Share and Follow
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) – Jamia Esther, a remarkable talent from Danville’s girls’ track and field team, has qualified for the state competition in four events within Class 2A.
Her impressive journey to the state meet in Charleston was secured by clinching victories in four sectional titles.
At the Mattoon sectional, Esther dominated the 100 and 200-meter races and played a crucial role in leading the Vikings to triumph in both the 4×100 and 4×200 relays.
Remarkably, she’s only a sophomore.
“Her development has been extraordinary,” commented Carl Long, the head coach of Danville’s girls’ track team. “She’s fiercely competitive on the track. As a coach, it’s important that athletes stay focused on their performance rather than external factors or competitors. Jamia embodies that mindset perfectly; she’s ready to race anyone, anytime.”
Long says Esther is maturing as an athlete and has gotten better about communicating with coaches.
Speed, for Esther, is natural. However, now she is matching that raw talent with a dedication to preparation – include technique and attention to detail.
“My [starting] blocks I feel like they got better,” she said. “They just moved me to the second leg of the relay and I feel like I’ve been doing good actually.”
The Danville class of 2028 star says she first tried out track in seventh grade, but didn’t take it too serious. As she began to put effort in as an eighth-grader, she realized there was potential.
“I actually tried at practice, and pushed myself, and noticed that I could go far with this,” Esther said.
Her 11.50 personal best time in the 100 meter dash ranks second in the state of Illinois for all classes for the 2026 outdoor season, according to Athletic.net. 23.97, her best time in the 200, is ranked fourth. Both Vikings’ relays which include Esther are also ranked top ten.
The IHSA girls’ state track meet is Thursday May 21-Saturday May 23. Danville is set to compete in class 2A with prelims on Friday and finals on Saturday.
WCIA is featuring one local track and field athlete daily leading up to the end of both the girls’ and boys’ seasons. See below for more stories: