Special graduating class impacted all-time lists in big way

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

One of them turned pro after the 10th grade.

Another one made the Olympic team at 16 years old.

A third almost won the California state team championship by herself last month.

And a fourth placed sixth at the U.S. Championships last month in the 800 meters and missed a chance to go to the IAAF World Championships by less than a second.

The elite girls in the Class of 2017 have distinguished themselves for years. A core group of them became friends at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Cali, Columbia, where five were gold medalists in individual events. But the class also includes record-breakers in the throws (Alyssa Wilson and Madison Wiltrout) and distance (Brie Oakley).

Collectively, they have reset the standard and re-written the rules for what it means to be a prodigious young track and field athlete in the U.S.

Candace Hill turned signed a pro deal between her sophomore and junior year at Rockdale County GA. Sydney McLaughlin was a high school Olympian and is the two-time Gatorade National Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Tara Davis, a hurdler and jumper, scored 30 points at the California state meet. And Samantha Watson broke every indoor record from 600 to 1,000 meters indoors and was pressing for a sub-two clocking in the 800 last month.

Is it the greatest class of all-time? You decide. But let’s go event by event, find out where the Class of 2017s PRs place them on the all-time list, and find out what some of them have to say about the matter.

 

100 Meters

No. 1 all-time, Candace Hill (Rockdale County GA), 10.98

No. 17 all-time (tie), Symone Mason (Southridge FL), 11.24

No. 21 all-time (tie), KaTia Seymour (Palatka FL), 11.26

As a sophomore, Hill made national headlines when she became the first prep girl to dip under 11 seconds in the 100 meters (10.98). She also ran 11.08 for the second-fastest time in high school history before signing a professional contract with ASICS.

The pro deal took her out of circulation on the high school scene for the past two years and limited her number of appearances in races.

At the USATF Championships in Sacramento, Hill advanced to the semifinal round of the women’s 200 meters and also made her final junior team in the 100.

Hill admitted that turning pro was a decision that produced some plusses and minuses.

“It has (been difficult),” she said. “I remember those meets. I remember the Brooks PR. I remember running at New Balance (Nationals). I remember going to Junior Olympics and running in my high school meets. You look on Twitter and see your classmates doing those same things and you are kind of like ‘Wow, I kind of miss that.’ But don't get me wrong. I'm glad I went pro, you know. I'm getting a lot of great opportunities.”

Hill on the Class of 2017 elite girls:

"I think the class of 2017 girls are like the next big thing. All our past legends are moving forward and now retiring and a new wave of athletes is coming. I feel like the class of 2017 girls with Sydney in the hurdles, Tara in the jumps, Lynna in the 400 (are already) amongst a really, really talented group of women and I feel like we're doing very very well. I'm very glad to be a part of such talented group of women and I feel like we are the future."

 

200

No. 2 all-time, Candace Hill, 22.43

No. 6 all-time (tie), Lauren Rain Williams (Oaks Christian CA), 22.77

No. 12 all-time, Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic NJ), 22.89

No. 24 all-time, Symone Mason, 23.00

 

400

No. 7 all-time, Lynna Irby (Pike IN), 51.39

No. 12 all-time, Sydney McLaughlin, 51.87

No. 16 all-time, Shae Anderson (Norco CA), 51.99

Lynna Irby on the Class of 2017:

“I think it's the beginning of a new era. A lot of pro track and field athletes are starting to retire and I feel like it's time for us to start moving up, and moving in, and start running these really fast times.”

Irby on the Cali, Columbia team:

“For me it was confidence booster. Before I made that team I had been stuck at 54, stuck at 54. Then I ran a 53 to make the team and then (in Cali) I ran 51 to get the silver medal.”

Irby on attention that comes from being elite:

“At my state meet everyone’s like ‘Lynna, pictures!’ My cheeks can’t stop shaking (from smiling so much). It’s a huge inspiration to know that all these people are watching you and being motivated by your hard work.” 

 

800

No. 3 all-time, Samantha Watson (Rush-Henrietta NY), 2:00.78

It should also be noted that Watson leaves high school with PRs of 52.69 for 400 meters and 9:50.01 for the 3,000, demonstrating her unusual range from sprints to distance. She broke national indoor records this year in the 600 (1:27.13), 800 (2:01.78) and 1,000 (2:40.72). She is also No. 4 all-time in the 500 (1:11.75).

Samantha Watson on the Class of 2017:

“I think it means the future of track is in good hands. We take a wide range of track and field events. The senior meets and World Championships won’t get boring, because we’re coming up.”

“I'm glad that as a whole we handle ourselves well,so other people who follow us don't think we're just snobby famous people.”

