Sprinters
At the top of the sprint scene, Aiyonna Ashley (Built4This Elite) established herself as one of the most electrifying young athletes in the state. She led all 7th graders in both the 100m (12.88) and 200m (26.72), showing good marks against high level competition at the AAU circuit.
Right alongside her is teammate Chyna McClellon (Built4This Elite), who clocked 13.13 in the 100m and 26.89 in the 200m. The duo gives Built4This Elite a powerful 1-2 punch that could dominate again this season.
Mia McKenzie (Burns Middle School) also made her mark with a strong 13.09 in the 100m, proving she can contend with the best, while Ava Whitfill (Louisville Track Club) adds range with a 27.04 200m and an outstanding 1:01.41 in the 400m.
The 400m group is led by Whitfill, but she'll face challenges from Aubree Anderson (Grace M. James Academy MS) (1:02.73) and Ellie Kline (Holy Spirit) (1:06.41), both of whom showed strong progression last season (check out your own progression in each event on your athlete page).
Distance Runners
In the 800m, Evelyann Yeckering (Daviess County Middle School) set the tone with a winning 2:30.92 and also demonstrated her versatility with a 4-9 high jump clearance. She's one of the most well-rounded athletes in the state.
Close behind are Maddie Greiwe (Notre Dame Academy MS) (2:37.05) and Loghan Whitaker (Harrison County MS) (2:37.53), forming a competitive trio that should push each other to faster times this year.
Brooklyn Lawson (Oldham County MS) leads the way in the 1600m with a strong 5:28.51, while Annie Durrett (St. Pius X - Edgewood) (5:38.29) and Nina Tibbs (Villa Madonna Academy) (5:40.09) are right in the mix.
Durrett, however, may be the most versatile distance athlete in the state. She not only placed in the 1600m but also ran 12:14.10 in the 3200m and posted the top 300m hurdles time (54.91), showcasing rare range of distance and hurdles.
In the 3200m, Carlee Shenk (North Oldham MS) leads with 11:42.19 and also appears in the jumps, highlighting her multi-event impact. Samuel Alvarez (Bryan Station MS) and Durrett round out a strong top three.
Hurdlers
The hurdle events are packed with emerging talent. Peyton Kirk (Louisville Track Club) leads the 100m hurdles at 18.06, followed closely by Janiyah Sappenfield (Burns MS) (18.70), who also doubled back with a 55.10 in the 300m hurdles.
Durrett again appears here, leading the 300m hurdles, while Georgia Sleet (Tates Creek MS) adds depth with a 55.26 performance.
Field Events
In the throws, Zoe McGlenon (Ballard County MS) stands out as one of the most dominant athletes in the entire class. She leads both the shot put (39-6.50) and discus (82-8), and even placed in the TurboJav.
Kayla Stewart (Beaumont MS) is another name to watch, ranking second in shot put (32-11) and winning the TurboJav (88-8).
Loren Gates (Echo Trail MS / Westside Track Club) adds consistency in discus, placing second and third across different meets.
The horizontal jumps feature standout performances from Callie Raaker (Highlands MS) (15-4.75 LJ) and Mia Urbaneja (Bryan Station MS), who not only jumped 15-3 in long jump but also leads the triple jump (29-0).
Carlee Shenk continues to impress with appearances in both long jump and triple jump, reinforcing her status as one of the most well rounded athletes in the class of 2031.
In the triple jump, Reiko Takata (Bracken County MS) also made her presence known with a 28-3.75 mark.
High jump is led by Kayla Newton (Farnsley MS), who cleared an impressive 5-0. Shelby Meadows (Woodford County MS) (4-10) and Yeckering (4-9) round out a strong group.
In the pole vault, Aalyiah Samuel (Rowan County MS) leads at 7-6, followed by Hannady Loveless and Anniston Canerdy from Calloway County.
