Here are previews of boys track and field teams from around The Times coverage area.

Ottawa

Coach: Trent Swords

Top returning athletes: Archer Cechowicz, sr., hurdles/4x400 relay; Joey Liebhart, sr., hurdles/4x400 relay; Stephon Patrick, sr., throws; Grant Smithmeyer, sr., 1600/3200; Daniel Fisher, sr., 3200; Manuel Saucedo-Garcia, sr., hurdles; Dominic Sartori, sr., relays/long jump; Bryson Valdez, sr., relays; Ethan Poutre, sr., throws; Brayden Brewer, sr., 100; Evan Fallmaier, sr., 100/relays; Andrew Vercolio, sr., 200/relays; Bryar Baxter, sr., pole vault; Payton Lyon, jr., 100/relays; Kaleb Hunt, jr., 200/relays/long jump; Dreager Duncan, jr., 400; Landry Brenbarger, jr., throws; Brayden Biewer, so., 200/400/relays/long jump; Jackson Cucio, so., 400/high jump; Atlas Brown, so., 800; Aries Brown, so., 1600; Max Maubach, so., hurdles/triple jump

Top new athletes: Connor Medina, fr., 800/1600; Hunter Heuser, fr., 800; Anthony Hansen, fr., relays; Michael Polich, fr., throws

Worth noting: Liebhart finished fifth in the 300 hurdles last season at the Class 3A Minooka Sectional and missed a trip to state by under two seconds. Patrick (shot put) and Poutre (discus) each placed 10th at sectionals, while Hunt was 11th in the long jump.

Streator

Coach: Kyle Lowman

Top returning athletes: Garritt Benstine, sr., triple jump/sprints/relays; Jon Davis, sr., sprints; Chase Lane, sr., distance/relays; LayZeric Moton, sr., jumps/hurdles; Andrew Warwick, sr., pole vault/long jump/sprints; Trenton Studnicki, jr., hurdles/distance/relays; Ted Neuman, jr., pole/vault/distance/relays; JJ Rzasa, so., hurdles/distance/relays

Worth noting: Warwick qualified for Class 2A state in the pole vault last season and was also part of the 4X100 and 4X200 relay teams along with Benstine that advanced to state and placed sixth in the 200 at the Pontiac Sectional. Moton finished fifth at sectional in the high jump, while Lane was 11th in the 400.

Marquette

Coach: Cordelia Pena

Top returning athletes: Jacoby Gooden, jr., sprints/relays; Marcus Baker, sr., sprints/relays; Alex Schaefer, jr., throws; Caden Schreve, jr., throws

Worth noting: Gooden was a Class 1A state qualifier in the 100 and was part of the sectional champion 4X100 and 4X200 relay teams with Baker. Schaefer advanced to state in the discus, while Schreve just missed a state berth in the shot put. “The team is led by a strong group of returning athletes with Gooden, Baker and Schaefer highlighting a talented core,” Pena said. ”Schreve will look to build on a near state-qualifying performance in the shot put."

Seneca

Coach: Terry Maxwell

Top returning athletes: Matt Stach, sr., long jump/relays; Zebadiah Maxwell, sr., discus; Jesus Govea, jr., pole vault; Brayden Simek, sr., high jump/relays; Trent Powell, so, pole vault/relays; Noah Odum, jr., wheelchair shot put/discus

Top new athletes: Lincoln Hebel, fr., high jump/hurdles; Judd Taylor, fr., long jump; Liam Baima, fr., distance; Kaden Meents, fr., pole vault; Lorenzo Isham, fr., high jump

Worth noting: Stach, Maxwell, Govea, Simek and Powell were all Class 1A state qualifiers last year in their individual events, while Stach, Powell and Simek were part of the 4X200 relay state advancer. Odum returns after earning state medals in both of his events. “We have over 40 boys out for the team this year, giving us a lot of depth,” Maxwell said. “Our strength will be in our field events with several returning state qualifiers who are having strong seasons already. We have a strong group of freshman boys who I hope will continue to develop filling in as the year goes along. As a couple of our boys get into track shape from their winter sport seasons, we will continue to add more depth to the lineup. This group should have a chance to compete for another sectional and conference title.”

