There were some extraordinary individual performances during the 2016 track and field season.
Cahokia’s Ja’Mari Ward unleashed a triple jump effort of 53 feet 7 ½ inches, which was the best in the history of the state of Illinois.
Edwardsville’s A.J. Epenesa threw the discus 206 feet 5 inches, which is the best throw in the United States and the second-best effort in Illinois prep history.
Brentwood girls’ star Sophie Rivera threw the javelin 180 feet 4 inches to qualify for this month’s U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Alton High’s LaJarvia Brown was a monster in the jumps and hurdles all season as the area’s best all-around performer.
Ward is this year’s St. Louis American Male Track Athlete of the Year while Brown is the Female Track Athlete of the Year. Ward is headed to Missouri while Brown will attend Texas A&M.
All four of these athletes are mainstays on this year’s St. Louis American All-Area Track and Field Team. Here is a list of the athletes on the 2016 All-Area Team by their event.
Boys
100-meter dash: Adam Nelson (Triad)
200-meter dash: Jayson Ashford (SLUH)
400-meter dash: Isaiah Cole (Hazelwood West)
800-meter run: Dylan Quisenberry (Lafayette)
1,600-meter run: Dustan Davidson (SLUH)
3,200-meter run: Austin Hindman (Lafayette)
110-meter high hurdles: Travis Anderson (Edwardsville)
300-meter int. hurdles: William Session (Belleville East)
4×100-meter relay: East St. Louis
4×200-meter relay: East St. Louis
4×400-meter relay: East St. Louis
4×800-meter relay: Lafayette
Shot Put: A.J. Epenesa (Lafayette)
Discus: A.J. Epenesa (Lafayette)
Long Jump: Ja’Mari Ward (Cahokia)
Triple Jump: Ja’Mari Ward (Cahokia)
High Jump: Lamont Allen (De Soto)
Pole Vault: Mark Govero (Festus)
Girls
100-meter dash: Deja Ingram (Hazelwood Central)
200-meter dash: Madison Fuller (John Burroughs)
400-meter dash: Margaret Sliney (MICDS)
800-meter run: Melissa Menghini (Rockwood Summit)
1,600-meter run: Anna West (Lafayette)
3,200-meter run: Sara Nicholson (Lafayette)
100-meter high hurdles: LaJarvia Brown (Alton)
300-meter low hurdles: LaJarvia Brown (Alton)
4×100-meter relay: Hazelwood Central
4×200-meter relay: Hazelwood Central
4×400-meter relay: Kirkwood
4×800-meter relay: Lafayette
Shot Put: Sophie Rivera (Brentwood)
Discus: Sophie Rivera (Brentwood)
Long Jump: LaJarvia Brown (Alton)
Triple Jump: LaJarvia Brown (Alton)
High Jump: Chrishana Wilson (Gateway STEM)
Pole Vault: Taylor Gross (Seckman)
