2026 Pre-Season Track & Field Previews: 1A Boys Teams
- Carson Vittorio
- Jan 27
- 2 min read
As the 2026 track and field season gets underway, Illinois Running News is proud to release its preseason Team Rankings, offering an early snapshot of the programs poised to contend across the state this spring. These rankings are based strictly on performances from the 2025 outdoor season, with no results from the current indoor season included in the evaluation. Projected team scores and potential state scorers are drawn from last year’s performances, providing a consistent and objective foundation for these preseason projections. While much will change once the season begins, these rankings highlight the depth, returning talent, and championship potential that define the early landscape of Illinois track and field in 2026.
Morrison
Potential State Scorers:
Levi Milder (Sr.) - 100m, 200m
Brady Anderson (Sr.) - 100m, 200m, 400m
Josh McDearmon (Jr.) - 100H
4x100m
4x200m
4x400m
Rylan Alvarado (Jr.) - Long Jump
Rockford Christian
Potential State Scorers:
Evan White (Sr.) - 400m, 800m, 1600m
Blake Lindberg (Jr.) - 1600m
Julian Honeyville (Sr.) - 3200m
4x200m
4x400m
4x800m
Jermaine Francis (Sr.) - Long Jump
Isaac Otto (Jr.) - Triple Jump
Auburn
Potential State Scorers:
Jacob Barth (Sr.) - 400m,
Hunter Piper (Sr.) - 400m
James Baisden (Sr.) - 400m, 800m, 1600m
4x100m
4x400m
4x800m
Gibson City-Melvin Sibley
Potential State Scorers:
Evan Landers-Kristensen (Jr.) - 100m, 200m, 400m
Keegan Dewall (Sr.) - 1600m, 3200m
Reed Tompkins (Jr.) - 110H, 300H
4x100m
Kale Holzhauer (Sr.) - Shot Put
Forreston
Potential State Scorers:
Brody Schwartz (Jr.) - 200m, 400m, High Jump
Hayden Vinnedge (Jr.) - 400m
Eli Ferris (Jr.) - 110H, 300H, High Jump
4x100m
4x200m
4x400m
Hunter Dewall (Sr.) - Discus
Jonathan Milnes (Jr.) - High Jump, Long Jump
Elmwood
Potential State Scorers:
Darwin Herman (Sr.) - 400m, 800m, 1600m
Aiden Faulkner (Sr.) - 1600m, 3200m
Danny Sharp (So.) - 3200m
4x400m
4x800m
Shelbyville
Potential State Scorers:
Hadley Smith (Sr.) - 110H, 300H
4x100m
Will Nohren (Sr.) - High Jump, Long Jump
Karson Bruns (Jr.) - High Jump, Triple Jump
Colfax (Ridgeview)
Potential State Scorers:
Zane Hoffman (Jr.) - 100m, 200m, 400m
Eric Payne (Sr.) - 200m
Tanner Maupin (Jr.) - 400m
4x100m
4x200m
4x400m
Joe Cheever (Sr.) - Discus
Noah Hastings (Sr.) - High Jump
Dwight
Potential State Scorers:
Joe Faris (Jr.) - 400m, 800m, 1600m
Joseph Duffy (Jr.) - 110H, 300H
4x400m
Graham Meister (Jr.) - Shot Put, Discus
Centralia (Christ Our Rock Lutheran)
Potential State Scorers:
Landyn Mitchell (Sr.) - 110H, 300H, Long Jump, Triple Jump