Watson on Sydney McLaughlin’s Olympics achievement:

“I really look up to that, knowing that age can’t stop you and you can’t let it intimidate you, even if you’re the youngest in the field by 10 years. Sydney has that fun personality. She’s enjoying herself and it’s not always business with her. She’s still herself.” 

 

1,500

No. 3 all-time, Kate Murphy (Lake Braddock VA), 4:07.21

No. 18 all-time, Nevada Mareno (Leesville Road NC), 4:18.48

Mile

No. 27 all-time, Lauren Gregory (Fort Collins CO), 4:41.11

No. 29 all-time, Julia Heymach (Lamar TX), 4:41.33

 

3,000

No. 4 all-time, Kate Murphy, 9:10.51

No. 28 all-time, Nevada Mareno, 9:22.62

2-Mile

No. 1 all-time, Brie Oakley (Grandview CO), 9:51.35

No. 13 all-time, Nevada Mareno, 10:00.44

No. 26 all-time Lauren Gregory, 10:05.26

Oakley also broke the all-time high school indoor 5,000 meters record in March when she ran 15:55.75 at New Balance Nationals Indoor.

 

100 Hurdles

No. 4 all-time (tie), Tara Davis (Agoura CA), 12.95

No. 4 all-time (tie), Chanel Brissett (Cheltenham PA), 12.95

No. 23 all-time, Caitlyn Little (Hoover AL), 13.29

No. 26 all-time (tie), Kaylah Robinson (El Cerrito CA), 13.32

No. 31 all-time (tie), Sydney McLaughlin, 13.34

 

300 Hurdles

No. 1 all-time, Sydney McLaughlin, 38.90

No. 7 all-time, Shae Anderson, 40.31

400 Hurdles

No. 1 all-time, Sydney McLaughlin, 53.82

No. 20 all-time, De’Andreah Young (Miami Northwestern FL), 57.51

Sydney McLaughlin, who also clocked a record-breaking 400-meter relay split of 49.85 at New Balance Nationals, on the Class of 2017:

“It’s amazing we are so spread out and do so well and have our own (events). We come together and we represent (the U.S.) very well. We'll be able to do that through college and through the pro level as well.”

McLaughlin on the friends she made in Cali, Colombia in 2015:

“We’re athletes, but of course, friends first. It’s great to have friends and also (be with) people who can do what you do at the same level.” 

 

Shot Put

No. 1 all-time, Alyssa Wilson (Donovan Catholic NJ), 57-1.25

No. 12 all-time, Kathleen Young (Warrensburg IL), 53-5

 

Discus

No. 12 all-time (tie), Alyssa Wilson, 181-11

No. 22 all-time, Ashley Anumba (Los Osos CA), 177-8

No. 24 all-time, Pamela Amaechi (Abraham Lincoln CA), 177-0

No. 27 all-time, Jose Schaefer (Baraboo WI) 176-3

No. 30 all-time, Zada Swoopes (Whitewright TX), 175-1

 

Javelin

No. 1 all-time, Madison Wiltrout (Connellsville PA), 185-8

No. 24 all-time, Kaelyn Shipley (Kalama WA), 163-6

No. 30 all-time, Hailey Poole (Huntley Project), 161-10

 

Long Jump

No. 2 all-time all conditions, Tara Davis, 22-3.75

No. 4 all-time wind-legal, Tara Davis, 21-9

 

Tara Davis on the Class of 2017 elites:

“They are beasts. That's all I have to say.”

Davis, pressed to say a little bit more:

“People don’t understand how much work they put in to get to this (level) of the sport. But for some reason the Class of 2017, and then I think it’s the Class of 2019, are going to (include) the best athletes to (ever) walk.”

On the 2015 experience in Colombia:

“It created a bond between all of us. We’re all best friends. We still have our group chat that we’ve had since Day One in Chicago (the qualifying meet for Cali). We’ve all been doing really great things towards track and colleges and academics. That bond is never going to be broken.” 

 

Triple Jump

No. 4 all-time, Jaimie Robinson (Homewood-Flossmoor IL), 44-4

No. 13 all-time, Tara Davis (Agoura), 43-4

No. 26 all-time, Sophia Falco (Lakewood Ranch), 42-7.75 

 

High Jump

No. 27 all-time (tie), Jelena Rowe (Chicago Heights IL), 6-1

 

Pole Vault

No. 3 all-time, Rachel Baxter (Canyon-Anaheim CA), 14-4

No. 12 all-time, Carson Dingler (First Presbyterian Day GA), 13-11.25

No. 29 all-time (tie), Katie Jones (South Williamsport Area PA), 13-7

No. 29 all-time (tie), Colleen Clancy (Smithson Valley TX), 13-7

 

Hammer

No. 2 all-time Joy McArthur (St. Piux X CA), 203-8

No. 5 all-time Jill Shippee (Shenendehowa NY), 201-4