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Newark
Coach: Nina Sittler
Last year’s finish: Third in the Little Ten Conference.
Top returning athletes: Reggie Chapman, jr., sprints/long jump/relays; Cody Kulbartz, jr., mid-distance/discus/relays; Evan Sittler, so., high jump/hurdles/relays.
Top new athletes: Kellen Westerfield, fr., 400/relays/long jump.
Worth noting: “Although this year we have a young boys team, preseason has shown great determination and hard work,” Coach Sittler said. “We are excited to see the season unfold and watch our runners gain strength and speed, projecting this boy’s team into a very competitive season.”
Oswego
Coach: Jeff Edwards
Last year’s finish: Seventh at Southwest Prairie Conference meet.
Top returning athletes: Dontrell Young, so., 200/400/relays; Jeremiah Cain, sr., high jump/relays/100; Omar Perez, jr., 400/200/relays; Jack Wandolowski, jr., 100/200/relays; Nate Barry, jr., short sprints/pole vault; Danny Claycombe, so., hurdles/relays.
Top new athletes: Jezhian Sprinkle, so., 200/400/hurdles/triple jump; Ammar Banire, fr., sprints; Ethan Vahl, fr., high jump/400.
Worth noting: Young is coming off a stellar freshman season, conference champion in the 400, state qualifier in the 200 and 400 and fifth in the state in the 400. Cain is a returning state qualifier in the high jump, although an injury during the competition prevented him from completing his jumps at state. Oswego had six all-conference athletes last year and returns a strong group of sprinters including Young, Cain, Perez, Wandolowski, Barry and Claycombe. Sprinkle has set multiple freshman/sophomore indoor records and the varsity indoor 60m hurdles record. He is also expected to contribute to the 4x400 relay.
“I have had many talented teams in the past, and this one ranks among the best,” Edwards said. “I anticipate school records will continue to fall, and I hope to see multiple athletes earn all-state honors this season.”
Oswego East
Coach: James Milner
Last year’s finish: Fourth in the Southwest Prairie Conference.
Top returning athletes: Donavin Eason, jr., hurdles; Zach Morrisroe, sr., throws; Nigel Grisby, sr., sprints; Austin Ward, sr., 400; Eddie Bozett, sr., mid-distance; Nicholas Goduto, sr., distance.
Top new athletes: Connor Griffin, jr., throws; Jamari McKay, jr., jumps.
Worth noting: Oswego East took third behind Plainfield North and Plainfield South at the Southwest Prairie Conference indoor meet. Eason, third in both hurdles races at outdoor conference last spring and a state qualifier in the 300 hurdles and 4x100 relay, won the 55-meter hurdles title at indoor conference. Morrisroe, an NIU football recruit, won the indoor conference shot put title after taking fifth in the discus last spring and qualifying for state, and Griffin was second in the shot put. Eastern Illinois football recruit Grisby took fourth in the 55-meter dash at indoor conference and is a returning all-conference 200 runner who qualified for state in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. Ward took third in the 400 at indoor conference after taking fourth at outdoor conference last year. McKay was second in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump at indoor conference. Bozett and Goduto medaled in the 800 and 1,600, respectively, at indoor conference. Tristan Baur is another returning state qualifier in the 4x100 and 4x200 and Aiden Fell a returning qualifier in the 4x200 and 4x400.
“This is still a young team, however, with a lot of experience,” Milner said. “Our seniors gained valuable experience last year and will be joined by a very talented junior class. Last year the juniors stepped up and joined the seniors to help qualify all relays downstate. This group looks to build upon last year’s success and take another step forward in the ever competitive SPC.”
Plano
Coach: Andrew DeBolt
Last year’s finish: Third in Kishwaukee River Conference.
Top returning athletes: Tristan Meszaros, sr., sprints/long jump/relays; Johnny Espino, so., sprints/relays; Christopher Schweitzer, pole vault; James Smithey, long jump/triple jump; Richie Amakiri, sr., shot put/discus; Tim Young, sprints; Antoine Gilford, middle distance; Trevion Gilford, middle distance.
Top new athletes: Alejandro Delgado, fr., 1600/3200; Judge Harris, sr., sprint relays/jumps; Liam Schoense, sr., sprint relays/jumps; Jacob Benitez, so., shot put; Ryder Knapp, fr., sprint relays; Cam Johnson, jr., sprint relays; Dylan Saunders, jr., 400/hurdles.
