Vote for the 2016 Ohio Girl's Track & Field Athlete of the Year!

Mark Stonecipher


Ohio MileSplit wants to hear from the State's track & field community who they think is deserving of the 2016 Girl's Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Check out the nominees below and vote who you believe was the best performer of the 2016 seasons in Ohio. Voting ends Friday, July 8th 6PM ET! VOTE, share and spread the word!

Ohio had some outstanding girls performances in both the 2016 Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field seasons.  Its' always difficult to select the nominees, as we have so many outstanding T&F athletes in Ohio and so many outstanding performances.  After looking at the season and our top performers, the field was first narrowed to eleven. Of those eleven however, three athletes in 2016 had performances that distinguished them from the others.  Here are your three nominees, as well as the eight other girl's who had outstanding seasons.


NOMINEES

Micaela DeGenero

Micaela DeGenero of Granville had an incredible 2016.  Indoors, she was 3rd in the MileSplit Scholastic Showcase at Spire in the 800 with a time of 2:13.97, repeated as the D1 1,600m Champion in the OATCCC  State Indoor Championships running a 4:54.40 and was 8th at the NBNI in the Mile. winning her heat in 4:47.96.  Her 4:47.96 was US #9 and an Ohio All-Time #1 Indoor Mile, passing the 2009 mark of 4:53.13 by Stephanie Morgan of Barnesville.

Outdoors, she won the OHSAA  D1 1,600 in a time of 4:53.08 and went on to win the NBNO Mile in a time of 4:42.22.  Her 4:54.22 was US #2 and and an Ohio All-Time #2 behind Stephanie Morgan's 4:41.22.  Michaela's NBNO time converter to 1,600 is 4:40.58.  This is an Ohio #1 All-Time 1,600, besting Emily Infleld's 2007 time of 4:41.37.


Abby Steiner 

Abby Steiner is only a sophomore at Dublin Coffman HS.  In 2016, she continued to show why she is Ohio's best female sprinter.  She had a very successful indoor season placing 3rd in the 60 at the MileSplit Scholastic Showcase at Spire (7.59) and 2nd in 24.25, the 200 , defended her titles in both the 60 and the 200 in the the OATCCC D1 Indoor Championships, running 7.38 and 24.07.  At NBNI, she was 14th in the 60 (7.59) and 6th in the 200 (24.15, 23.97p).

Outdoors, in the OHSAA D1 Championship,  Abby won the 100 in 11.87 and defended her 200m title with a 23.92.  She ran 23.75 in the prelims, which was an All-Time Ohio #3 200.  She also anchored the Coffman girls to a 1st place finish in the 4x200 with an amazing come from behind victory.  She followed her Ohio wins with an invite to the Adidas Dream 100 at the Adidas Boost Boston Games, running 4th in the 100m with a time of 11.81.

Athena Welsh


St. Thomas Aquinas' Athena Welsh could not have asked for a better senior year.  Indoors, she was 2nd in the 1,600 at the MileSplit Scholastic Showcase at Spire with a 4:56.36, was 5th in the OATCCC D2/3 1,600 with a 5:12.16 and led off the 4x800 for Aquinas who set a new State Meet record of 9:40.68.

Outdoors, she won her 3rd straight D3 1,600 title, running a 4:49.06, won the 3,200 in 10:56.80, after finishing 2nd twice, and led off the Aquinas 4x800 that set new State Meet and D3 records with a time of 9:05.84. 


HONORABLE MENTION



ALSO: Vote for the 2016 Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year