Scouting the Cook County and Lake County boys track and field season
Here’s a look at what to expect this spring for boys track and field teams in Cook County and Lake County.
COOK COUNTY
Barrington The Broncos were MSL champions, they won the Hoffman Estates sectional, and they placed 24th in Class 3A. Returning state qualifiers are senior Adam Lyon (400/4x400), senior Hayden Dahlin (fourth in pole vault/4x400/4x100), sophomore Lamar Osterhues (4x100/4x200), and junior Michael Trachtenberg (4x200/4x400). Other key contributors will be Jett Kohazo (shot put/discus), and Henry Thymian (110 and 300 hurdles). Barrington hopes to finish in the top half of the MSL and sectional meet standings.
Buffalo Grove The Bison placed 11th at sectionals, tied for ninth in the MSL, and eighth at the Nagel-Saylor MSL indoor meet. Senior Anton Zweig competed in the 200 downstate last year, and took first in the 200 at the MSL indoor meet. Sophomore Taras Kilchytskyi placed fourth in the state in the long jump last season with a leap of 6.93 meters. Senior Riley Wold took second in the 3,200 at the MSL indoor meet while senior Will Capito took fourth in the 800. Kilchytskyi took second in the long jump indoors.
Conant The Cougars placed ninth at sectionals, 11th in the MSL, and 10th in the Nagel-Saylor Indoor Invitational. Senior Justin Czepiel qualified for the state meet in the 400, but Conant's 4x400 relay team just missed out on a berth downstate. Czepiel also qualified for state in the 4x800 along with seniors Joseph Basile, Charlie Calderone, and Henry Dombrowski after taking first at sectionals. Sophomore T.J. Jimoh tied for fifth in the high jump at the indoor conference meet.
Elk Grove The Grenadiers tied for 14th at the Class 3A Hoffman Estates sectional, they placed 12th in the MSL, and they placed 12th at the Nagel-Saylor MSL indoor meet. Elk Grove's 4x800 relay team of junior Charlie Brondsema, Josiah Naumann, Kevin Fernandez, and Bart Mazur took fifth place at the MSL indoor meet. Brondsema is also the Grenadiers' top runner in the 1,600-meter run as the new campaign gets underway.
Fremd The Vikings placed fourth in the MSL, third at sectionals, and third at the MSL indoor meet. State qualifier Rory Gaan (third in 3,200/1,600) graduated, but senior Marquan Brewster will aim to return to state in the long jump. Oluwadamilare Hassan placed ninth in the state in the triple jump, but he graduated. Senior Jason Hardy took second at the MSL indoor meet in the 200 while junior teammate David Moore was runner-up in the 1,600. Senior Praise Akinyemi took third in the triple jump at the indoor meet.
Hersey The Huskies placed third in the MSL, third at sectionals, 16th in Class 3A , and second at the MSL indoor meet. Jim Voyles has taken over as head coach for Ken Blazek. Senior Mateus Salomao (800/1,600/4x800) placed seventh at state in the 800. Key distance runners are Gabe Gronski (1,600/3,200), Brandon Rugg (4x800/800/1,600), Aidan Korb (4x800/800/1,600), and Elliot Baik (4x800/800/1,600). Other keys will be Jackson Travis (high jump/long jump/sprints), Tim Stevens (hurdles), Chase Parisi (hurdles), Oliver Cohen (sprints), Karol Smaga (sprints), Dean Costopoulos (throws), Peter Franczyk (jumps), and Aariz Ortiz (jumps).
Hoffman Estates The Hawks placed seventh in the MSL and eighth at sectionals. State qualifier Brady Faulkner (3,200) is now competing at SIU-C. Junior Micah Pickett is a sprinter to watch after being the MSL champion in the 100 and 200-meter runs. Senior J'Mari Jackson (triple jump/sprint relays) qualified for state in the 110-meter high hurdles the past two years. Senior Jamari Williams (200/high jump/sprint relays) is another key sprinter along with Ryan Bohl (sprints/sprint relays), and Ken Joseph (sprint relays).
