By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden & Ron Knapp, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp

In honor of MySportsResults 25 years of covering Connecticut high school track and field and cross country, we continue or look back at 25 of the best female athletes over the past quarter of a century for the outdoor track and field season. 

After our Indoor Top 25 articles we had intentions of developing and posting at the beginning of the outdoor season. Due to time spent providing the larger than expected coverage during the outdoor season this content was delayed until now. While there are no current athletes on the list they are not forgotten but will be included in future lists in development. 

If you think we are missing some of your favorite athletes then welcome to our dilemma since trying to put 25 athletes from the top 25 years is nearly an impossible task. Even with the names that made the honorable mention list, there are still some outstanding athletes we have not listed. 

We hope you enjoy the next part of our overdue series as we continue with the females who made an impact on our sport since the spring of 2000. A second segment will feature the remaining group of female athletes as well as the list of those females who deserve an honorable mention who also influenced the state’s outdoor track and field scene since 2000.

Nicole Toney, Conard, Class of 2000

In her junior year, Nicole Toney swept the Class LL, Open and New England titles in the triple jump, becoming the first CT girl over 40 feet in the event that was only offered to girls for about five years in CT. That same year, Toney took 3rd at the Open in the long jump and won the New England title in the 100m hurdles. In her senior year, Toney bypassed her best event and instead won both the 100m and 300m hurdles and the long jump at the Open to help her team to a runner-up finish. She skipped New Englands that year to compete at the Golden West Invite where she leaped 40-5.75 to win the triple jump. Toney then set her sights on the USATF JR Nationals where she won the triple jump with the current state record of 41-4.25. She also competed in the heptathlon, scoring 4,807 points, the 2nd highest in CT history. She was honored as the Gatorade Athlete of the Year in her senior season. 

Meghan Owen, Killingly, Class of 2003

Meghan Owen was the third state athlete to attain the season ending honor as Gatorade Athlete of the Year for her performances in her junior and senior seasons. Owen capped her junior season with a 4th place finish in the 1-mile at the adidas Outdoor Championships in a time of 4:50.44, a CT #9 all time. That season she had already captured the MM and Open 1600m titles as well as the MM 800m title. The 1600m Open time of 4:55.67 established a new meet record. Owen's senior season was marked by a win at the HPHS Invite 1-mile in a time of 4:51.81 that established a new meet record and earned her the Best in Track from meet director Lindy Remigino. Owen finished her season with 800m and 1600m titles in the Class MM and Open meets and another All American award by finishing 6th in the 1-mile at the adidas Outdoor Championships in a time of 4:53.90. Owen's rise to prominence began in her sophomore season in 2001 with Class MM and Open titles in the 800m and 1600m as well as a New England 1600m title in 4:56.47.

Karen Wyzykowski, Old Saybrook, Class of 2002

Karen Wyzykowski scored in the discus four straight years and won the Open her sophomore and junior years, taking 2nd her senior year. At the Class S meet, she set the existing CT record in the event of 149-0. Wyzykowski was the New England champion as a senior, preceded by a runner-up finish as a sophomore. But Wyzykowski was a multifaceted athlete as she excelled in the javelin her senior year where she remained undefeated. At the adidas Outdoor Championships Wyzykowski earned All American status in both events finishing fifth in the discus and third in the javelin with a best toss of 141-2, the state record at the time and remains as CT #6 all time. Wyzykowski even scored in the shot put at the Open her junior and senior year, taking 7th at New Englands both years with a best heave over 40 feet. 

Tahari James, Branford, Class of 2004

Tahari James soared to State Open championships twice in the long jump in her junior (17-6.75) and her senior season winning distance of 19-8 broke a 21-year-old CT record that lasted for another 20 years. As a junior, James also won the HPHS Invite long jump and 400m as well as gaining titles in the Open and New Englands in the triple jump. 

Shanea Calhoun, Wilbur Cross, Class of 2004

As one of the most decorated sprinters, Shanea Calhoun won the 100m and 200m dashes and while placing second in the 400m at the Open before finishing fifth at the adidas National Championships where she ran 24.03 her senior year. Calhoun also won the 400m and 200m in addition to the second place in the 100m at the New Englands that season as she was honored as the Gatorade Athlete of the Year. As a junior, Calhoun won the Open 100m and 200m in addition to a leg on the winning 4x100m relay team. 

Tynisha McMillan, Stamford, Class of 2006

Tynisha McMillan remained undefeated for two consecutive seasons during major competitions in the shot put and discus in addition to earning three State Open championship titles in both events. McMillian still holds the all time CT and State Open records in the shot put at 49-4 and has the second farthest throw in state history in the discus at 147-3. McMillan was honored as the 2006 Gatorade Athlete of the Year. 

Teyanna Green, Danbury, Class of 2010

Teyanna Green claimed the State Open 100m and 200m titles and then sped to the New England 100m title in her senior year after winning the 200m title in her junior and sophomore years. Green was also a member of the State Open and New England champion 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams in her sophomore year. Green’s personal record in the 100m was a wind-aided 11.65.

