The St. Anthony Girls Track & Field team completed a historic 2026 season, capturing the first girls track state championship in school history and continuing the program’s rise as one of the strongest in the state.
The Lady Bulldogs competed in fourteen regular season meets, the Newton Sectional, and the Class 1A State Finals at Eastern Illinois University. They won four invitationals, including the Pana Invitational, Cumberland Co-Ed, NTC Conference Meet, and Ellis Open. The NTC title marked the team’s sixth consecutive conference championship, and St. Anthony finished in the top four at every other meet.
Freshman Reese Hoene led a record-breaking season, setting new school records in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash, and long jump. In the postseason, St. Anthony scored 92 points to finish third at the Newton Sectional, with Reese Hoene, Liv Hoene, and Aubrey Denning qualifying for state in eight total events.
At the state meet, Reese advanced to the finals in all four of her events, while Aubrey reached the finals in both of hers. Together, they brought home medals in all six finals events and combined to score 46 team points, leading St. Anthony to the Class 1A State Championship.
The Lady Bulldogs have now placed fifth in the state in 2024, fourth in 2025, and first in 2026. The team says farewell to eight seniors: Liv Hoene, Audrey LaSarge, Callie Emmerich, Madilyn Haarmann, Addison Bunton, Mary Hoene, Grace Jackson, and Gracie Slifer. With several talented athletes returning and a strong group of incoming freshmen ahead, the future remains bright for St. Anthony Girls Track & Field.