Leyden The Eagles placed fifth in the West Suburban Gold Conference last year before opening this season with a sixth-place finish at the WSC Gold indoor meet. Senior Lucas Latiker took fourth in the long jump at the indoor conference meet and fourth in the 55-meter dash. Senior Yovanni Moreno took fifth in the 55-meter hurdles and fifth in the 60-yard hurdles at the indoor meet. Senior Kmarion Ash took fifth in the 55-meter dash at the indoor meet.
Maine East The Blue Demons took runner-up honors in the CSL North and 11th at sectionals. Senior Micah Rotter is coming off of a state-meet appearance in the high jump while senior Saul De La Rosa will focus on the 400 and 800-meter runs. A strong group of juniors includes Muqeet Olatundun (triple jump), Marvin Owusu (sprints), Da'Ron Foster (hurdles), Lyric Henry (400/800), and Noel Franklin (400/800). Sophomore Barry Wade (throws), and freshman Jonathan Lo Giudice (200/400) hope to make an impact on varsity.
Maine South The Hawks took eighth at sectionals and sixth in the CSL South. Senior Niko Kokosioulis competed on the all-state 4x100 (sixth), and 4x200 (eighth) relay teams. Junior Payton Donaldson also returns from the stellar 4x100 team, but three key sprinters from those relays graduated. Seniors Henry Hughes (throws), Liam Metzger (jumps), and Fintan Lennon (hurdles) will be key contributors. Junior Collin Frye (distance) competed at the Class 3A cross country meet last November.
Maine West The Warriors (sixth in CSL North) will miss the leadership and speed of 200-meter state qualifier Maksym Makota as they embark on the 2026 season. Top returning competitors for the squad will be Mozart Ontiveros (distance), Jakub Urban (middle sprints), Gianni D'Aiello (sprints and high jump), Trevor Batey (high jump), Marcus Pasamba (pole vault), and Isaiah Greer (throws). Coach Nate Hassman is proud of his athletes' efforts which led to second-place finishes in their first two indoor invitationals.
Palatine The Pirates placed fifth in the MSL, seventh at sectionals, and seventh at the MSL indoor meet. State qualifier Carter Hayes (second in 3,200/1,600) graduated, but senior James O'Sullivan also ran downstate in the 1,600 last year. Senior Alex Krieg took fifth in the state in the 3,200 as a sophomore before taking fourth in 3,200 last year. O'Sullivan, senior Chris Quick, and sophomore Evan Salgado ran on the 4x800 team that reached state last year. Senior Jaylen Maiden went downstate in the shot put.
Prospect The Knights placed fourth at sectionals, second in the MSL, and they won the recent Nagel-Saylor MSL indoor meet. Senior Nathan Cichy went downstate in the 200-meter dash and the 110 hurdles. Senior Brody Cushing qualified for state in the 3,200. The 4x400 team of Andrew Moreth, Seamus Heil, and Kyle Struzik reached state in the 4x400. Senior Jack Kruger placed ninth in the state pole vault competition. Seniors Luke Robinson (3,200), and Shea Lewis (shot put) took first at the MSL indoor meet.
Rolling Meadows The Mustangs placed sixth in the MSL, sixth at sectionals, and sixth at the MSL indoor meet. State qualifier Gunnar Woetzel (4x400/300 hurdles) graduated. But the team returns seniors Jack Kuehl, Jeff McMillen, and Auren Whiting from the 4x400 squad that competed at state. Senior Luis Carrillo went downstate in the discus, and he will also be a big factor in the shot put. Senior Arman Lepuzanovic won the long jump and he placed second in the 55-meter dash at the MSL indoor meet. Senior Jack Andersen took second in the triple jump at the indoor meet.
Schaumburg The Saxons placed eighth in the MSL, fifth at sectionals, and fifth at the MSL indoor meet. Senior Ray Black (100 and 300 hurdles/high jump) took ninth in the state in the 300-meter hurdles. Senior Anthony Say will be a big factor in the triple jump, long jump, and 400-meter dash. Junior teammates Radhwan Alhamedi and Aarav Patel will be team leaders in the 1,600 and 3,200. Senior Jair Cole is a runner to watch in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Senior Donovan Long will focus on the three jumping events.
