The 2026 IHSAA girls track and field season has come to a close and it’s time for you to vote for the Athlete of the Year.
Make your pick in the poll at the bottom of the article. The poll will close at noon on Friday, June 26.
Ellie Barada, Bloomington South
Barada, a two-time national champion, won her second consecutive state title in the 800 meter run as a senior. The North Carolina recruit ran time of 2:05.33 to defend her crown and better her time of 2:07:30 from her junior season. Barada was also a part of the second-place 4×800-meter relay team at state.
Kenedi Bradley, Chesterton
Bradley won a state title in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.94. As a senior, the Butler recruit also placed sixth in the 200-meter dash.
Sadie Foley, Carmel
Foley helped Carmel repeat as the team state champion. The Indiana recruit ran second leg for the first-place 4×800-meter relay team as a senior. Individually, she placed second (4:49.51) in the 1600 meter run.
Jordyn Fort, Merrillville
Fort won a state title in the 100 hurdles (13.86) as a sophomore.
Maddison Judge, Franklin
Judge clinched a state title in discus with a throw of 152 feet, 8 inches. She won gold as a sophomore.
Anissa Lammie, Hamilton Southeastern
Lammie secured two state titles as a junior. She ran second leg for the state-winning 4×400-meter relay team. Individually, she won gold in the 400-meter dash (54.32).
De’Janay Layne, Evansville North
Layne, an Indiana State recruit, placed first at state in the 200-meter dash (24.30) and second in the 100-meter dash (12.12) during her senior year.
Kaitlyn Oshimura, Carmel
Oshimura ran third leg for the state-winning 4×800-meter relay team. The Ohio University recruit placed third in the 800 with a time of 2:10.69 as a senior.
Norah Reiger, Hamilton Heights
Reiger placed second (55.25) in the 400-meter dash at state. She also ran the opening leg for the seventh-place 4×400-meter relay team.
Chloe Senefeld, Hamilton Southeastern
Senefeld was the anchor leg for the state-winning 4×400-meter relay team. The Iowa recruit also placed second in the 300 hurdles with a time of 42.19 as a senior.
Amelia Smith, Guerin Catholic
A year removed from not clearing the opening bar at state, Smith turned it around and won a pole vault state title as a junior. She earned a jump of 13 feet to claim gold.
Isabella Sotelo, Eastern Hancock
Sotelo clinched a state crown in the 300-meter hurdles (41.49), which came close to the state meet record of 41.36. She also placed second in the 100 hurdles (13.86) as a junior.
Kira Smith, Warren Central
Smith took home the high jump state title. She recorded a leap of 5-10 to win gold as a junior. She also placed sixth at state in the 300 hurdles.
Larkin Taylor, Carmel
Taylor was a catalyst in the Greyhounds’ second consecutive state team title. She ran anchor leg for the state-winning 4×800 team. Individually, she placed third in the 1600 (4:51.47) and sixth in the 800 (2:11.22) as a junior.
Mallory Weller, Concordia
Weller repeated as a double state champion during her senior year. The NC State recruit won the 1600 (4:46.34) and 3200 (10:18.66). Both of those times are better than what she posted during her state run as a junior.
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Vote: IndyStar girls track and field Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Marc Ray, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Marc Ray, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