Worth noting: Meszaros and Espino, returners from state-qualifying relays, are primed for big seasons. Meszaros is coming off a monster indoor season, breaking school records in the 60 and long jump. Schweitzer set a new indoor record in the pole vault. The 4x400 relay of Meszaros, Espino, Young and Schoense qualified for the indoor Top Times meet.
“We lost some key athletes like Waleed Johnson and Christ Keleba, but we have some strong depth on our team, and we can score in more places this season,” DeBolt said. “Sprints are still the strength of this team and we have an amazing group of sprinters, but our guys in the field events and the distance events have stepped up. I think Plano is going to turn a lot of heads this track season.”
Sandwich
Coach: Michael Lee
Last year’s finish: Fifth in Kishwaukee River Conference.
Top returning athletes: Simeion Harris, sr., sprints/jumps; Nate Hill, sr., sprints/jumps; Jackson Heilemeier, sr., throws; Keegan Herren, sr., throws; Peter Popp, sr., throws; Kayden Page, sr., sprints/jumps; Nolan Mindard, jr., distance; Jacob Ross, so., sprints/vaults.
Top new athletes: Luis Murillo, jr., throws; Seth Skillin, fr., throws; Kai Pon, sr., sprints/jumps; Devin Adams, so., sprints/jumps.
Worth noting: The Indians had six state-qualifying athletes in four different events last season. Harris took seventh at state in the 400, and Harris and Page return from the state-qualifying 4x400 relay. Popp is a returning state qualifier in the shot put and Ross a returning qualifier in the pole vault. Sandwich has 11 seniors, nine juniors and 17 sophomores with varsity experience.
“We have a smaller freshman group this year [only eight], but each one has a major role to play individually and in relays this season, and they will be filling in spots that were either left open after last season or never been filled before, so we are looking forward to what they can achieve as the outdoor meets begin,” Lee said. “This group has already had a successful season in our new conference last year, and we are looking to improve and build upon that as the new season begins. Look for our results this season as all of our coaches truly believe we have something special to work with as a team, and there could be some outliers that come into the mix.”
Yorkville
Coach: Nolan McCue
Last year’s finish: Third at Southwest Prairie Conference meet.
Top returning athletes: Owen Horeni, jr., middle distance/relays; Taelor Clements, sr., high jump; Darian Blanks, jr., jumps; Riley Griffin, jr., hurdles; Raymond Brigman, jr., middle distance/relays; Ben Kozial, sr.., sprints/relays.
Top new players: Jayden Ruth, fr., sprints/jumps; Logan Reuter, fr., sprints/relays; Hunter Niklos, jr., sprints; Aiden Kolkmeyer, fr., high jump/hurdles; Peyden Shepherd, fr., hurdles; Carter Reichert, fr., distance; Nick Sanchez, fr., middle distance.
Worth noting: Horeni, who took fourth place in the Class 3A 800 last year in a school record 1:52.34, holds the state’s No. 1 800 indoor time of 1:53.60, also a state record, run at New Balance Nationals, and is an integral part of Yorkville’s top 10-ranked indoor 4x800 and 4x400 relays. Clements, a two-time state medalist in the high jump who was seventh last year, holds the school record of 6 feet, 7 inches in the event. Blanks is a returning state qualifier in the triple jump, and Griffin set the school record in the 55 hurdles during indoor season. Brigman is a returning state qualifier in the 4x400, and Kozial was all-conference in the 400. Among the newcomers, Ruth was the 2024 IESA state champion in the 100 and 200, part of a Yorkville freshman class that took second at the IESA state meet and set the Yorkville school record in the 55-meter dash indoors. Reuter is also part of the school record-breaking 4x400 relay set during indoor season.
“The 2025 Yorkville team has the potential for greatness,” McCue said. “It has been a fun season so far with the team already setting four school records during the indoor season. We’ve historically been a better outdoor than indoor team, and this year is no different. As we continue to grow, our team should be at their best and ready to compete at the highest level by season’s end.”
Yorkville Christian
Coach: Jeff Schutt
Top returning athletes: Nate Fosco, jr., relays; Graham Razum, so., 1600; Gus Hauser, jr.; Michael Pigeon, jr.; Henry Fox, jr.; Kenny Fox, so.
Worth noting: With 35 athletes out for track between the boys and girls squads, Schutt and fellow coach Javy Garcia are excited about this year’s team. Razum was a sectional champion in the 1,600 last year and Yorkville Christian’s lone state qualifier. Fosco is making his return to the track after being sidelined his sophomore year due to illness and will help solidify the anchor spot in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.
“We have many underclassmen who may step up and become part of that group as well, so we are excited with the big numbers that have turned out for track this year,” Schutt said.