St. Viator The Lions took 11th place at the 15-team Class 2A Marmion Academy sectional after taking ninth place at the ESCC meet. The squad lost Sasha Summers, Michael Wallace, Matthew Doland, and Logan Del Valle from the 4x400 team that qualified for the state meet to graduation. Junior Owen Gottfred is a runner to watch in the 1,600-meter run while junior Jacob Holda took third in the shot put last year at the conference meet. Junior Patrick Carnel hopes to shine in the long jump.
Wheeling The Wildcats placed 13th at the Deerfield sectional, they tied for ninth in the MSL, and they placed 11th at the Nagel-Saylor Invitational. Wheeling's 4x200 relay team of Keimber Garces-Portes, Angel Bustos, Alejandro Juarez, and Christian Campos has been competitive in the early stages of the 2026 season. Senior Luis Plazola has been the squad's top runner in the 400 while junior Aramis Alcantar is their top runner in the 800. Junior Orion Voss leads the team in the 1,600-meter run.
LAKE COUNTY
Antioch The Sequoits took fourth at sectionals, third in the NLCC, and second at the NLCC indoor meet. Senior Carson Lanners qualified for state in the 800, but state qualifier Brandon Marks (110 and 300 hurdles/4x100) graduated. Junior Gavin Stone was on the 4x100 team that went to state along with seniors Jack Bucar and Deven Floyd-Pickett. Lanners and junior Jacob Yaeger (high jump) were on the 4x400 team that went downstate. Seniors Damion Johnson (sprints/long jump), and Brody Straub (4x400) are athletes to watch.
Carmel Catholic The Corsairs took seventh at the 15-team Class 2A Marmion Academy sectional before taking fifth place at the ESCC meet. Senior Bobby Bi and sophomore teammates Jacquel Edmonds and Jameer Miles return from the 4x100 team that went downstate. But Jordan McKie graduated from the 4x100 squad. Junior Evan Hursthouse is the only member of the 4x400 and 4x800 state qualifying teams that did not graduate. Miles also qualified for state in the high jump.
Grant The Bulldogs finished fourth in the NLCC and seventh at sectionals as senior Maxx Haas (14th in Class 3A XC) qualified for state in the 800. Senior Cole Pemberton competed downstate in the 100, 4x100, and 4x200 (2024 and 2025). Seniors Norman Tillery, Tyler Zdon, and Max Hembrey also competed downstate in the 4x100 and 4x200 with Tillery competing at state twice in the 4x200. Other key athletes will be senior Jerry Schlaf (sprints/ long jump), sophomore Tyler Wahls (3,200/1,600), junior Nathan Kempf (800/1,600/3,200), junior Connor Evans (110 and 300 hurdles/triple jump) and junior Ben Martin (pole vault).
Grayslake Central The Rams (2026 NLCC indoor champions) won a Class 3A sectional title, they won the Lake County meet, and they took second to Lakes by a half a point at the NLCC meet. Juniors Ken-Ye Pendleton Jr. and Andy Monzaga were a part of the 4x200 team that placed fourth at state. Pendleton and senior Everett Ciokajlo were on the 4x100 team that placed fifth. Sophomore Ray Ray Wright went to state in the 300 hurdles while junior Ryan Schroer was on the 4x400 team that won the NLCC crown. Senior Adan Cordova (distance) placed 19th in the Class 2A state cross country meet.
Grayslake North The Knights took 11th at sectionals, sixth in the NLCC, and seventh at the recent NLCC indoor meet. State qualifier Cameron Bates (200) was lost to graduation, but senior David Williams qualified for the state meet in the discus. Sophomore Jaylen Newkirk took first place in the high jump (1.78 meters) at the NLCC indoor meet while senior Elijah Fajimi took second in the triple jump (13.01 meters) at that meet. Williams took third place in the shot put at the indoor meet
Lakes The Eagles took second at sectionals, first in the NLCC by a half a point, and sixth at the NLCC indoor meet. State qualifier Jackson Summy (800/4x800) graduated, but junior Cooper Summy qualified for state in the 3,200 and 4x800. Senior Jordan Phelan went to state in the shot put and discus, and he won the shot put competition at the indoor meet. Senior William Mercure (pole vault) went to state, and senior Dylan Gates won the pole vault at the indoor meet. Junior Julies Perez took third in the triple jump at the indoor meet.
