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With the 2026 outdoor season approaching, Wisconsin's Middle School athletes return with strong marks across nearly every event group. 

Below is an event-by-event look at the top returning performers across both classes.

Sprints: Tight Battles Across Events

The girls' sprint events are led by Maryah Sparks (Whitman - Tosa), who owns the state's top 100m return at 12.85. She is closely followed by Pearl McIntyre (Unattached - WI) at 13.04.

The 200m mirrors that balance, with Colette Dunn (Mineral Point Middle School) joining Sparks near the top of the rankings, while McIntyre again leads the returning field.

On the boys side, the 100m is separated by only a few tenths among the top returners. Bentley Goodenough (Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School) and Quentin Sprague (DC Everest Junior High) headline the group, while Korbin Taylor (River Ridge Middle School) and Noah Payne (Wisconsin United Track Club) lead the younger sprint contingent.

The 400m may be the strongest sprint event overall, paced by George Anello (Milwaukee Speed Academy) at 54.60 and Payne at 56.88.

Middle Distance & Distance: Depth Defines the Group

The girls 800m and 1600m events are headlined by Julianne Johnsen (Forest Park Middle School), who holds the top marks in both races at 2:27.58 and 5:22.16.

The chase pack includes Stella Kant (St Mary's Springs Middle School) at 2:37.18 and 5:43.81, along with Ella Tonies (Lake Mills).

On the boys side, the 800m group is especially deep. Austin Helms (Kiel Middle School) and Jackson Lawton(Flambeau) lead the 2030-aged field with times under 2:15. Helms and Lawton also headline the 1600m, clocking a 4:49.91 and 4:56.47, respectively.

Hurdles: Emerging Separation at the Top

The girls hurdles feature one of the strongest statewide marks among middle school competitors, as Chade Russel - Friend (Glen Hills Middle School) leads the group at 14.54.

Her primary challenger is McKenna Spaulding (Lake Shore Middle School) at 14.94.

On the boys side, the event is led by DJ Williams (Viroqua Middle School) and Kingston Harris (Wedgewood Park International School).

Throws: Power Events at the Top

The throws are anchored by several dominant marks.

In the girls shot put, Chloe Reikowski (Unattached - WI) leads all returners at 42-8.50, while Mahogany Merge (Prairie du Chien) tops the next tier of returning Middle Schoolers.

The boys throwing events are highlighted by Brock Weeden (New Glarus), who returns state-leading marks in both the shot put (50-1.50) and discus (133-10).

Notable returners in the 2031 boys field are Charles Krihak (Bannach Elementary School) in the shot put and Grant Skoraczewski (Unattached - WI) in the discus.

Jumps: Multi-Event Versatility Shapes the Rankings

Girls jumping events are led by Mattea Gjorgjiev (Webb Middle School) in the long jump (16-5) and Lexi Palmer (Tomahawk Middle School) in the high jump (5-0).

The Class of 2031 boys jumps are headlined by 100m standout Korbin Taylor, who leads the long jump (16-3) and high jump (5-4). The Class of 2030 long jump is led by Brantley Knickerbocker (Chetek-Weyerhaeuser) at 18-0, while Brock Weeden (New Glarus) also contributes as a high jump leader at 5-8.