The week of May 17-23 saw the 2026 Iowa high school girls and boys state track and field championships take place at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
There were several phenomenal performances by female athletes from the Des Moines metro area during the state track and field meet. The girls state golf field was set, and several girls soccer players from the metro area also had a productive week.
Here are the Des Moines Register’s female Athlete of the Week candidates from the Des Moines metro area for the week of May 17-23. DesMoinesRegister.com readers vote to determine the winners, who will be announced at the end of the week.
Morgan Fisher, Ankeny
Fisher anchored Ankeny to an all-time best time in the girls sprint medley relay and she also helped the Hawks win the Class 4A girls distance medley at the 2026 Iowa high school girls and boys state track and field championships held May 21-23 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Fisher helped Ankeny win the 4A girls sprint medley on May 23 in a record time of one minute, 43.06 seconds. The Hawk distance medley team placed first in 3:55.44 on May 22.
Fisher was also a 4A state runner-up in both the girls open 200 and 400 events with respective times of 24.32 and 54.23.
Katie Willits, Waukee Northwest
Willits capped her phenomenal career by winning two individual events and helping Waukee Northwest set a new all-time best time in the shuttle hurdle relay during the 2026 Iowa high school girls and boys state track and field championships held from May 21-23 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Willits won the 4A girls 100 in 11.66 and the 200 in 23.70. She also took second in the 100 hurdles with an excellent 13.70 showing.
Willits ran the opening leg on Northwest’s record-setting shuttle hurdle team that ran a 58.61. She played a big role in Northwest winning the 4A girls team title by a record margin.
Morgan Karr, Valley
Karr set a new all-time state record in the girls 100 hurdles at the 2026 Iowa high school girls and boys state track and field championships held May 21-23 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Karr set the record in the 4A finals after she crossed the finish line in 13.53. Karr also placed third in the open 100 (12.18) and she helped Valley take second in the 4A girls shuttle hurdle with a 58.92, which is the second-fastest time in state history, and fourth in the 4×100 (48.16).
Elise Coghlan, ADM
Coghlan set a new 3A state meet record in the girls 100 hurdles at the 2026 Iowa high school girls and boys state track and field championships on May 23 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Coghlan won the 3A girls 100 hurdles in 14.20. She also placed second in the 3A girls 400 hurdles (1:02.82) and helped ADM win silver in the shuttle hurdle relay (1:03.02).
Savannah Song, Des Moines Roosevelt
Song advanced to the Class 4A girls state golf tournament after shooting a qualifying round the 4A Region 1 golf tournament at the Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames on May 20.
Song qualified with a 14-over round of 87 over 18 holes.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Vote for Des Moines Register female Athlete of the Week May 17-23