been the surprise of our team this track season. She far exceeded our expectations in the times she was able to run this spring but her ability to compete despite only being a freshman." - Kyle Barnes
Mazie Robison
SCHOOL: Saugatuck
GRADE: Junior
LAST YEAR: Was D3 state runner-up in 100 hurdles and seventh in 300 hurdles. Also qualified in 100 meters and relays.
COACH'S VIEW: "Mazie has been our rock. It was truly a team effort to accomplish our goals this season, and she was the captain of the ship. She is a tremendous athlete but also a humble leader. She had high goals for the season and has high goals for the future, and with her work ethic, talents and leadership, the sky is the limit for her. Mazie smashed our 18-year-old school record this season at state finals (formerly 15.54 - Tristan Smith, now 15.32). - Angelina Bauer
Aliyah Springer
SCHOOL: Hamilton
GRADE: Senior
LAST YEAR: Qualified for D2 state meet in shot put and discus, earning all-state honors.
COACH'S VIEW: "Aliyah has progressed to an elite level in the throws. She brings big performances and it is exciting to watch her compete." - Travis Pertner
Anna Tilden
SCHOOL: Zeeland East
GRADE: Senior
LAST YEAR: Finished sixth at D1 state meet in discus to earn all-state. Also qualified for state in shot put.
COACH'S VIEW: "Anna showed a lot of promise last season, but really started to figure things out in both circles this year. She has a ton of potential still in her and we're excited to see how much she can keep improving." - Josh Vork
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Meet the high school girls track and field athletes to watch
