Your Prep Sports Area Girls Track and Field Athletes to Watch This Season
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
Track and field season is off and running in the state of Iowa.
Competition official got underway with meets around the state with Your Prep Sports area teams scheduled to open the season later this week.
As the season gets underway here is a look at 10 track and field athletes in the Your Prep Sports area to watch this season.
Aly Stahle
Senior, Solon
A key piece of the recent string of success for Solon that includes back-to-back 3A team titles in 2022 and 2023, Stahle already owns 11 state medals and is coming off the best season of her career last spring.
A three-time, four-event state qualifier Stahle has finished in the top 10 of every event she has competed in at the state meet.
Last season Stahle claimed her first state title, winning the Class 3A 100 hurdles in a time of 15.35 to go with a trio of medals in sprint relays.
Stahle helped Solon to a fifth-place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay, a sixth-place finish in the 4×200 and an eighth-place performance in the 4×100 relay.
Look for a strong senior season from Stahle who has emerged as a leader for the Spartans.
Alyssa Pierce
Senior, West Branch
Already one of the most decorated throwers in West Branch history Pierce will look to put the finishing touches on a stellar career with a strong senior season.
Pierce has climbed the shot put standings at the Class 2A state meet each of the past two seasons going from a 21st place finish as a freshman to ninth place as a sophomore before placing fourth last season with a mark of 40-9 ¼.
The West Branch school record holder in the shot put at 41-0 3/4, Pierce won River Valley Conference and state qualifying meet titles last season before her fourth-place finish at state.
Sophia Olivo
Senior, West High
Already a three-time state meet and Drake Relays qualifier and three-time Mississippi Valley Conference champion, Olivio is seeking a big finish to a brilliant career.
Olivio has been a part of the West High shuttle hurdle relay team that has posted three consecutive top-five finishes at the Class 4A state meet after a fifth-place finish last season.
A two-time individual qualifier in the 100 hurdles, Olivo will look to close out here career by adding an individual state medal to her impressive career resume.
Reese Naeve
Junior, Regina
An Iowa State volleyball recruit, Naeve is coming off an impressive sophomore track and field season in which she secured a pair of state medals with top-five finishes.
A four-event qualifier last season Naeve finished runner-up in the Class 2A high jump by clearing 5-4 and added a fourth-place finish in the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.55.
Naeve also was a member of the Regals’ shuttle hurdle and 4×100 relay teams that qualified for the state meet and will be a key part of the Regals lineup this season with ability to fit into a number of events.
Rachel Haack
Junior, City High
A huge junior season is looming for Haack who has quickly ascending into one of the top throwers in the state and is closing in on the City High school records in both the shot put and discus.
Already a two-time state qualifier in the discus, Haack finished 17th at the 4A state meet as a freshman but jumped to fifth last season with a mark of 130-3 and enters her junior season just seven inches off the school record.
Haack added a 10th place finish at the state meet in the shot put last season with a toss of 37-4 ¼.
Alexi Thigpen
Junior, Liberty High
Already a two-time state medalist in the long jump Thigpen is line for a big-time breakthrough season.
Thigpen placed third in the long jump at the Class 4A state meet as a freshman in 2023 and was fourth last season with a jump of 17-7 ¼.
A multi-event qualifier each of the past two seasons Thigpen has helped the Lightning reach the state meet in three different relays over the past two seasons.
Look for Thigpen to be a factor in the sprints this season as well as her role in the sprint relays while chasing a long jump title.
Grace Hamann
Sophomore, West Branch
Hamann will look to follow up an impressive debut season that included a state medal with a strong sophomore season.
In her first varsity season Hamann impressed last spring, setting a school record in the 1,500 and earning her first state medal with an eighth-place finish in the 800 at the Class 2A state meet.
A three-event qualifier for the state meet, Hamann finished eighth in 2A in the 800 in 2:19.93 and added a 10th place finish in the 1,500 in 4:56.97.
Hamann also anchored the West Branch distance medley relay team to a 15th place finish at the state meet.
Piper Stahle
Junior, Solon
During its string of recent team success Solon has relied heavily on its relay teams and Stahle will be a big part of continuing that tradition of strong sprint relays for the Spartans.
Stahle is already a five-time state medalist after earning three medals in relays as a freshman and two more last season.
Over the past two seasons Stahle has been a part of four different Solon relays to earn state medals, including a state title distance medley team in 2023.
Last season Stahle was a member of the Solon 4×100 team that finished eighth at the Class 3A
Sophia Austen
Sophomore, West High
A versatile athlete, Austen will look to take on an even larger role in the West High lineup last season after appearing in two events at the state meet last season.
Austen finished 11th in the high jump at the Class 4A meet last season and cleared 5-3 in an impressive debut season.
Austen was also a member of the Trojan’s state qualifying 4×400 relay team and could see her role on the track increase this spring.
Elizabeth Timmerman
Junior, Clear Creek Amana
A versatile athlete Timmerman is poised for a breakthrough junior season after securing her first state medal last year.
Already a two-time state medalist in the long jump Timmerman finished seventh at the Class 3A state meet last season with a mark of 17-0 ¼.
Timmerman is a multi-event qualifier each of the past two seasons and last season was an individual qualifier in the 200 and was part of the Clear Creek Amana sprint medley and 4×200 relay teams that reached the state meet.
Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.
