Boys track and field: Previewing the 2023 season across the Herald-News area

A look at the Herald-News area’s boys track and field teams with the season ready to head outdoors and get into full swing, including what looks to be a powerhouse at Plainfield South:

Bolingbrook

Coach: Jeff Lester

Top returners: Hussein Almousawi, jr. (distances); Terry Rodney, jr. (sprints); Kelrod Leaks, sr. (sprints); Ifechukwu Inoma, sr. (sprints); Ignacio Escamilla, so. (distances); Jacob Matlock, jr. (throws)

Key newcomers: A.J. Perkins, fr. (sprints); Devin Cathey, fr. (sprints); Caleb Wallace, fr. (sprints); Michael Delgado, fr. (distances); Andrew Primesberger, fr. (throws)

Worth noting: The Raiders could challenge in relays with Almousawi anchoring. Last year’s 800 runner and only state qualifier, Brett Wasick, has graduated.

Coal City

Coach: Colin Keppner

Top returners: Keaton Stroner, jr. (distances); Colin Dames, sr. (throws)

Key newcomers: Rowan Fitzpatrick, fr. (high jump); Julian Micetich, fr. (hurdles)

Worth noting: Stroner, who runs the 400 in 56 seconds, will be leaned on in the 400, 800 and similar relay distances. Dames looks to repeat as a state qualifier in shot put while adding discus to his portfolio.

Dwight

Coach: Larry Lane

Top returners: Jack Duffy, sr. (sprints, long jump); Mckay Gleeson, so. (sprints); Frank Lasser, so. (distances); Tristan Chambers, jr. (distances); Thomas Dochterman, sr. (throws)

Key newcomers: Ethan Pakula, fr. (throws)

Worth noting: Duffy is running about two seconds faster in the 400 than last year. Chambers may be the most improved Dwight runner this winter. Pakula set a career best with a 26-foot-5 shot put at the Reed-Custer Indoor Invitational.

Joliet Catholic

Coach: Rachael Rayes

Top returners: H.J. Grigsby, jr. (sprints, long jump); T.J. Rzasa, jr. (sprints); Adrian Washington, jr. (sprints); Daniel Wroblewski, jr. (sprints, long jump); Josh Board, jr. (sprints); Raymond Johnson, so. (sprints); Jake Conn, sr. (distances); Nathan Ciarlette, jr. (distances); Travis Peterson, jr. (throws)

Worth noting: Grigsby and Rzasa could impress in sprints and boost relay chances for the Hilltoppers.

Joliet Central

Coach: Brian Reed

Top returners: Jabreel Washington, sr. (sprints, long jump); Sean Mitchell, sr. (sprints); Antwi Boayke, so. (sprints); Anthony Miranda, so. (sprints)

Key newcomers: Jamari Straughter, fr. (hurdles, jumps)

Worth noting: Reed hopes for a couple of state qualifiers from this year’s roster. The sprint relays could be a pleasant surprise.

Joliet West

Coach: Joseph Tucker

Top returners: Billy Bailey, sr. (sprints); Carl Bew, sr. (sprints); Marcellus Mines, jr. (distances); Julian Esquivel, so. (distances); Sam Coffey, jr. (discus)

Key newcomers: Nick DePaolo, fr. (sprints); Ethan Podmolik, fr. (sprints)

Worth noting: With only eight seniors, the Tigers will need quick improvement from the underclassmen to compete well at the varsity level.

Lemont

Coach: Dennis Kennedy

Top returners: Noah Taylor, sr. (sprints); Jack Davey, sr. (distances); Liam Carey, sr. (distances); Adam Bromberek, sr. (distances); Adam Mustafa, so. (distances); Quinton Peterson, jr. (sprints, hurdles); Daniel Gibson, jr. (jumps); Angel Quiroz, jr. (jumps); Chase LeFevers, so. (jumps); Daniel Foy, so. (pole vault); Jacob Katauskas, jr. (throws); Jacek Blaczynski, sr. (throws)

Key newcomers: Sam Scoville, fr. (distances); Daniel Jaquez, fr. (jumps)

Worth noting: Based on their indoor success, Taylor, Davey and Peterson look like leading candidates to carry the torch for Lemont.

Lincoln-Way Central

Coach: Dustin Waddell

Top returners: Evan Perrin, sr. (sprints); Brandon Jones, sr. (sprints); Ethan Hoff, sr. (distances); Devin Smith, sr. (distances); Ethan Toosley, so. (throws); Ryan O’Dell, sr. (pole vault)

Key newcomers: Bryce Counihan, fr. (distances); Kyle Fridel, fr. (distances); Austin Dmytriw, fr. (sprints, jumps, pole vault)

Worth noting: O’Dell is closing in on 13 feet in the pole vault and chasing a 3A finals spot, while Toosley already is tossing the shot more than 33 feet.