Lake Zurich The Bears won the NSC championship, they took second at sectionals, and second in the Lake County meet. Senior Connor Strauss took fifth in Class 3A in the triple jump while Gordy Libby placed eighth in the 800-meter run. Senior Nick Gast qualified for state in the 100 and 200-meter runs, and he holds the school record in both events. Sophomore Karanveer Patil went downstate in the 3,200 and 1,600-meter runs. Chris Chang (300 hurdles), and Yaz Griffin (110 hurdles) were also state qualifiers. Lake Zurich is hoping to repeat as NSC champions and send at least six athletes to the state meet.
Libertyville The Wildcats took ninth place at sectionals before placing fourth at the NSC indoor meet to open this season. Juniors Filip Vojvodic, Trace Whildin, and Thomas Chudy hope to return to state in the 4x800 along with sophomore Taylor Rihm. Chudy also qualified for state in the 800 while Rihm went downstate in the 1,600. Junior Sebastian Atencio won the high jump competition (6' 2'') at the NSC indoor meet. Junior Jack Steffe (1,600/4x800) is another key distance runner for the squad.
Mundelein The Mustangs took 12th at sectionals before opening the new season with a third at the NSC indoor meet. The 4x800 team of seniors Andrew Weaver, Nathan McCreight, junior Izic Miller, and sophomore Erick Cordova qualified for state last year. Sophomore Aidan Sweet took first place in the 1,600 at the indoor meet while senior Elijah Mendoza and Sweet went 1-2 in the 3,200. McCreight, Weaver, Miller, and junior Brandon Newell won the 4x400 at the indoor meet.
Round Lake The Panthers took 15th place at the Grayslake Central sectional, eighth place in the NLCC, and eighth at the 2026 NLCC indoor meet. The all-sophomore 4x800 squad of Alexander Castro-Gomez, Alexander Martinez, Edwin Morales, and Daniel Banuelos took third place at the NLCC indoor meet. Castro-Gomez also took second in the 1,600 at the indoor meet while Banuelos took fourth in the 800 at that venue.
Stevenson The Patriots placed fifth at sectionals and second at the N SC indoor meet. Four state qualifiers graduated, but sophomore state qualifier Andrei Konstantinidis (long jump) is back. Freshmen sprinters Mkhai and Mlakhai Agee helped lead the Pats to first place in the 4x200 at the NSC indoor meet along with senior Jaydan Lopez and sophomore Ishaan Thirumalaivasan. Senior Anthony Adams (shot put), Konstantinidis (long jump), and Thirumalaivasan (triple jump) all took first place at the indoor meet. Sophomores Jerami Martinez (400) and Evan Holubetz (shot put) took second at the indoor meet.
Vernon Hills The Cougars placed fourth in the CSL North, 10th at sectionals, and second at the CSL North indoor meet. Junior Bryant Lester qualified for state in the 3,200, and he holds the school record in the 3,200. Senior Jack Gutkowski missed state by .20 seconds in the 400 last year. Junior Will Gagamov went downstate in cross country while Joshua Benson is close to making the state cut in the 300 hurdles. Junior Jaelon Landers tied the school record in the long jump (6.65 meters) this season. Four freshmen took second in the 4x200 in the eighth grade IESA state meet last year.
Warren The Blue Devils placed third at the Grayslake Central sectional in 2025. State qualifier Jacob Rasmussen (1,600) graduated, but senior state qualifier Jackson Wiklund (110 hurdles) returns. Senior Weston Locke is the only returning member of the state qualifying 4x200 team. Senior state qualifier Eli Hagstrom (high jump) hopes to return to Charleston. Locke took second in the 200 at the recent Bob Nihells Classic meet. The all-senior 4x200 team of Locke, Alexander Asare, Jakobe Jones-Tolbert, and Chris McBride took third in the 4x200 at the Nihells meet.
Wauconda The Bulldogs finished seventh in the NLCC and fifth at the NLCC indoor meet in mid-March. Senior Mario Torres is off to a great start after taking first place in the 400 at the indoor meet. Wauconda's 4x800 team of freshman Dylan Reigner, Mason Reigner, Levi Coburn, and Evan Besancon took first place at the indoor meet. Dylan Reigner also took third place in the 800 at that same meet. Junior Parker Koch is looking strong in the 3,200 as is Coburn in the 1,600.