2025 Daily Journal All-Area Boys Track and Field

First team

Wences Baumgartner, Beecher, jr.

Baumgartner placed first in the high jump (1.67 meters) in his first meet of the season on April 9. He finished the year strong, too, placing second at the River Valley Conference Meet (1.77) before setting a school and personal record and sectional title-winning jump of 1.80 meters.

Keegan Cooper, Bishop McNamara, sr.

A state qualifier in the discus, Cooper placed first three times this season and second three more times. He won a Chicagoland Christian Conference title, placed 21st at state and threw a personal-record 44.26 meters at the Herscher Invite on May 2, placing first.

Tyrell Berry, Bradley-Bourbonnais, so.

No one in the area threw a discus farther than Berry this season. His PR throw of 46.39 meters came in the sectionals and had him just shy of a state berth. He won an All-City title with a throw of 44.57 meters and also placed first at the Gary Haupert Invitational.

Lyzale Edmon, Bradley-Bourbonnais, jr.

An All-City champion in the 100 (11.47 seconds) and 200 meters (22.60) this season, Edmon moved into fourth in school history in both events. His PR in the 100 meters (10.94) was set at the Gary Haupert Invitational, and his PR in the 200 (22.07) came in the Blue Smoke Invitational.

Malachi Lee, Bradley-Bourbonnais, so.

Lee proved himself to be one of the top long jumpers in Illinois this season. He set the school record and then broke it twice, with his PR winding up at 7.30 meters, the sixth-best in the state regardless of class. He won 11 of his 13 meets, placed fifth at state (6.93) and was named the 2025 Daily Journal Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Joel Morrical, Bradley-Bourbonnais, jr.

Morrical placed first or second in the shot put at 10 of his 12 meets this season. He was the All-City shot put champ with a PR throw of 14.93 meters. He finished second at the SouthWest Suburban Conference Meet (14.42), earning all-conference honors.

Julian Micetich, Coal City, jr.

Micetich won Illinois Central Eight Conference titles in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, also qualifying for state in both events. He ran a school-record 14.74 seconds in the state prelims of the 110 hurdles, finishing seventh in the finals the following day. His 300 PR was 41.52.

Brayden Shepard, Herscher, sr.

Shepard took first in the 1,600 meters at the Manteno Invite, the ICE Conference Meet and the Herscher Relays this season. He finished second at sectionals with a PR of 4:32.37, the second-fastest in school history, to qualify for state in the 1,600.

Clifton Martin, Kankakee, sr.

Martin won an All-City title in the 300-meter hurdles and also as part of two of the Kays’ relay teams, including the 4x400 relay that later qualified for state. His PR (39.92) in the 300 hurdles at the Kankakee Co-Ed Invite is the second-fastest time in school history.

Dominic White, Kankakee, jr.

A state qualifier as part of the 4x200 relay, Martin also made the trip to Charleston in the high jump. He won an All-City high jump title with a jump of 1.85 meters. He finished second at the Southland Athletic Conference Boys Championships with a PR of 1.95 meters.

Briggs Cann, Manteno, so.

Cann finished first or second in the 400 meters in each of his meets except state this season. He won an ICE title (52.04) and two weeks later put up a PR of 50.30 to win a sectional title and advance to state. At state, he reached the finals and placed ninth overall (51.28).

Drew McTaggart, Watseka, sr.

The area’s top distance runner this season, McTaggart qualified for state in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. He set a PR in each event at state, placing 15th in the 1,600 (4:28.94) and 16th in the 3,200 (10:18.84). His 1,600 PR also set a school record.

Bishop McNamara relays

A pair of Fightin’ Irish relay teams made the trip to state this season. Dashaun Whiters, Jackson Kirchner, Rhys Landsmann and Willie Felton took the 4x100 relay to state with a second-place sectional finish. Their fastest time of 44.67 seconds ranks fifth in school history. The 4x800 team of Sebastian Cortes, Justice Provost, David Quigley and Jack Purcell also placed second at sectionals to qualify for state, where they ran an 8:38.61 to rank fourth in school history. Quigley and Provost also ran the 4x400 relay.

Bradley-Bourbonnais relays

Seth Teague, Isaac Allison, Jordan Fitch and LyZale Edmon ran a scorching 4x100 relay, setting a school record of 42.49 seconds to finish third at the SWSC Boys Championships. They also earned an All-City title at 42.56. The group of Allison, Fitch, LyZale Edmon and Kyren Edmon also cracked the top five in school history in the 4x200. Their time of 1:29.19 at the Oswego East Invite ranks fourth all time.

Kankakee relays

The Kays had two of the top relays in school history this season. The 4x400 relay group of Clifton Martin, Zyon Turner, Phillip Turner and Dominic White won a sectional title (3:25.03) and finished 14th in the prelims at state (3:21.49), the second-best time in school history. The 4x100 relay team of Zyair Turner, Phillip Turner, Zyon Turner and White set a school record of 1:27.85 at the SAC Championships, earning a conference title.

Honorable mention

Brock Clott, Bishop McNamara; Cale Hamilton, Bishop McNamara; Jamir Burt, Bradley-Bourbonnais; Kyler Savini, Bradley-Bourbonnais; Sully Westover, Bradley-Bourbonnais; Jake Thompson, Central; Jonathan Randles, Central; Parker Jakovec, Coal City; Jackson Kruse, Herscher; David Perez, Iroquois West; Skyler Estay, Milford-Cissna Park; Michael Tincher, Momence; Aden Pinson, St. Anne; Dennis Goodman, Watseka; Billy Moore, Wilmington; Hunter Kaitschuck, Wilmington