Former George Jenkins standout Chelsi Williams has been the dominant girls track and field athlete for the past five seasons, including her eighth-grade season at McKeel, and she piled up quite a collection of state medals en route to winning track athlete of the year honors five years in a row. Williams, however, is now at Georgia so for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season, top honors for the girls is up for grabs.
Winter Haven senior Olivia Celiscar, a returning state champion in the shot put, is one of the preseason favorites along with teammate Desirae Murray, the Class 4A state runner-up in the 100-meter dash. Lakeland Christian sophomore Emma Wilkinson, a multiple cross country runner-of-the-year winner is another strong candidate.
The boys side has been wide open in recent years and remains so this season. Lakeland’s DJ Dobie is an early candidate after running 10.49 in the 100, and Tenoroc’s Jakan Andrews, a transfer from Plant City, is ranked No. 1 in the state in the triple jump. Who will emerge as the best?
As the season progresses, expect more athletes to emerge as candidates. For now, here are the top 32 girls and boys track athletes to watch in 2026.
Top 15 Girls
Olivia Celiscar, Winter Haven (Senior)
Celiscar is a returning state champion in the shot put. She won the event in 11 of 12 high school meets last year. She is currently ranked second in Class 4A. She’s looking to improve her discus after finishing runner-up at county, districts and regionals then 13th at state.
Desirae Murray, Winter Haven (Senior)
Murray was county and district champion in the 100 then finished third at regionals and second at state last season. She was also county and district champion in the 200 and was a state qualifier. She began this season with a PR in the 100, currently ranking fifth in 4A.
Michaelah Williams, George Jenkins (Sophomore)
Williams finished third at county and second at districts in the 400. She is currently No. 1 in the county in the 400 and the long jump.
Emma Wilkinson, Lakeland Christian (Sophomore)
Wilkinson went from being the county girls cross country runner of the year to being a key midfielder for the final four girls soccer team. Now she’s on to track where she is eying more state medals after finishing third in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600 last season. She was county and district champions and regional runner-up in both events.
Wiseberly Payoute, Auburndale (Junior)
A high jump specialist, Payoute finished first at county and districts then took third at regionals. She also won district titles in the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles after finishing fourth at county in both events.
Tori Gibson, George Jenkins (Sophomore)
Gibson finished second at county and districts, sixth at regionals and eighth at state in the 400 hurdles. She’ll also battle teammate Sainabou Touray in the 100 hurdles after finishing third at districts and fifth at regional last year and was a state qualifier in the event. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the county in the 400 hurdles and No. 2 in the 100 hurdles.
Lillian Choe, George Jenkins (Junior)
Choe was the county champion in the 800 and finished third at districts last season.
Sainabou Touray, George Jenkins (Senior)
Touray has taken the early lead in the 100 hurdles after running 15.09 last week. Last year, she was third at county, fourth at districts and sixth at regionals in the event.
Nayelie St. Fleur, Lake Wales (Senior)
St. Fleur finished runner-up at county and districts and took sixth at regionals in the 200 last year. She was fourth at county and first at districts in the 100. In Polk this season, she is currently second in the 200 and third in the 100.
Ashari Conoly, Winter Haven (Junior)
Conoly will battle Murray and St. Fleur in the 100 and 200 this season. She currently is No. 2 in the 100 and No. 3 in the 200. Last year, she was runner-up in the 100 at county, third at districts and fifth at regionals. In the 200, she was fourth at county and third at regional.
Jordyn Williams, Victory Christian (Freshman)
Williams, fresh off the state runner-up girls soccer team, finished second at districts, fifth at regionals and was a state qualifier in the 100. She also took second at districts in the 200.
Taraji Bell, George Jenkins (Sophomore)
Bell is currently No. 1 in the county in the triple jump after winning the vent at the Newsome Wolves Invitational.
