Wayne, Holmes County boys track teams gear up for 2026 season

Area boys track and field teams enter the 2026 season with a mix of veteran leadership, increased roster sizes and an influx of young talent.

Below are season previews for area teams:

Dalton

Dalton will lean on a veteran-heavy roster this spring as the Bulldogs look to stay competitive in the Wayne County Athletic League.

“We graduated some good athletes, and we have a strong group of returning letter-winners,” coach Seth Sullivan said. “Some of the younger athletes are going to need to step up to fill the gaps.”

Among the senior leaders are Judah Hershberger (distance), Samuel Ediger (pole vault/jumps), Corbin Lehman (throws), Grady Nussbaum (throws) and Dallas VonBonin (distance).

Dalton also will count on a number of juniors including Holden Himes (distance/pole vault), Hayden Cecil (sprints), DeAngelo Dalessandro (high jump/sprints), Kyvan Goodrich (sprints), Dakota Knetzer (sprints), Jake Miller (throws), Liam Nussbaum (throws), Jason Soehnlen (throws), Carson Combs (distance), Micah Miller (long jump/hurdles), Gannon Myers (distance), Malachi Steiner (sprints) and Gage Stitt (sprints).

Sophomores Colton Flood (throws), David Carr (throws), Connor Gazboda (sprints), Mason Horrisberger (sprints), Ethan Raber (sprints) and Braylon Stutz (sprints) and freshmen Landen Ediger (throws), Caleb Gazboda (sprints), Lane Nettle (sprints), Isaac Raber (sprints), Jaylen Sales (throws), Jacoby Zuercher (distance) and Evan Uhler (pole vault/sprints) also will contribute.

Dalton finished fourth in the WCAL last season.

Garaway

Garaway enters the 2026 season with its largest roster in decades and high expectations as the Pirates look to contend in the Inter-Valley Conference.

Coach Zach Mottice said the program has grown significantly this spring.

“We have the largest boys roster we have had in my 27 years, with numbers in the mid-50s. Depth will be much improved,” Mottice said.

Garaway returns several athletes expected to contribute across multiple events. Among them are seniors Nic Palmer (distance), Carter Travis (distance), Christian Raber (sprints), Ethan Roudebush (sprints), Braxton Speed (throws) and Dillon King (throws); juniors Shad Saunders-Huser (distance), Braylon Books (sprints), Matthew Frey (sprints), Easton Hostetler (sprints), Colson Kuemmerle (sprints) and Andrew Wicker (sprints); and sophomores Jacob Roudebush (pole vault), Seth Schie (sprints), Dominic Schlabach (distance), Austin Swartzentruber (distance) and Caleb Yoder (sprints).

Several newcomers also could make an impact including seniors Micah Yoder (sprints/jumps), Bryce Johnson (distance) and Jaxon Garber (jumps) and freshmen Aaron Asbury (distance), Lewey Soehnlen (jumps), Micah Wengerd (jumps), Dominic McCullough (throws) and Bobby Bowers (throws).

Mottice expects improvement in several field events.

“We look to be much improved in the vault, high jump and long jump this year,” he said.

One early focus for the team will be developing its hurdlers.

Garaway hopes its added depth will help it compete near the top of the league standings.

“We are looking at being a contender for the IVC this year. We are very excited about our boys team,” Mottice said.

Hiland

Hiland enters the 2026 season with increased numbers and several athletes expected to contribute in distance and sprint events under first-year coach Megan Amos.

Amos said the overall track program has nearly doubled in size this year, giving the Hawks more athletes to fill events.

“We have nearly doubled the size of our boys and girls teams this year,” Amos said. “We are excited to see what the many new faces on the team as well as returners will accomplish. We have a hardworking and dedicated group that will build a solid foundation for our program.”

Amos expects the team’s strength to come primarily in the mid-distance and distance events.

Several returning athletes are expected to help lead the team this season including junior mid-distance runner Ethan Wise, junior sprinter Cameron Yoder and sophomore distance runner Landon Troyer.

The Hawks also welcome several newcomers who could make an impact, particularly in the distance events. Freshmen Deron Miller, Silas Herman, Luke Schlabach, Nathaniel Norem and Caleb Schlabach are among a promising group of young runners joining the team. Junior Jake Troyer also returns to track after not competing since junior high while junior Bodie Gertz is back as a sprinter.

Amos said with many new athletes joining the program, there may be a learning curve early in the season.

“With smaller numbers last year, we are starting the season with a lot of new faces to track and field,” she said. “While this is exciting, it will be a bit of a learning curve for some of the newer athletes to adjust to the sport and become comfortable with competitions.”

Looking ahead to the Inter-Valley Conference season, Amos expects strong competition but believes it will help the Hawks improve throughout the year.

“Our league always consists of strong competitors in every event,” she said. “We have a lot of really great track programs in the IVC, and it gives us great opportunities to better ourselves and compete against some of the best. Our goal for the league meet will be achieving PRs and preparing ourselves to perform at our best when it comes time to advance athletes towards the state meet.”

