TUSCOLA, Ill. (WCIA) – Tuscola girls’ track and field is hoping to leave Charleston with an even better trophy in 2025.

The Warriors finished second on the team podium in 2024, trailing only Father McGivney by 11.5 points.

Tuscola returns a multi-time state champion in sprinter/ hurdler Lia Patterson.

Patterson won both the 300 hurdles and 100 hurdles as a junior, while taking third in both the 100 and 200.

“Really just going into Thursday and Saturday and just really excited and having a lot of family and friends cheer me on,” Patterson said. “So I’m very much looking forward to it this year.”

She won the 200, both hurdle races and was part of the top-finishing 4×200 meter relay at Tuscola’s sectional meet.

On the distance side, Kate Foltz won two races for the Warriors as they hoisted the team title at sectionals. Foltz cruised to victories in the 1600 and 3200. She finished third in the 3200 at state as a sophomore in 2024.

“My motivation is just say, you know, do your best that you can in the moment and that’s all you can do,” she said.

Foltz’ junior campaign is already an impressive one. She set a new 1A meet record at the state cross country meet, winning with a time of 15:59.

“We’re on a big mantra right now, one day at a time,” Tuscola head girls’ track coach Drew Sterkel said. “You know, as far as especially our senior, we don’t know if this is their last time to be able to do this. We’re hoping they get two more times to do this. So hopefully we can just get a lot of people going on on Saturday.”

Action begins on Thursday, May 22 in Charleston for the IHSA girls’ state track and field meet.