2025 Railsplitters Track and Field
teams eyeing postseason success
Three Seniors recognized on Senior Night
[May 14, 2025]
The Lincoln Railsplitters Track and Field teams have already
had a very successful 2025 season and now the postseason is quickly
approaching. There are some new names and faces filling in spots
with several familiar names leading the charge, as everyone has
their eye on the postseason.
The Girls State Finals will be May 22-24, 2025 at Eastern Illinois
University and the Boys State Finals will be May 29-31, 2025 at
Eastern Illinois University.
Jenna Crombie is now in her third season as the boys head coach and
she took over the head coaching job for the girls team this season.
She said she has a great staff of assistants that includes Chuck
McFadden, Sarah Farris, Anthony Cannon and Johnie Meisner.
On Monday night the LCHS Railsplitter Track and Field team honored
their three seniors before a coed meet: Leslie Campbell, Parker
Campbell and Mallory Short.
Seniors
“We have three seniors on our team this year and each leads our team
in their own ways,” said Crombie.
“Leslie Campbell has been a member of the track team for all four
years of high school,” said Crombie. “Next year, she will attend
Heartland Community College. Leslie specialized in the 100 and 200
and showed a lot of growth throughout her high school career.”
“Parker Campbell is a four-year letter winner who has achieved many
accomplishments including a 5th place finish in the the 2024 IHSA 2A
State Championship in 110m hurdles and 2nd place in the 2025 Indoor
Top Times 60m hurdles,” said Crombie. “He is a four-time conference
champion and will continue his track and field career at Grand
Valley State in Michigan.”
“Mallory Short is a four-year letter winner and five time
All-Conference Team member,” said Crombie. “Her LCHS career is
highly accomplished including a school record in the 4x400 relay and
Sprint Medley relay, three-time state medalist in the 4x400, 400m
state qualifier, and 4x400 as well as multiple trips to the Illinois
Top Times indoor meet. Mallory will continue her track and field
career at Illinois Wesleyan University in Normal, IL.”
Girls Team
The postseason for the girls gets underway tonight as Short and
several of her teammates look to advance out of sectionals.
“The girls team will compete in the IHSA 2A Sectional meet this
evening in Pontiac,” said Crombie. “Mallory Short will challenge in
the 100, 200 and 400 individual events and is ranked top 4 in all
three. Mallory ran personal bests this season in all three events:
12.46 in the 100, 25.82 in the 200 and 59.25 in the 400. She also
ran PR's in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and jumped her PR in the
long jump. It's been quite a season for Mal and we look to see
Mallory have a very busy week in Charleston on May 23-34.”
“Mallory will join the 4x400 relay team of Kyli Lund, Grace
Schneider and Bailey Tungate,” said Crombie. “The 4x400 has
qualified for state three years in a row and this team is looking to
keep the streak alive. Natalie Geary is also a frequent member of
the 4x400 and will compete in the 200 and 400 meter dashes. Addison
Campbell will run the 100 and 300 meter hurdles. Junior Arrington
Mauhar, in her first year of high school track, will run the 100 and
Ryann Lile and Angeli Johnson will run the 800 and 1600 meter runs.”
LCHS has a handful of impressive girls in field events, too. Varner
was a state champion in junior high and she has continued to get
better in high school. She is also joined by teammates who are
coming on strong.
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Coaches Jenna Crombie and Sarah Farris with seniors Parker Campbell,
Leslie Campbell and Mallory Short. (Photo by Teena Lowery)
“In field events, sophomore Adalyn Varner has already thrown state
qualifying distance in the discus this season and hopes to do so
tonight to qualify for state in Charleston,” said Crombie. “Varner
recently broke the LCHS school record with a throw of 119 feet.
Sophomore Ellie McFadden will join Adalyn in the discus throw.
Mauhar and Varner will challenge the field in the shot put.”
“In the high jump we have two potential state qualifiers. Sophomore
Bailey Tungate looks to make a return to the state meet with a
season and personal best jump of 1.60 meters,” said Crombie.
“Newcomer Brenley Bruns, a junior, has jumped 1.55 meters and is
looking for her first trip to Charleston.”
Boys Team
Parker Campbell is undoubtedly the senior leader on the boys team
and he’s setting a great example with his work ethic for the younger
kids. This group of younger athletes has really created a buzz on
the local track and field scene and it’ll be really exciting to see
what they accomplish in the next 2-3 weeks.
“The boys postseason begins with the Central State 8 conference meet
on Thursday evening,” said Crombie. “Last year's team tied for 3rd
place and while the team lost a talented senior class, the young
squad is confident they can carry the torch. Leading the way will be
Parker Campbell looking to repeat as 110 meter and 300 meter hurdle
champion. Parker is currently the 2nd best Class 2A 110 meter
hurdler and 9th in the state of Illinois with a season and personal
best of 14.50, just .02 seconds from the LCHS school record.”
“A talented young group will need to score big points in the relays
and open events,” said Crombie. “Sophomores Colin Crombie and Owen
Cyrulik along with freshmen Pierce King and Henry Stoltzenburg are
looking to win the 4x800, having already run a state qualifying time
of 8:12. Sophomore Preston Short along with King, Stoltzenburg,
Cyrulik and Crombie should all score in their individual running
events.”
The really neat thing about most of these kids is they have either
had an older sibling who achieved great success as a track and field
standout at LCHS or they have younger siblings who are up and coming
yet. A lot of these names are recognizable now and will be for a
number of years. There’s been a great deal of excitement around each
track and field team for a while now and these talented athletes are
definitely deserving of the attention.
Good luck to each and every athlete as they work towards that road
to Charleston!
[Teena Lowery]
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