Orrville

Orrville enters the 2026 season with high expectations after an undefeated regular season and a league championship last year.

The Red Riders finished 6-0 in 2025 and claimed first place in the PAC-7. Orrville went on to place second at the OHSAA Division II district and regional meets before finishing 15th at the state championships.

Coach Tyrone Mosley, now in his 20th season leading the program, returns a veteran roster that includes 16 letter-winners.

Among the returning athletes are Maliki Gray, Tate Howell, Mark Lorson, Owen Lacy, Caden Race, Bronson Rogers, Charlie Lorson, Joel Harris, Trey Mosley, Colin Beichler, Keenan Pertee, Aiden Shoup, Gavin Belding, Jacob Crawford, Sam Miller II and Mateo Snyder.

Several of those athletes are expected to compete in multiple events this season. Trey Mosley is projected to run the 100 meters and compete on the 4x100 and 4x200 relays while Charlie Lorson and Harris will lead the distance events. Miller returns in the sprints and sprint relays, and Mark Lorson will compete in the high jump and sprint relays. Other key athletes include Howell, Gray, Snyder and Brody Ingersol in the throws; Rogers in the hurdles; Race in the pole vault and sprints; Beichler in the sprints and hurdles; Shoup in the sprint relays; Belding in the hurdles and sprint relays; and Pertee in the pole vault.

Mosley believes the team’s experience and depth will be a major strength this season.

“A veteran senior class, very strong distance crew this year, and we have more depth than we have had in recent years,” he said. “Skilled athletes in the short sprints, hurdles and throws will be very strong and deep. Overall team depth is the key again this season.”

Orrville also returns several athletes with postseason experience including four regional qualifiers and three state qualifiers from last season — Lacy in the 1,600 meters, Race in the pole vault and Mark Lorson in the high jump.

Mosley said the team’s talent and depth should make the Red Riders competitive across several events.

“The 2026 boys track and field team has a lot of talent combined with youth,” he said. “Most of our depth will be in the sprint races, distance crew and our throwing events. We will be strong in the long-distance events, and sprints and sprint relays should be very competitive.”

Mosley said staying healthy will be key as Orrville looks to build on last year’s success.

“I like the work ethic of this team,” he said. “Staying healthy is vital to a very successful track and field season in 2026.”

Orrville expects strong competition in the conference again this year, with Fairless and Northwest among the teams to watch.

Smithville

Smithville will feature a much younger roster this spring as the Smithies look to build on last season’s strong finish in the Wayne County Athletic League.

Smithville finished 6-1 overall and placed second in the WCAL last season. Coach Kirstie Mahas said the team graduated a large senior class, which will lead to more opportunities for younger athletes to step into larger roles.

“We lost a lot of depth and important contributors to the team from our senior class,” Mahas said. “That results in our team being a lot younger, mostly sophomores and freshmen this year. There will be a lot of opportunities for the guys to step up and fill different areas on the team.”

Several returning athletes are expected to help lead the Smithies this season including sophomore distance runners Kalen Indermuhle and Nigel Wenger. Sophomores Isaiah Lee and Chase McFarlin return in the sprints and jumps while sophomore Zachary Lanneaux competes in the throws. Junior Jonathon Hershey returns in the sprints and jumps, and senior Nathan Horst provides experience in the throws.

Mahas believes the team’s strength will come from its returning sprinters and throwers.

“We have a strong group of sprinters and throwers returning from last year’s team,” she said. “We will look to them to provide leadership this season. They are willing to work hard and will use that to build on their strong performances from last season.”

Smithville also has a large group of newcomers who could contribute this spring including freshmen Israel Beery (sprints), Grayson Duenke (distance), Josiah Erdman (distance), Xander Finkenbinder (sprints, throws), Kai Murallo (long sprints), Andrew Murray (distance), Joshua Murray (distance), Gavin Phillips (sprints), Carson Rhode (long sprints), Logan Shold (sprints, jumps) and Crete Wolf (sprints, jumps) and sophomores Blake Davis (sprints, jumps) and Hunter Toth (sprints).

With many freshmen joining the program, Mahas said the early part of the season may include some growing pains as the team gains experience.

“We have a lot of freshmen on the team this year,” she said. “The lack of experience in some areas might make things challenging at the start of the season, but it will be exciting to see the growth that will happen over the course of the season.”

After finishing runner-up in the league last season, the Smithies hope to remain competitive in the WCAL again this year.

“The WCAL Meet always brings out the best in teams and results in some great competition,” Mahas said. “We’re hoping to put together another competitive run this season to follow up our runner-up finish at the meet last year.”

Triway

Triway looks to take a step forward this season with increased numbers and growing leadership, giving second-year coach Terry Prost a deeper and more balanced roster to work with.

The Titans are coming off a 0-6 season and a sixth-place finish in the PAC-7, but Prost said this year’s team brings a different dynamic, particularly with a stronger senior presence and improved participation numbers.

“We have a few more seniors on the team, so we should have more leadership,” Prost said. “In general we have eight to 10 more boys on the team, so we should be able to fill all the events.”

