Ohio's top high school girls track and field athletes: Meet the state’s best throwers

Over the past few weeks, we've been taking a look at some of the top track and field athletes in Ohio.

We started with the top sprinters in the girls division and then the top boys sprinters, followed by girls distance runners and boys distance runners.

Next up were the boys hurdlers, girls hurdlers and boys throwers, and now it's the girls throwers' turn.

There are hundreds of standout throwers in Ohio, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive! Tag us on Twitter or Instagram at @SBLiveOH and let us know about other athletes worthy of fans’ attention.

Note: We'll also be posting lists of the state's top jumpers in the coming weeks. Many athletes excel in multiple events, but we won't do write-ups on the same athlete on multiple lists.

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Kennedi Bailey, Heath, senior

Bailey is among the top 5 returners for farthest shot put and discus last year, and she finds herself in the top 5 again early this season. She set a PR in the shot put at the Newark Invitational with a 42'9.

Courtney Clark, Howland, junior

Clark finished sixth in the state meet at shot put last year as a sophomore, and all five in front of her were seniors. She already holds the school record in the shot put at 41'9, a record held for years by her mom, Kim Lazor-Clark. Courtney now has her sights set on her mom's school record in the discus of 145'0.

Izzy Granger, Liberty-Benton, senior

The defending state discus champion in Division II broke her school record this year with a PR of 154'0, tops in Ohio this season. The multi-sport star will be playing volleyball for Toledo next season.

Morgan Hallett, Norton, sophomore

Hallett burst onto the last year, quickly becoming one of the best in the state at shot put and discus. And she's started strong this year, posting the top shot put mark in Ohio, a PR of 44'3.

Kaylin Howey, Bellevue, senior

Howey's coming off a solid junior campaign where she was among the top 5 non-seniors in the shot put. She's set school records this season in the shot put (43'8.5) and discus (133'5).

Aleah Johnson, Botkins, senior

Johnson has made huge strides in 2022, improving her discus PR by nearly 15 feet and holds the No. 2 spot in the state this season at 146'3.

Margaret Jones, Laurel, junior

Jones' shot put of 42'4 as a sophomore was the third-best among non-seniors last year. She's coming off a rock-solid indoor season that saw her set a new PR of 43'9.

Amya Livingston, Steubenville, senior

The Kentucky signee has the farthest 2021 shot put among all returners with a PR of 44'0.5. Her top mark so far this season is 40'2.

Gwyn Lori, Caldwell, freshman

Lori should be a force to reckon with in the throws for the next four years. She's already set the school record in the shot put with a mark of 39'11.

Jenna Lucas, Watkins Memorial, senior

Lucas is off to a strong start this season, setting a PR in the shot put with a mark of 40'4, beating her PR from the indoor season by 2 1/2 feet.

Maddie Moretti, Madison, senior

Moretti won the D1 state championship in the shot put during the indoor season and has gotten off to a solid start this outdoor season. She's set PRs in the shot put (42'4.5) and discus (133'10).

Brianna Nichols, Findlay, senior

Nichols has the fourth-best discus throw in the state in 2021 among 2022 returners with a throw of 137'7. She set a PR in the shot put during this indoor season of 40'0.

Jennifer Patrick, Margaretta, junior

Patrick had a strong indoor season that's carried over into the outdoor season. She set a PR in the shot put in March with a 39'7, then added a discus PR on April 16 with a 128'3.

Leslie Pollock, Antwerp, senior

Pollock's discus throw of 137'9 last year is the third-farthest among 2022 returners. She topped that this season, breaking the school record with a throw of 143'8.

Lia Rivers, Toledo Whitmer, senior

Rivers has been setting Toledo-area records in the shot put since middle school, and her PR of 40'2.5 last year was ninth-best among non-seniors. She also stars in basketball. 

Sydnie Smith, Bexley, junior

Smith is among the top 10 returners in the discus with a throw of 131'10 at last year's D1 state championships. She's broken her school records in the shot put (40'6) and discus (133'1) this season.

Halaya Woodson, Hamilton Township, senior

Woodson broke the school record during the indoor season with a shot put of 41'3. Earlier this month she set a PR in the discus with a 134'4.

Maddy Wyatt, Brunswick, senior

Wyatt had the fifth-farthest discus throw in 2021 among non-seniors with a PR of 134'5. She set a PR in the shot put during the 2022 indoor season with a mark of 38'9.