Education Week recently compiled school sports data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the National Federation of State High School Associations to determine how often girls and boys are playing sports and which sports they are playing.
Track and field is attracting more boys and girls than any sport, and is the most popular among girls. With boys, track and field is second only to football in popularity.
The region’s track and field season is now underway, so let’s take a look at some of the top boys and girls athletes to watch this spring.
Girls
Aniyah Brown (Cardinal Ritter): The talented junior is the dominant sprinter in the state of Missouri. She is the two-time state champion in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and she anchored the Lions’ record-setting relays. She is one of the best in the region.
Genesis Dixon (Kirkwood): A senior standout who won the Class 5 100-meter high hurdles and set a state record in the process last season. She is also an All-State performer in the 300-meter low hurdles and the long jump.
Camryn Hubbard (Pattonville): A senior middle distance standout who was the Class 5 state champion in the 800-meter run.
Skyee Lee (Parkway Central): A talented sophomore hurdler who doubled as the state champion in the Class 4 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles. She helped lead the Colts to their first state championship last season.
Maya Anderson (MICDS): A senior University of Kentucky signee who was a two-time state champion in the 300-meter low hurdles and the triple jump at the Class 5 state meet a year ago. She also finished second in the 100-meter high hurdles.
 A’Laji Bradley (Pattonville): A talented junior sprinter who was the Class 5 state champion in the 400-meter dash and an All-State performer in the 100 and 200-meter dashes last season.
Chavi Flowers (Incarnate Word): The senior sprinter was the Class 3 state champion in the 100-meter dash and state runner-up in the 200-meter dash last season.
Mason Meiershagen (Oakville): The senior standout finished second in the Class 5 pole vault last season while also earning All-State honors in the high jump and hurdles.
Ailiyah Elliott (John Burroughs): A junior standout who finished second in the state in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet 2 inches. She is also an All-State performer in the 100-meter dash and 110-meter high hurdles.
Charlye Moody (Cardinal Ritter): A junior sprinter who helped Ritter to the Class 5 state title by finishing second in the 400-meter dash and running legs on the Lions’ dominant sprint relay teams.
Grace Tyson (Lafayette): A senior distance standout who was the Class 5 runner up in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs last season.
Charnay Davis (Hazelwood West): A senior standout in the throwing events, Davis finished in third place in the Class 5 shot put a year ago.
Kydnall Spain (Cardinal Ritter): The sophomore standout earned All-State honors in the hurdles and ran legs on the Lions’ state championship sprint relay teams as a freshman.
Alaina Lester (Althoff): The senior sprinter earned Illinois Class 2A All-State honors in the 100, 200 and the long jump last season.
Boys
Joseph Anderson (Westminster Christian): The talented senior helped led WCA to its first state championship a year ago as he won the state title in the triple jump and earned All-State honors in the long jump and 110-meter high hurdles.
Demarlynn Taylor (East St. Louis): The senior standout is one of the top hurdlers in the state of Illinois. He was the Illinois Class 3A runner-up in both the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles.
Ryan Wingo (SLUH): The junior standout returns as one of the top sprinters in the state of Missouri. He finished third in the Class 5 100 and 200-meter dashes last year as a sophomore.
 Nicholas Deloach (Cahokia): The senior standout is one of the top combination jumpers in the state of Illinois. He was the Class 2A state champion in the triple jump and state runner-up in the long jump.
Amel Abdul-Memin (Hazelwood West): A senior field event standout who earned All-State honors in the Class 5 long jump and triple jump last season
Arhmad Branch (Festus): A Purdue football recruit who is also a standout on the track this spring. He has already put up some of the area’s top marks in the long jump and triple jump.
Donovan McIntosh (St. Mary’s): A senior standout on the Dragons’ state championship football team who also excels as a sprinter on the track. He was an All-State performer in the 200 and 400.
Winston Moore (MICDS): A Colgate football recruit who earned All-State honors in the Class 4 100-meter dash last season as a junior.
Caleb Cody-Jackson (Marquette): A senior sprinter who earned All-State honors in the 400-meter dash with his fourth place finish at the Class 5 state meet.
Keshawn Lyons (Cahokia): A senior hurdler who earned All-State honors in the Illinois Class 2A 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles.
Rontay Abraham (Belleville West): A senior sprinter who earned All-State honors in the Illinois Class 3A 400-meter dash last season.
