Bishop McNamara junior Malachi Lee and Bradley-Bourbonnais senior Lyzale Edmon both headed into the 2026 outdoor track and field season with big things in mind.

Lee, the reigning Daily Journal Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year, was coming off a fourth-place finish in the long jump at the 3A State Finals while at Bradley-Bourbonnais as a sophomore.

In his first year with the Fightin’ Irish, he had his sights set on a state title.

Edmon was the Daily Journal Football Player of the year in the fall after his second straight All-State season. He had also qualified for state track in four events as a sophomore but did not make it past sectionals as a junior.

He came into his senior season looking to end his career with his first state medal.

Both were able to achieve those goals at Eastern Illinois University on May 30, with Lee winning a 1A state title in the long jump and Edmon earning a trio of 3A medals in the 200 meters and the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.

They are now the 2026 Daily Journal Boys Track and Field Athletes of the Year.

Lee’s quest for a state title nearly had to be postponed until his senior year after he hyperextended his left knee in practice just three meets into the season.

With the help of Bishop McNamara trainer Phil Taylor and the support of his parents, he was able to come back in time for sectionals, placing second to advance to state.

“It was honestly just my trainer helping me get back right, giving me movements to do to get my knee back going,” Lee said. “...It was really affecting me mentally, but my parents kept pushing me and kept me going. My mom said it was a minor setback for a major comeback, and she was right.”

His winning jump of 7.21 meters was a season best and broke set a school record. The previous record had stood since 1987 until Lee showed up.

He also qualified for state in the triple jump in his first year doing the event and as part of the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams.

He did not compete in the triple jump at state after finishing second at sectionals, but said he’s looking forward to hopefully being back healthy next year to jump his way to a couple more state titles.

“Triple jump was a little shaky, but some people would say it wasn’t too shaky because I was still just naturally decent at it,” he said. “I’ll be working at triple jump this summer, so I should definitely be better at it. I’m looking to win both honestly. I feel like if I work hard enough, I can make that improvement.”

Edmon had already made his mark as one of Bradley-Bourbonnais’ best-ever athletes when he wrapped up his football career in the fall, but the senior came out in the spring and cemented his place in school history.

He became just the second Boilermaker to earn three state medals with his fifth-place finish in the 200 meters, seventh-place finish with the 4x200 relay team, and eighth-place with the 4x100 relay team. He also qualified in the 100 meters.

“I’m very proud of it,” he said. “At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t expecting all that. I knew we had a good team, but I didn’t know we were that good. I’m proud of the work we put in, and it paid off in the end.”

Edmon is also the school record holder in the 200 meters (21.32), with the 4x100 (41.40) and 4x200 (1:26.09), both setting school records four times during the season.

Already in southeast Kansas to begin his time as a college football player at Pittsburg State, Edmon said he’ll always look fondly on the time he spent at Bradley-Bourbonnais, especially with his younger Ky’ren joining him for the last two years on the football field and in the 4x100 relay this season.

“Going to the playoffs with him in football, running school records with him in track, it’s all a blessing,” he said. “All the hard work I put in is all a blessing at the end of the day, and some of the great memories I had bonding with my teammates.

“I’m going to miss all that. I’m going to miss B-B.”