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With the outdoor season underway, here’s a look at the boys track and field teams around the NewsTribune area in 2025.
La Salle-Peru
Coach: Adam Spencer
Top returners: Richie Santiago, sr.; Griffin Hammers, jr.; Anthony Padilla, so.; Andy Medina, sr.; Gianni Verucchi, so.; Noah Zeborn, sr.; Zach Pocivasek, sr.; Jack Curran, sr.; Jack Carter, sr.
Key newcomers: Landon Zellers, jr.
Worth noting: The Cavaliers have plenty of depth with 45 athletes on the roster, led by returning state qualifiers Santiago (discus) and Hammers (800 meters). “Richie and Griffin should be in the mix to go to state again,” Spencer said. Zebron, Curran, Carter, Pocivasek and Medina are all returnees who are expected to score points this spring. “I need the seniors to step up and be good examples for the younger athletes and to take the training and practices seriously,” Spencer said. “I’m happy with the senior group and how they’ve helped the underclassmen so far. “ Zellers is a first-year track athlete as a junior and is expected to contribute in the sprints.
St. Bede
Coach: Marty Makransky
Top returners: Greyson Marincic, sr.; Jack Maschmann, sr.; Will Sramek, jr.; Eric Du, jr.
Key newcomers: Kaden Nauman, sr.; Christopher Gedraitis, jr.; Jose De La Torre, jr.; Trajan Rafferty, jr.; Landon Balestri, fr.; Kennen Grisham, fr.
Worth noting: Makransky expects the Bruins to be strong in the hurdles, sprints and discus this season. Marincic is back after qualifying for state in the 110 and 300 hurdles last season. “I think Greyson can break out and put his mark on the hurdle races this year,” Makransky said. Sramek and Maschmann return in the throws. Sramek looks to contend for a state berth in the discus. Du will run the 800 and 1,600. Nauman comes over from baseball and will run distance after a solid cross country season in the fall. Gedraitis also will run distance, while De La Torre, Rafferty, Balestri and Grisham will run sprints. Rafferty will pole vault, and Grisham can also run hurdles. “We want to be competitive everywhere we go and want to do well at our conference, sectional and state,” Makransky said.
Hall
Coach: Rob Malerk
Top returners: Ryan Bosi, sr.; Jeremy Smith, sr.; Joseph Caracheo, jr.; Blake Gamiani, jr.; Vance Pienta, jr.; Gabe Wamhoff, jr.; Joseph Perez, so.; Alexander Tucker, so.; Coton Crowther, so.
Key newcomers: Eri Martinez-Prado, sr.; Johnni Escatel, jr.; Marcos Castro, fr.; Krypton Ladgenski, fr.; Bryan Smith, fr.
Worth noting: The Red Devils have a big group of returners this spring. Malerk said Hall will be strong in long distance, jumps and pole vault and “will be able to be competitive in all the relays.” Bosi (100, 200, triple jump, relays) will be a contender for a state berth along with Jeremy Smith in the triple jump and Perez in the high jump. Smith also runs the 100, 200 and relays, Perez also competing in 400, long jump and relays. Caracheo (300 hurdles, 800, 1,600, 3,200), Gambiani (pole vault, relays), Pienta (400, 800, long jump), Wamhoff (100, 200, relays), Tucker (throws, relays) and Crowther (300 hurdles, relays) also will contribute. Martinez-Prado returns to the program after a year off and will run distance. “I know that we will not win every track meet, because the Illinois Valley and the conference have a lot of very good track and field teams,” Malerk said. “I think it is one of the strongest in the state. I do expect my athletes to work hard at practice and go to every track meet with the intention of winning their event(s) or getting a new personal record by giving it their all.”
Putnam County
Coach: Chuck McConnell
Top returners: Alex Rodriguez, jr.; Enzo Holocker, sr.
Worth noting: Rodriguez returns as a sectional champion and state qualifier in the shot put and discus last season. “He hopes to improve and be a finalist at the state meet,” McConnell said. “He also hopes to break the school record in the shot put.” Holocker, the team’s only senior, looks to be a top-three finisher in the Tri-County Conference in the 110 and 300 hurdles and contend at the sectional. The Panthers’ roster has eight freshmen, a sophomore and three juniors. “We hope to be competitive in sprints and field events,” McConnell said. “We have a group of hard-workers. We want to have a good showing at the conference meet this year. With a young group, I will expect to see continual improvement as the season progresses.”
Mendota
Coach: Keegan Hill
Top returners: Sebastian Carlos, jr.; Anthony Kelson, sr.; Jayden Lesley, so.
Key newcomers: Komen Denault, fr.
Worth noting: Hill said the Trojans have a wide range of athletes who can cover a lot of events this season. “Diversity of the squad,” Hill said about the team’s strength. “There is a little bit of everything on this season’s roster.” Carlos is a returning state qualifier in the 400. He placed second in the event at the Illinois Prep Top Times Meet. Kelson, a previous state qualifier in cross country, will run the 1,600. Hill expects both to contend for state berths. Lesley returns as a long jumper, and Denault will compete in the pole vault. “We want to improve every meet and finish the season with our best efforts,” Hill said.