Sandwich

Coach: Brian Long

Top returning athletes: Luis Murillo, jr., throws; Jacob Ross, jr., pole vault; Nolan Minard, sr., distance; Dylan Johnson, sr., throws

Top new athletes: Joel Arriola, fr., sprints; Kingston Hicks, so, sprints

Worth noting: The Indians last spring finished fifth at the Kishwaukee River Conference Meet and qualified four athletes for state. Ross took fourth in the Class 2A pole vault last year, and Murillo is a returning state qualifier in the shot put. Arriola was an IESA state qualifier in the sprints in eighth grade. “This season, we took a step back from competing indoors in order to better prepare and build for the outdoor season,” Long said. “Our main objective is to compete at a high level while prioritizing our health. We look forward to having both teams compete at the Plano Field of Dreams meet again this year. With a couple of new coaches, we feel confident that we have the right leadership in place.”

Fieldcrest

Coaches: Michael Hamer and David Vasquez

Top returners: Micheal Beckett, sr., long jump/triple jump; Braydin Eplin, sr., throws

Worth noting: Beckett looks to cap his career with another strong season. Last spring, Beckett went undefeated in the triple jump until the Class 1A state meet. He placed ninth in state in the event. During the indoor season, Beckett won the long jump and triple jump at the Heart of Illinois Conference Indoor Meet and placed fourth in the triple jump and ninth in the long jump at the Prep Top Times Meet. Eplin will be a key contributor in the throws for Fieldcrest. He won the discus at the HOIC Meet during last year’s outdoor season and took fifth in the shot put in the HOIC Indoor Meet this winter.

Earlville/Serena

Coaches: Jillian Harp and Brock Harp

Top returning athletes: Chase Congdon, jr., throws; Brayden Mock, so., throws

Top new athletes: Quinton Hamilton, jr., 100; Daniel Hoffman, fr., shot put/long jump/100/200; Darik Farley, fr., long jump/100/200; Rob Tinson, fr., 800/1600, throws

Worth noting: “We are happy to have back our experienced throwers Chase and Brayden, and we are anticipating Chase to break the school records in both shot and discus this year,” Harp said. “Daniel and Darik were both a part of an IESA relay team that advanced to state last season, while Daniel also placed in the 100, 200 and long jump.”

Newark

Coach: Nina Sittler

Top returning athletes: Reggie Chapman, sr., sprints/long jump/relays; Cody Kulbartz, sr. discus/shot put/800/relays; Kellen Westerfield, so., long jump/200/400; Owen Underhill, jr., sprints/shot put; Jon Nicosia, so., sprints; Dylan Thomas, jr., shot put/discus/200; Jameson Kelley, jr., triple jump/sprints

Top new athletes: Teagan Britz, fr., 800/1,600/3,200; Kolton Rizzo, sr., 800/1,600; Harrison Mathre, fr., hurdles/sprints; Noah Baker, sr., throwing/sprints; Sean Crowe, fr., middle distance; Bryson Ness, fr., sprints; Jacob Severson, fr., middle distance

Worth noting: Sittler said the team’s strong senior leadership is complemented by Newark’s largest group of underclassmen in recent years. “A talented group of freshmen joins the roster, bringing depth and versatility,” Sittler said. “With a focus on determination and hard work, this team is positioning itself to be a strong contender at this year’s Little Ten Conference Meet.”

Somonauk/Leland

Coach: Eric W. Roberts

Top returning athletes: Landin Stillwell, sr., distance; Gunnar Swenson, sr., distance/high jump; Jackson Brockway, sr., distance/triple jump/high jump; Caden Hamer, jr., distance; Karter Nelson, sr., sprints; Tanner Daniels, sr., sprints/long jump; Dylan Jones, jr., distance; Landin Sweigart, jr., throws; Porter Snider, jr., distance; Raul Hernandez, so., distance, Daniel Shapiama, jr., distance; Nolan Kerley, sr., throws

Top new athletes: Rocco Talarico, fr., sprints/hurdles; Chandler Jarka, fr., sprints; Isaac Noble, fr., distance; Jeremy Rominski, fr., throws; Landrey Barshinger, fr., sprints

Worth noting: The boys 4x800 relay team of Stillwell, Brockway, Hamer and Swenson have the school record and placed eighth last year at Class 1A state. Stillwell, a St. Francis University commit, looks to again be a state qualifier in both the 1,600 and 3,200. “Sprints will be much stronger this year than in past years,” Roberts said. “Our distance teams will be looking to contend for conference, sectional and state titles.”

Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland

Coach: Luke Mays

Top returning athletes: Riley Wallace, jr., sprints/long jump/relays; Noah Schneider, so., sprints; Preston Brown, so., mid-distance/distance; Jaxon Torres, sr., relays

Worth noting: Wallace and Torres were part of a 4X100 relay team that finished seventh at last season’s Class 1A El Paso-Gridley Sectional, while Brown placed 10th in the 800.

• Hart Pisani, Kevin Chlum and Josh Welge also contributed to this report.