2018 Girls Track and Field Finalists

Katie Schumer

Schumer was a shoo-in for the top spot at nearly every meet she competed in this year, building toward a fourth-place finish at state — despite dealing with equipment challenges in the lead-up, she posted a mark of 11 feet. She vaulted 12-4 to win the sectional championship and also was a district and SEMO Conference winner in the event. This is her second time as a finalist in the category.

Riley Burger

The reigning Semoball Awards Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year was sidelined by injury for much of the spring, but that didn’t stop her from claiming another Class 4 state title in the triple jump with a leap of 39-6.5. That came after repeating as district and sectional champion in the event, despite not jumping during the regular season. She helped the Bulldogs’ 1,600-meter relay to an all-state run and also won district gold in the long jump, later finishing fourth in the event at the state meet. Notre Dame finished sixth in the team standings at state.

Carly Pujol

Pujol was a critical piece of a Bulldogs’ squad that earned a program-best sixth-place team finish at the Class 4 state championships. The junior did her part by winning her first state title in the pole vault with a mark of 12-6, and also ran in the 100-meter dash. She was a sectional champ in the pole vault and won district silver in the 100 and 200.

Aylexus Leshay

Leshay showed off her athleticism by dominating her primary event — the triple jump — while also being a key piece of a pair of Green Wave relay squads. The senior wrapped up her career with a Class 2 title in the triple jump thanks to a mark of 36-11.5, and also helped the 400 relay to a fifth-place, all-state run. She won her jumping even at both the sectional and district level, and also got the 1,600-relay squad onto the podium at the sectional meet. She was fifth in the 400 meters at districts.

Kamya Battles

Battles announced her presence loudly in her first year of high school track and field competition. She competed in four events at the Class 2 state meet, boosting the Tigers’ 400 and 800 relay teams to gold medals with times of 50.37 and 1:45.76, respectively. She also earned all-state finishes in the 400 and 200, in the latter of which she finished third. Those relay teams won at every level of the postseason, while Battles was a sectional and district champion in the 200.