Rachel Aliotta, Cheshire, Class of 2010

Rachel Aliotta dominated the Class LL and State Open in the shot put as she won three consecutive years in addition to her two straight New England titles. Her best toss of 45-0.5 came in her senior year at the regional meet where Aliotta became only the second CT girl over the 45-feet mark. Aliotta remains as the 4th best in CT history in the shot put. Aliotta also finished 2nd at the Open in the discus her junior year. 

Jackie Nicholas, Nonnewaug, Class of 2011

Jackie Nicholas started her career winning the CIAC 2k steeplechase as a sophomore and then only got better each year. Nicholas won the state steeplechase title the next year and was the first CT girl to go under seven minutes with her time of 6:56.22. A few days later, Nicholas took the silver medal at New Balance Nationals where she finished in 6:54.67. Her senior year was highlighted by wins at the Lindy Remigino Invite and then Nicholas improved upon her state record for the last time earning All American honors again in a fourth place finish with a time of 6:52.64. Along the way, Nicholas also earned All New England honors two times outdoors in the 1600m. 

Lindsay Crevoiserat, Glastonbury, Class of 2011

Girls distance running accelerated during the mid 2010s led by Lindsay Crevoiserat. She set the state record for 1600m in her junior year finishing first in the Open in 4:50.00 and then became only the 2nd CT girl under 4:50 placing second in 4:47.75 at the New Englands. Crevoiserat then became the 2nd fastest miler in CT history when she was invited to run the adidas Grand Prix and finished 9th in 4:46.33. Crevoiserat also excelled in the 3200m winning the Open title in 10:37.83 and then became the 1st girl in 26 years to dip under 10:30 when she placed second in 10:29.88 at the New England meet. Her junior year performances earned her the Gatorade Athlete of the Year award. Her senior year was marked by a victory in the 1-mile at the Lindy Remigino Invite in 4:48.25 followed by wins in the Class LL 1600m and 3200m and an Open win in the 3200m in 10:35.02.

Precious Holmes, Hillhouse, Class of 2013

Even though Precious Holmes was injured in the spring of her senior year, she was still the most dominant sprinter of her high school years. Holmes started by winning New Englands in the 200m and 400m her freshman year that featured incredible races with Sydnee Over. Holmes was a member of the state record Sprint Medley Relay team that finished in 3:59.87 and also won the silver medal in the 400m at the New Balance Nationals in her sophomore year. The same year, Holmes swept the 100m, 200m and 400m at the Open and won the 100m and 400m at New Englands. With her help, Hillhouse swept every individual event on the track at the 2011 Class M championships. As a junior, Holmes swept the 200m and 400m at the Open that followed her state record performance at the Loucks Games where she sped to 52.67 in the 400m. Her 24.04 at the 2012 Class MM meet remains as the CT 4th fastest time under all conditions in the 200m. Holmes was awarded the Gatorade Athlete of the Year in her sophomore and junior seasons. 

Sydnee Over, Windsor, Class of 2013

The CT record in the 400m stood for over 30 years before Holmes and Sydnee Over went neck and neck for three years. Over still holds the CT #4 best time of 53.62 from her sophomore year when she was 2nd at the State Open. Over was 4th at the New Balance Nationals a couple weeks later to give CT two girls in the top four places. Over’s junior year was again second in the 400m, but was the Open and New England 800m champion where she clocked 2:08.41 for a personal record and remains as CT#4 all time. Over closed out her high school career winning the 400m at the Open like she did in her freshman year. Over also contributed to Windsor’s relays where in her freshman year they won the 4x800m at the Open and New England. Over was a member of the 4x400m team that placed 4th at the NBNO that set the existing CT record of 3:47.16. 

Emily Savage, Weston, Class of 2013

During her senior year, Emily Savage remained undefeated in the pole vault while gaining wins at the State Open, New Englands and New Balance Nationals. Savage was the first CT girl to clear 13 feet with her state record performance height of 13-1.25 to win the prestigious Penn Relay title that she followed with a 13-0 mark to win the Class M meet. Savage then set the existing state record height of 13-2.5 to win the New England championships. Savage was All New England in the vault her junior year where her versatility earned her the Class M title in the triple jump at 35-8.25 and a 4th place in the long jump. Savage started her reign as the Class M champion in the pole vault as a sophomore clearing 10-6.

Kellie Davis, Hillhouse, Class of 2013

Kellie Davis started her rise to prominence as a sophomore winning the Class M 800m, 1600m and 3200m that concluded with a victory in the New England 800m in 2:12.03 and a fourth place in the 800m at the New Balance Nationals in 2:10.57. The junior season for Davis featured Class MM titles in the 800m and 3200m with a silver medal at the Open 800m and bronze medals in the Open 1600m and the 800m at New Englands. It was at the New England 800m championships in her senior season that Davis sped to a 2:09.03 for the bronze medal that remains as a CT #5 all time mark.

Make sure to visit soon to view the remaining top 25 outdoor track and field female athletes since 2000 that will also include an honorable mention list.

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