Lincoln-Way East

Coach: Ross Widinski

Top returners: Adelana Akinfe, sr. (sprints long jump); Martin Thompson, sr. (sprints); Gerry Cushing, sr. (sprints); Kyle Arnold, jr. (distances); Drew Arnold, jr. (distances); Jack Roberts, sr. (distances); Ryan Usher, jr. (hurdles); Carter Russell, sr. (throws); Roosevelt Walker, jr. (jumps); Dedrick Richardson, jr. (jumps); Uche Ezeigwe, sr. (jumps); Isaiah Kuli, so. (high jump)

Key newcomers: Kayden Smith, fr. (sprints)

Worth noting: The Griffins’ only win in the SWSC indoor final was Isaiah Kuli’s high jump victory in the frosh-soph bracket. It might be the spark that helps push East into battle with perennial power Homewood-Flossmoor.

Lincoln-Way West

Coach: Joe Strain

Top returners: Austin Rowswell, so. (sprints); Jackson Ethridge, so. (distances); John Kennedy, so. (distances); Sean Urbanciz, jr. (distances); Brendan Castellaneta, jr. (distances); Josh Veldman, so. (jumps); Drew Munch, jr. (jumps); Maxwell Slater, sr. (shot put); Jack Towner, sr. (pole vault)

Key newcomers: Brendan McGreal, fr. (sprints); Jahan Abubakar, fr. (jumps)

Worth noting: Rowswell is the bell cow on a young team, breaking four school indoor records and ranked in the top 20 in those sprint distances and anchoring a possible state-qualifying relay team. Veldman could make it to Charleston in the long jump.

Lockport

Coach: Tom Razo

Top returners: Nolan Lamoureux, so. (sprints); Maxwell Maloney, jr. (distances); Cameron Valcich, jr. (distances); Graydon Czako, so. (hurdles); Chase Creed, jr. (throws); Jalen Falcon, jr. (jumps); Jaden Davis, jr. (pole vault); Dylan Bozen, sr. (pole vault)

Key newcomers: Xavier Adeniyi, fr. (sprints); Jeffree Clark, fr. (jumps)

Worth noting: Czako’s 8.78-second time in the 60-meter frosh-soph hurdles would have won the varsity race had he been entered in the indoor season. Davis already is at 13 feet in the pole vault, and Bozen is at 11 feet, 6 inches.

Minooka

Coach: Nick Lundin

Top returners: Cael Hiser, sr. (sprints); Samuel Drey, sr. (sprints); D.J. McIntosh, sr. (sprints); David Woloszczuk-Mrugala, sr. (sprints, hurdles); Zachary Balzer, sr. (sprints); Tyler Herrera, jr. (distances); D.J. Smith, jr. (hurdles; relays); Cayden Garcia, jr. (throws); Caden Uphoff, so. (jumps); James Miller, so. (jumps)

Key newcomers: Nico Cimino, fr. (distances); Nate Schalk, fr. (distances); Cooper Bowman, fr. (pole vault)

Worth noting: Minooka’s depth showed at the Southwest Prairie Indoor Meet, where the three relay teams took a first and two seconds. Bowman is over 11 feet in the pole vault as a freshman.

Morris

Coach: Ryan Battersby

Top returners: Noah Smith, sr. (sprints, hurdles); Dominic Alvarez, so. (sprints); Kaden Welch, sr. (distances); Chris Hovious, jr. (throws)

Key newcomers: Colin Zierman, fr. (sprints); Brodie Peterson, fr. (sprints); Nikita Hovious, fr. (distances)

Worth noting: The running events are a definite strength. Smith won the 400, and Welch was second in the 3,200 at Pontiac’s indoor meet in Bloomington.

Peotone

Coach: Lori Lonard

Top returners: Ayden Bettenhausen, sr. (sprints); Jahvonne Rolle, sr. (throws); Wyatt Loock, sr. (throws)

Key newcomers: Declan Ekhart, fr. (sprints)

Worth noting: Bettenhausen is Peotone’s all-time leader in the 100 (11.64 seconds) and 200 (23.74).

Plainfield Central

Coach: Jeff Purdom

Top returners: Michael Kabore, sr. (sprints); Christian Crowder, sr. (sprints); Scott Fresichlag, so. (sprints); Tyler Schick, jr. (distances); Kevin Strickland, sr. (triple jump); Christian Martin, jr. (shot put)

Key newcomers: Torrance Freeman, fr. (sprints, jumps); Stephon Griffin, fr. (sprints, jumps); Robert Parker, fr. (throws)

Worth noting: Strickland and Schick have great chances to be state qualifiers come May.

