Madison Ranschau and her sister Abbie are the co-winners of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Madison, a senior, and Abbie, a sophomore, are two of the top athletes on the Cedar Rapids Jefferson track team that ranks among the best in the state. Both of them are off to a good start this season.

Madison Ranschau won the 55 meter hurdles at the University of Dubuque indoor meet on Friday and captured the 60 meter hurdles at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor meet last Tuesday. She also ran on the triumphant 4x100 relay and shuttle hurdle relay at the MVC meet.

Abbie Ranschau placed second behind her sister in the 55 meter hurdles at the University of Dubuque. She ran on the victorious 4x100, 4x200 and shuttle hurdle relays at the MVC indoor meet.

Madison Ranschau placed fifth in the 100 hurdles at the Class 4A state meet last May and finished eighth in the 100 hurdles at the 2013 Drake Relays. Both sisters ran on the shuttle hurdle relay team that placed sixth at the state meet last year and had the third-fastest time in the preliminaries at the 2013 Drake Relays.

Here is our Question-&-Answer session with the Ranschau sisters:

MSR: What is your favorite individual highlight in sports?

MADISON: It's hard to have an individual highlight when my whole team helps me get to where I am now. We're all so close and we all push each other to be successful. I couldn't do it without them.

ABBIE: My favorite individual highlight would have to be seeing my times drop drastically from last year. It is one of the best feelings getting a PR, because I know all the hard work is paying off.

MSR: What is your favorite team highlight in sports?

MADISON: When the 4x200 relay broke the all-time state record at the state meet last year.

ABBIE: I love my team! It's hard to pick just one highlight when we have so many. I couldn't have asked for a better track team, we are a family! We hold each other up and push each other to be our best. I couldn't do it without them.

MSR: What are your future goals in sports?

MADISON: I'm still undecided on my future goals in sports.

ABBIE: I would love to continue with track after high school, but I'm still only a sophomore and have a lot of high school left. Right now my goal is to make the best of what I have left in high school and keep improving as an individual and as a team.

MSR: Who has had the biggest influence on your sports career?

MADISON: Coach Em, my hurdle coach. She has always pushed me to do my best in hurdles by helping me improve my technique and critique my form. In my opinion she's the greatest hurdle coach around.

ABBIE: My biggest influences have to be my coaches for sure! Coach Calloway and Coach Em are why I've become the athlete I am today. I couldn't have improved if it wasn't for them always being there for me and always encouraging me to keep going.

MSR: What are your favorite classes in school?

ABBIE: My favorite classes are any science and math classes. Math has always been my strong point in school and science has always been really fun for me.