The first few months of the 2025 track and field season have flown by nearly, but not as fast as Illinois’ runners! This weekend, the field is locked and loaded at the annual Greg Foster Invite at Proviso West High School with some of the best male competitors we have seen so far this season. After weeks of preparation, we will hopefully see some top times with the following 10 athletes.
1. Troy McLean (Sr., Belleville West)
All eyes are on the phenomenal Troy McLean as he makes his 2025 season premiere in his first race since state. Although this is McLean’s first meet of the season, if he runs the 400m here and anything close to his first-place finish of 47.94s at state, we will likely see an IL top-ten time, perhaps even #1.
2. Harley Rizzs (Sr., St. Laurence)
The 2A 100m state champion started his season with a bang when he earned the 60m IL #6 with 6.97s. Rizzs is certainly prepared to run anything with ease and confidence, especially after making the podium for all three events he ran in the 2024 2A State Finals.
3. Joshua Hill (Sr., Crete-Monee)
Keep an eye out for Hill, a senior at Crete-Monee who looks to be the strongest jumper competing this weekend. Despite a knee injury at state, Hill earned bronze in the TJ and 8th in LJ and definitely has the potential to join Illinois’ potential all-staters this year.
4. Monroe Thompson Jr. (Sr., St. Laurence)
Thompson Jr.’s best race this season was the 6.90s he ran to earn 2nd at CYUP Misfits and conquer a spot as IL #4. His accomplishments don’t stop there; in December, Thompson Jr. ran 7.07s in the 60m dash to earn silver at the AAU Northen Indoor Nationals.
5. Jayln Cole (Jr., Belleville West)
Cole is the first junior and hurdler to make this list and will push off the blocks for the first time this season since his 4th place finish of 14.57s in the 110mh at State. Coming into the season with a PR of 8.59s in the 60mh, Cole will likely be the first to cross the finish line at Proviso West.
6. Shamond McClain (Sr., East St. Louis)
Last year, McClain earned 2nd in 2A’s Triple Jump with 45’ 1.75”, and is back at the Greg Foster Invite to go for gold. McClain recently shattered his Triple Jump PR with a leap of 46’ 2” last weekend and shows no signs of stopping as spring approaches.
7. Braylen Anderson (Jr., DeKalb)
This sprinter started off his indoor season with the Aurora Flyers Track Club and will spike up at Greg Foster for the first time since January. Anderson’s speed is a force to be reckoned with and a must-watch this weekend–he holds the IL #1 in the 200m with 22.17s and the IL #12 in the 60m dash with a time of 7.07s.
8. Jacob Barazza (Sr., DeKalb)
Barazza is this weekend’s distance star and has the times to back it up. He led the DeKalb Barbs at state last year with a 3rd place 1600m finish of 4:14s and will race for the first time since NXR and 3A State XC when he ran 14:28.4 for 15th place.
9. Darius Ivy (Sr., East St. Louis)
Ivy will return to the Greg Foster Invite after being crowned AAU Region 15 Champion as well as 8th and 2nd in 2A’s 400m and 800m races, respectively. Last year, Ivy was a key component in East St. Louis’ win at state, winning one-fifth of the Flyers’ points and tying as the leading scorer on the team.
10. Derrin Couch (Jr., Crete-Monee)
As a junior, Couch has already accomplished more than the average runner. At state, he got 8th in the 110mh, 7th in the 300mh, and was the 400mh AAU Region 13 champ. This meet will be Couch’s first race as an upperclassman and is yet another opportunity to add a medal to his heaping stack.
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