Sophia Suman, George Jenkins (Senior)
Suman finished fourth at county then became district champion last year in the pole vault. She went on to post a PR at regionals where she finished sixth. She is No. 1 in the county this year and will be the one to beat as she has a healthy lead over the rest of the the field.
Alyssa Ingraham, Frostproof (Senior)
Ingraham should be a contender in the county in the long jump. She was fifth last season but had her two best marks last season when she finished first at districts then seventh at regionals. She’ll also competes in the triple jump. Last year, she finished fourth last year at county then won districts and took fifth at regionals.
Jayla Patterson, Lake Region (Freshman)
Patterson appears to be one of the top newcomers. She currently is No. 2 in the county in the triple jump and third in the 100 hurdles.
Top 17 Boys
DJ Dobie, Lakeland (Senior)
The county and district champion last year in the 100, Dobie, whose best time was 10.77, has already run 10.49 this season.
Trevon Searight, McLaughlin (Sophomore)
Searight was a 2025 state qualifier in the 100 and 200 in Class 1A where he finished third in both events.
Jah’son McCalla, George Jenkins (Senior)
McCalla won districts and took third at regional to be a 2025 state qualifier in the 400. He currently is No. 1 in the county in the 800.
Colin Hagner, George Jenkins (Senior)
Hagner, last season, was county runner-up in the 3,200 and 800 and was district runner-up in the 800.
Oliver Dempsey, Geneva Classical (Senior)
The 2025 cross country runner of the year, Dempsey was the county champion in track in the 1,600 and 3,200 last spring.
Andrew Morrison, Victory Christian (Junior)
Morrison was county, district and regional champion in the 110 hurdles last year and finished seventh at state. Look for him in the 200 this season too.
Peyton Willcut, Victory Christian (Senior)
Wildcat missed the county meet but finished first in the 400 hurdles at districts and regionals then took ninth at state.
Todd Daniels, Lake Wales (Senior)
Daniels missed his junior year as he rehabbed from an injury, but he was a county (100, 200) and district champion (100) in as a sophomore and was a state qualifier in the 200.
Josh Garvin, Winter Haven (Junior)
Garvin was a state qualifier in the 400 after finishing third at districts and fourth at regionals. He currently ranks No. 1 in the county.
Elijah Washington, Winter Haven (Junior)
Washington was returning from injury during the high school season last year and finished third in the 200 at districts in 22.28. He was seventh in districts in 11.21. By the AAU season, he was back to 100 percent and ran 10.74 in the 100 and 21.54 in the 200 at the AAU Regional Qualifier.
Corban Kennedy, George Jenkins (Junior)
Kennedy currently ranks No. 1 in the county in the discus and javelin. Last season, he ranks third at county and second at regionals in the javelin.
BJ Alston, Haines City (Senior)
Alston returned Haines City after running track at Lake Wales last spring and playing football in the fall. Last year, he finished third at county and districts. He has opened this season with a PR (14.9) that ranks second in Class 4A.
Ryder Dempsey, Geneva Classical (Freshman)
Dempsey finished 10th at county in the 3,200 (10:21.47) as an eighth-grader but is ranked No. 1 in the county this season with a 9:59.97.
Jerrell Paul, Victory Christian (Senior)
Paul was county and district champion in the triple jump and finished third at county, second at districts and fourth at regionals in the 400 hurdles. He was a state qualifier in both event. He currently is ranked second in the county in the triple jump.
Jakan Andrews, Tenoroc (Sophomore)
Andrews is off to a fast start as his 14.78 mark in the triple jump at last week’s Titan Invitational is ranked No. 1 in the state.
Gabriel Bourque, George Jenkins (Senior)
Bourque finished second at county, first at districts and third at regionals in the pole vault in 2025. He also competed in the 110 hurdles and discus.
Mason Berry, Frostproof (Freshman)
Berry finished first at the state meet last year in the Wheelchair 100 (19.02), Wheelchair 200 (36.59) and Wheelchair 400 (1:09.46).
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Track and Field: Here are the top 32 boys and girls athletes to watch
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