Princeton
Coach: Dave Moore
Top returners: Ayden Agushi, so.; Casey Etheridge, jr.; Cade Odell, sr.; Dawson Lambert, sr.; Ian Morris, sr.; Augustus Swanson, jr.; Tyler VandeVenter, so.
New newcomers: Landon Hoffman, fr.; Gavin Lanham, jr.
Worthy of note: Moore takes over as Tigers coach following a successful run at Bureau Valley from 1998-2008, winning two sectional titles with 26 state medalists, including two state champions. Odell (shot) and Morris (discus) are two-time state qualifiers with Odell taking fourth in shot last year. They’ll be joined in the throws by the freshman Hoffman, who was an IESA state champion last year in the discus. Hoffman shattered the IESA state record by more than 6½ feet with a throw of 163-4 to win the 3A eighth grade title by almost eight feet. Swanson was among the top area distance runners in 2024, with Lambert and VandeVenter, who is recovering from a broken leg during soccer but on target to run in Tuesday’s opener at Streator, right behind. Agushi is among the top area returners in the 400 and high jump. Etheridge is an all-around athlete, running hurdles and sprints. Newcomer Lanham gives the Tigers a boost in sprints.
Bureau Valley
Coach: Dan DeVenney
Key returners: Alex Attig, so.; Adrian Gallardo, jr.; Justin Moon, sr.; Landon Hulsing, sr.; Maddox Moore, jr.; Andrew Roth, jr.; Tucker Shane, so.; Nathan Siri, sr.; Kai Walowski, sr.
Key newcomers: Alex Gallardo, so.; Dawson Hulsing, fr.; Keenyn Richter, fr.
Worthy of note: The Storm have a total of 35 boys out this season, including Hulsing, a returning state medalist in the discus and a Top Times high jump qualifier, and Moon, returning as a triple jump state qualifier. Adrian Gallardo and Maddox Moore ran at state as freshmen and are looking to return there as juniors, joined in distance by Siri and Attig. Shane, Roth and Walowski will man the sprints for the Storm along with freshman Richter. DeVenney, who starts his 10th season as Storm coach, said BV is excited to take its conference championship from the Three Rivers into the Lincoln Trail. “Moving to a new conference, not much of our schedule changes. We know that it prepares us well for the competition we will see at the end of the season,” he said. “Our seniors have played a large part in our success since they were sophomores. They’ve been in pressure situations many times and know how to handle them. They know what it takes to be successful and are ready to leave a lasting impression on this program. That combined with the hunger that our younger athletes have to prove themselves is a great combination to work with.”
DePue
Coach: John Beatty
Top returners: Pablo Escobar, so.
Key newcomers: Sebastian Godinez, fr.; Cristian Rodriguez, fr.
Worth noting: Beatty takes over the young program at DePue after serving as the La Salle-Peru girls coach for 15 years. Beatty said Escobar is a “jack-of-all-trades,” while Godinez and Rodriguez have shown promise and may focus on middle and long distance. “I want the athletes to find out what they like and what they are good at and work hard to improve throughout the season,” Beatty said. “I also want them to have fun so they will return next season and we can build our numbers.”
Earlville-Serena
Coaches: Brennan Sweeney and Alyssa Allison
Top returning athletes: Michael Clemens, sr.; Alvin Herandez, so.; Chase Congdon, so.; Jeff Peterson, so.; Jared Dormer, so.; Thomas Peverill, so.
Top new athletes: Logan May, so.; Ryker Brown, fr..
Worth noting: The Red Raiders have a young team, but one that has a lot of potential and talent, the coaching staff said. With a solid roster, the co-op is looking forward to having athletes in the majority of the events.
Henry-Midland
Coach: Carrie Meffert
Top returners: Russell Cheney, sr.; Nick Brozak, sr.; Uje Jakupi, so.; Tristen Nevitt, so.
Key newcomers: Brecken Pyles, fr.; Tristan Hall, fr.
Worth noting: The Mallards are looking to put together strong relays in the 4x100 and 4x200. Cheney will high jump, Brozak competes in sprints and relays, and Jakupi and Nevitt will contribute in throws. Newcomers Pyles (high jump, long jump, relays) and Hall (distance) also are expected to make an impact. Meffert expects Pyles to contend for a state berth in long jump and high jump. He placed third in high jump at the IESA Class 2A state meet as an eighth grader.”My goal for the team this year is to continue working on team building, leadership, responsibility and respect of self and others,” Meffert said.
Fieldcrest
Coaches: Michael Hamer and David Vasquez
Top returning athletes: Caleb Krischel, sr., mid-distance/distance; Michael Beckett, jr., triple jump.
Worth noting: Hamer and Vasquez take over as head coaches for longtime coach Carol Bauer, who remains on staff as a volunteer assistant. Krischel was a Class 1A state qualifier in the 800 last year and won the title of the 3,200 Heart of Illinois Conference indoor meet earlier this spring at Illinois State University. Beckett claimed the title in the triple jump at the HOIC indoor and placed seventh recently at the Indoor Top Times meet.