That added depth could be key for a team that struggled at times last season to cover every event. With more athletes available, Triway expects to be more competitive across the board.

“We will be able to score in any event,” Prost said, “having a couple that could score in the sprints, a couple in distance, one in hurdles and one throwing.”

Triway returns a mix of underclassmen and experienced runners including senior sprinters Olley Krupp and Gavin Rowe, junior distance runners Kaden Hilty and Logan Kister, sophomore sprinter Caden Colon-Henson, sophomore thrower Landen Harvey, and sophomore hurdler Liam Krupp.

The Titans also add several newcomers expected to contribute including senior sprinter Brody Flinner, junior distance runner Brady Speicher, and sophomore sprinters Caden Blevens and Jacob Kline.

Despite the increased numbers, Triway remains a relatively young team overall, which could present early-season challenges.

“We are still pretty young with six seniors and a lot of freshman,” Prost said.

Waynedale

Waynedale returns a strong group of athletes as it looks to improve on last year’s third-place finish in the Wayne County Athletic League.

Coach Shauna Pittman said the Golden Bears graduated several high-scoring seniors from last season, which could impact depth early in the year.

“This will, however, open the door for our current seniors and underclassmen to show off their strengths, which there are quite a few,” Pittman said. “I am really excited to see what these kids can do as a team.”

Waynedale returns a number of experienced seniors including Jackson Varner, Jaydon Varner and Lucas Miller in the distance events. Wyatt Moore returns in the pole vault while Luke Lorentz and Lane Troyer compete in hurdles and sprints. Braedon Lorentz and Jayden Hochstettler (long jump) return in the sprints, and Kyler Bucher adds experience in sprints, hurdles and the long jump.

Other returning athletes include junior Gatlin Herman in the throws, sophomore Jack Holcomb in hurdles and mid-distance, and sophomores David Byler, Noah Shaffer and Carter George in the distance events. Chris Yoder also returns in the sprints.

Pittman expects the team’s depth across events to be one of its biggest strengths.

“This season our numbers are fairly high, so that will help us out quite a bit with filling events,” Pittman said. “The distance crew is very strong, but we also have quite a few sprinters this year as well that will help fill voids left last year. Our throwers are always strong too.”

Several newcomers also could make an impact including seniors Caden Snyder (sprints, mid-distance) and Trevyn Frazier (sprints, throws), along with freshmen Gikkobi Nofsinger (distance), Braxton Hewitt (sprints), Landen Hasseman (sprints), Lucas Perez (sprints, hurdles), Owen Lemon (throws), Logan Hershberger (throws), Corbin Bucher (sprints) and Ayden Brumfield (sprints, throws).

With several new athletes joining the team, Pittman said the early part of the season will focus on finding the right roles for each competitor.

“We have a lot of new runners this season, so just getting them trained properly and trying to figure out what each of their strengths are will be the most challenging thing, but I have a lot of confidence that we will figure that out early on,” Pittman said.

After finishing third in the league last year, the Golden Bears hope to move up in the standings this season.

“If we keep everyone healthy, I think it is very possible,” Pittman said.

West Holmes

West Holmes will rely on a group of experienced returners as it prepares for the 2026 season under coach Scot Mellor.

The Knights lost several athletes from last year’s roster but return multiple letter-winners across several events. Among them is sophomore Rhett Chaney, a regional qualifier in the long jump who also competes in the sprints. Junior Mac Craft returns after reaching the district finals in the sprints while junior Maddax Graham is back in the throws after qualifying for regionals in the discus.

Other returning athletes include junior Cody Gallion and junior Braden Parsons in the sprints, sophomore Jimmy Wengerd in the mid-distance events, and sophomore Marshall Yoder in the hurdles, sprints and jumps. Senior Parker Garver returns in the mid-distance events and relays while senior Charlie Cooper and junior Chet Cooper compete in the throws. Senior Owen Mallasch also returns in the distance events.

Newcomers expected to contribute include freshman Cole Troyer in the throws and sprints, sophomore Seth Lowe in the throws and sprints, and junior Garrett Obrst in the jumps and sprints.

Mellor said the team will have fewer total athletes this season but believes the quality at the top of the roster should remain strong.

West Holmes expects its strengths to come in the sprints, jumps and throws.

A lack of overall numbers could present challenges early in the season.

Wooster

Wooster will feature a young roster this spring as the Generals prepare for the 2026 season under veteran coach Doug Bennett.

Bennett, now in his 35th season at the school, said the team will rely on younger athletes gaining experience throughout the year. Wooster returns 12 letter-winners from last season as it looks to build around that group.

“We will be younger and less experienced,” Bennett said.

Despite the youth, Bennett believes the group’s attitude and work ethic will be a strength.

“They are positive; they work hard and are coachable,” he said.

Early in the season, gaining competitive experience will be a key focus for the team.

Wooster also expects several newcomers to contribute this season including Wylie Fuqua in the shot put; Kaj Meier, Darian Warner and Brayden Miller in the sprints; Kade Wood in the distance events; Collin Fockler in the hurdles; and Luke McSheehy in the discus and high jump.