CHARLESTON — Winning a state championship wasn’t quite enough for Mya Strahm.

The Elmwood/Brimfield pole vaulter secured her second consecutive Class 1A pole vault state title in record-setting fashion at the Illinois High School Association girls track and field state meet on Saturday.

Strahm passed until the bar was raised to 12 feet, 1.5 inches, then wrapped up her back-to-back state championship by clearing 12 feet, 9.5 on her third and final vault.

“I’m excited with how it all played out,” said Strahm, who graduates in December and heads to the University of Tennessee next season for pole vault. “I just trusted in God’s plan."

Mya Strahm: Why this elite pole vaulter from Elmwood/Brimfield will graduate early and compete in the SEC

But she was looking for more. She cleared 13-3.5, 13-9.25 and 14-1.25 on her first attempt at each of those respective heights to set the new 1A record as well as the all-class IHSA mark.

“I’m really excited,” said the Brimfield junior, who improved her personal best by 1.25 inches. “I wasn’t expecting this at all with how I’m feeling today.”

Strahm scratched from the 300-meter hurdles after tweaking her Achilles tendon May 3 at the Prairieland Conference meet and focused just on the pole vault.

“A state record was the goal,” she said. “I wasn’t really expecting to get 14 (feet), but the days you least expect it and the days you don’t feel good are kind of the days you do do good, so I kind of had it in the back of my mind but I didn’t want to be disappointed.”

After securing the Illinois title, Strahm took aim at this season's national mark of 14-5 held by Hannah Grace of Coastal Christian (N.C.) and fell short. Strahm's 14-1.5 mark sits third in the nation this season behind Grace and unattached vaulter Jathiyah Muhammad (14-4).

And not surprisingly, Strahm also had one more objective: Qualify for the Olympic Trails by clearing 14-5.25. She barely missed on her two vaults, saying she would have cried if would had achieved that height and made the qualifying event next month for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“That’s why I wanted to try (14-5.25),” Strahm said. “… I thought I had them. … If you have told me even a year ago, that I would be at where I’m at right now, I would not believe you.”

Monmouth United sets an IHSA record

Monmouth United bounced back from a disappointing 4x100-meter relay to set the new state record in the 4x200. Emrick Huston, Rosie Flynn, Katie Flynn and Reece Bertelsen combined to run a 1:41.78, besting the previous record by Sullivan (1:42.82) from 2012 by just over a second.

“We really wanted to get first place,” said Bertelsen, whose team took second in the 4x1 (48.84 seconds), “and we were very determined (to win the 4x2), so we thought we’d just put it all on the track.”

The senior took the baton from Katie Flynn for the final leg, proceeding to close out the record-setting victory.

“We talked a lot before,” Rosie Flynn said, “and we were like, ‘We have to stay calm’, because the 4x1 we know we weren’t very calm.”

Recap: All the champs, recap and more from the 2024 IHSA girls track and field finals

El Paso-Gridley earns a team trophy

El Paso-Gridley used its depth and strength in the relays to take third place as a team in Class 1A — the school's first trophy in the sports. The Titans finished behind champion Glen Carbon Father McGivney and runner-up Tuscola. Normal U-High (Class 2A) and Mount Prospect (Class 3A) won team titles.

EP-G freshman Jaida Reed was fourth in the 100 dash and was part of three top-finishing relays: 4x100 (third), 4x200 (second) and 4x400 (third). EP-G's Aubrey Phillips was second in the high jump and was part of two of those sprint relays along with Reed, Keyli Cogdal and Kiera Stoller. The Titans also took eighth in the 4x800 relay.

Other top finishes for Peoria-area athletes

Brianna Brodie of Princeville took third in the Class 1A discus, throwing 127 feet, 8 inches. She was in second after Thursday but was having some injury issues, so she wore a wrap during the Saturday final.

The Illinois State signee says she was slipping during prelims and flared up her hip flexor, so she was emotional following the medal ceremony.

“I’ve had a tough three years,” Brodie said, fighting back tears, “and I’m just very happy with where I came. I’m going to miss my team so much. … It was just an off-day, I’d say.”

Daniella Bumber of Henry/Midland added to her medal count with three all-state finishes. The sophomore, who took home three state medals as a freshman, was the 400-meter dash (55.84 seconds) runner-up and took eighth in the 100-meter dash (12.44) and fifth in a personal-best of 25.27 in the 200-meter dash.

“I really wanted to break 57 (seconds) today,” Bumber said of her 400 time, “and I ended up doing it. I really just wanted to make a statement today.”

Morton outdistances its 2023 performances

Morton improved its third-place finish in the Class 2A 4x800-meter relay from last season by taking second in 9:13.17. The Potters, who were under the current 2A state meet record, lost to winner and new Class 2A record-holder Wheaton St. Francis (9:12.80) by 0.37 seconds.

Anchor Taygen Beyer ran a 2:15.34 final two-lap split, getting edged out by Erin Hinsdale (2:15.14).

“She was definitely pushing me,” Beyer said, “and it was definitely a race to the finish. We haven’t had much of that this year, so that was new.”

Beyer, a senior, and teammates Eve Armstrong (2:21.28), Avery Braker (2:18.54) and Sophie Krueger (2:18.00) ran the third-best time in Friday’s prelims in 9:35.22

“It was a lot of motivation there,” Beyer said of outdoing their 2023 performance. “We’ve been through so many races and so we’re just really close, doing it for each other out there.”

Limestone's sprint star takes silvers

Limestone sprinter Ranaisha Howard-Dunigan came into Saturday’s Class 2A 100-meter dash with a prelim-best 11.84 seconds. The senior also was the second-fastest 200-meter dash prelim runner at 24.27 seconds.

The senior, though, finished as the state runner-up in the 100, getting outdistanced by Cahokia senior Kayada Austin by .23 seconds, 11.69 seconds to 11.92 seconds.

“There was so much pressure on me from the prelims,” Howard-Dunigan said following the 100, “and I was expected to win. I just put so much pressure on myself. My 100 comes it and it goes.”

Howard-Dunigan picked up another all-state honor with a 2A runner-up finish in 24.47 seconds, losing again to Austin (:23.72).

Dunlap pole vaulter leaps to silver in Class 3A

Reigning Journal Star girls track athlete of the year Chelsea Wetzel was the Class 3A pole vault state runner-up. She cleared 12 feet, 5.5 inches, falling to Chatham Glenwood junior Reese Wolfe.

Wetzel, who won last season’s Class 2A state title, scratched on all three attempts at 12 feet, 9.5.

“I don’t really come in expecting anything,” she said, “because you never know when somebody’s going to pop off. I’m just glad that I made it.”

The senior credits a tough schedule throughout the season to help prepare her for the final state meet.

“I would definitely say there’s a noticeable difference between 2A and 3A,” she said. “… The girls in 3A are really talented and every girl in 2A and 1A as well, but especially 3A. It’s such a difference.”

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA girls track and field: Roundup of Peoria area athletes at state finals