Plainfield East

Coach: Mike Adamson

Top returners: Quinn Callaghan, s.r (sprints); Jaylin Tucker, sr. (sprints); Ehi Ogbomo, jr. (jumps); Michael Jimmar, sr. (throws)

Key newcomers: John Berducido, fr. (distances); Hugh Callaghan, fr. (jumps)

Worth noting: Adamson has 30 freshmen on a team with some state experience among the seniors. Jimmar has scored 52 feet in the shot put. He and Ogbomo (triple jump) won the Southwest Prairie Meet in their specialties.

Plainfield North

Coach: Tony Holler

Top returners: Zander Pauly, jr. (sprints); Antonio Anderson, so. (sprints); Easton Miller, jr. (distance); Owen Stahl, jr. (distance); Ryan Tracey, sr. (distance); Oliver Burns, sr. (distance); Evan Gavras, sr. (hurdles); Demir Ashiru, sr. (hurdles)

Key newcomers: Aiden Connors, fr (distances)

Worth noting: The distance runners come from last fall’s state fourth-place Class 3A cross country squad, so expect good things.

Plainfield South

Coach: Jason Crowe

Top returners: Owen O’Shea, sr. (sprints, distance); Brian Stanton, sr. (sprints); Anthony Vilcek, so. (sprints); Zach Anderson, sr. (sprints); Camyn Viger, jr. (distance); Dylan Maloney, so. (distance); Ethan Reynoso, sr. (distance); Janusz Pierscionek, sr. (hurdles); Sebastian Thomas, jr. (jumps); Kyle Eppenstein, sr. (pole vault)

Worth noting: The area’s best team is loaded, looking to add a state trophy to last fall’s 3A cross country championship, so no doubt the distance events should be taken care of. Eppenstein already has vaulted higher than 13 feet indoors.

Providence Catholic

Coach: Mark Coglianese

Top returners: Jude Horak, sr. (sprints); Jayden Mikulski, so. (sprints, high jump); Luke Leverett, so. (sprints); Jack Tess, sr. (sprints), Joe Baumhardt, sr. (sprint); Andrew Dau, sr. (distance); Xander Stoub, sr. (distances); Bryant Cantrell, sr. (shot put); Mason Straight, sr. (pole vault)

Key newcomers: Xavier Coleman, fr. (sprints); Braylon White, fr. (sprints); Logan Walker, fr. (distances)

Worth noting: Aside from 400 expert Horak, Coglianese expects his underclassmen, led by Mikulski and Leverett, to rise to the fore this spring. Mikulski and Coleman taking first and third in frosh-soph high jump and triple jump in the Catholic League Indoor Meet is a promising sign.

Reed-Custer

Coach: Andrea Shroba

Top returners: Drew Anderson, sr. (sprints); Connor Eggleston, sr. (sprints, hurdles); Danny Kuban, sr. (sprints, hurdles, pole vault); Tyler Wiyninger, sr. (distance)

Key newcomers: Scott Coronelli, fr. (distance, throws); Vincent Bollino, fr. (distance); Dominic Alaimo, fr. (jumps, throws)

Worth noting: Kuban is among the area’s most versatile athletes, going from sprint races to the pole vault and jumping hurdles along the way.

Romeoville

Coach: Scott Harper

Top returners: Jabari Thomas, sr. (sprints); Logan Shelton, jr. (sprints); Raphael Gyau, jr. (sprints); Josh Carli, sr. (sprints, hurdles); Brandon Nunez, so. (distance); Brian Boasiako, sr. (jumps); Brett McIntosh, sr. (throws); Francisco Figurroa, so. (throws); Tony Galloway, so. (throws)

Key newcomers: Jaden Hardin, fr. (sprints, jumps); Rodrigo Gonzalez, fr. (distance)

Worth noting: McIntosh, Boasiako and Nunez have improved in indoor season and should form the core of this spring’s Romeoville team.

Seneca

Coach: Terry Maxwell

Top returners: Collin Wright, sr. (sprints, jumps); David Bergeson, sr. (sprints, jumps); Chris Poyner, sr. (sprints); Nate Sprinkel, so. (distances, hurdles); Connor Pabian, so. (distances); Alex Bogner-Kidwell, jr. (shot put); Sam Churchill, jr. (pole vault)

Key newcomers: Sean Sigler, fr. (pole vault)

Worth noting: The Fighting Irish return a small number of standouts in chasing their third sectional title in six years.

Wilmington

Coach: Stephanie Stickel

Top returners: Alex Boyer, so. (sprints); Ryan Stallard, sr. (distances); Reid Waldon, so. (jumps)

Key newcomers: Decklan Proffitt, fr. (sprints); Billy Moore, fr. (sprints); Nate Cupples, fr. (distances; jumps); Sam Payne, fr. (throws)

Worth noting: The Wildcats are young, with Stallard expected to lead the way as one of the few seniors.