Wisconsin high school track and field athletes are more determined than most throughout the nation, having to work around frigid winters and wet springs to stay in shape for the spring season.
As the United State approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports is celebrating the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their state and regions.
What’s our rubric for determining the “defining” boys track and field athletes in Wisconsin history? Some players became local legends on the high school track but didn’t translate that success to college or in the pros. Some blossomed late, and their high school days offered only a hint of their eventual greatness. How do we compare or measure those things?
Our aim: Identifying trailblazers and trendsetter whose influence reaches beyond championships and statistics − and whose stories reflect a lasting impact on their state.
Our process is imperfect. Let us know at the bottom who should be on this list.
Paul Annear, Richland Center, (graduated in) 2008
Annear is tied with one other member of this list for the second-most career event state titles in Wisconsin history with eight. The jumping specialist was a four-time high-jump state champion, who at one time held the Division 2 state record with his senior-year jump of 6-foot-11. He also won the long jump and triple jump events in both his junior and senior seasons, highlighted by a 45-10¾ triple jump in 2007 and a 22-8½ long jump in 2008. The Wisconsin Track Coaches Association (WISTCA) Class of 2015 Hall of Famer went on to compete at UW-Madison, primarily as a standout high jumper.
Justin Austin, Brown Deer, 2008
Austin is the Wisconsin state record holder for most career event state titles with nine. In the 100-meter dash, he won as a sophomore, junior and senior, led by his senior-year time of 10.80 seconds. He also three-peated in the 200-meter dash in the same span, highlighted by a 21.89 as a sophomore. His final three event golds came as a contributor to relay teams. A then-WIAA D2 state-record 800-meter relay team won in 1 minute, 29.34 seconds with Austin taking the third leg in 2005. A year later, he ran the second leg of a 400-meter relay team that won in 42.66, also a then-WIAA D2 state record. The WISTCA Class of 2016 Hall of Famer’s final relay gold came as a senior in the 400 for a team that won in 43.16, which rounded out a team state title for Brown Deer. His teams also finished runner-up in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Austin would go on to compete at the University of Kentucky (2009-2010) before transferring to the University of Iowa, setting program records at each stop.
Kenny Bednarek, Rice Lake, 2018
Before he would go on to shine on the world stage at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, Bednarek was wowing spectators at UW-La Crosse with state-record times in the WIAA state track and field championships. He three-peated in the 200 and 400 events from 2016-2018, while adding a 2018 100 win as well. The 2018 state-meet performance was an all-timer in state history, with his 100 preliminary time of 10.42 setting a D2 state record, while his 200 time of 20.43 and his 400 time of 46.73 were all-division records that stand to this day. Bednarek’s seven event individual state titles are tied for fourth-most in state history.
Michael Bennett, Milwaukee Tech, 1998
Bennett was also featured on our list of the state’s best high school football players, and for good reason as his postgraduate exploits on the gridiron at Wisconsin and in the NFL were revered by fans. When he was able to lose the pads and show off his straight-line speed, however, the future Badger truly shined. The sprinter earned three WIAA state titles, including a 200 title as a freshman, and 100 (10.55) and 200 (20.96) titles as a junior. The junior-year titles set state records, which Bennett would eclipse in the preliminaries for both events as a senior. Despite a 10.33 in the 100 and 20.68 in the 200 prelims to set D1 records that stand to this day, Bennett would pull up with an injury in the finals of the first event to thwart a further chance at glory. The WISTCA Class of 2008 Hall of Famer was invited to compete at the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials, and would later become a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2001.
David Greenwood, Park Falls, 1979
Inducted in the WISTCA’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1990, Greenwood was the first boys athlete in state history to four-peat in the same event. Greenwood won the high jump all four years, highlighted by a clearance of 6-10 in his senior season that set a then-Class B state record. He also won the long jump (22-11¾) and 120 hurdles (14.57) his senior year to round out his six career WIAA state individual titles.
Darrell Jansen, Kimberly, 1960
Tied with Annear for second-most career individual event titles, Jansen’s high school tenure was highlighted by three-peats from sophomore to senior year in the 120 hurdles and 180 hurdles. His 120 hurdles time as a senior of 14.2 set a then-state record in Class B, and his 180 hurdles time of 19.6 set a then-state record in Class B as well. The WISTCA Hall of Fame inductee alongside Greenwood in the inaugural class also won the high jump in 1959 and 1960 with identical heights of 6-0½. Jansen stood alone as the only boys athlete to win eight individual event state titles for nearly five decades before Annear tied him and Austin exceeded him in 2008.
Alvin E. Kraenzlein, Milwaukee East, 1896
In the first Wisconsin state track meet in 1895, Kraenzlein accomplished something no boys or girls track athlete has matched since. The then-junior won five individual state titles in a single state meet, including the 100 (10.4), 120 hurdles (17.8), 220 hurdles (27.8), high jump (5-6½) and shot put (37-7½) events. He would go on to compete for the United States in the 1900 Olympics, winning four individual gold medals in the 110 hurdles, 200 hurdles, 60 and long jump.
Andrew Rock, Stratford, 2000
Another future Olympian who made some of his first waves on Wisconsin high school tracks, Rock was a late bloomer who put together an extremely memorable final act as a senior. After placing in the top five at D3 state in the 300 hurdles (second), long jump (fourth), 1,600 relay (fourth) and 110 hurdles (fifth) as a junior, Rock would come as close as any before him had to Kraenzlein’s mark with four event golds in 2000. The weekend included wins in the long jump (22-4¾),110 hurdles (15.17), 300 hurdles (38.10), and 200 (22.05). The future WISTCA Class of 2008 Hall of Fame inductee’s times in the 300 hurdles and 200 prelims (22.00) were then-WIAA D3 records. Rock was a gold medalist in the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of a 1,600 relay team, and in 2005 held the No. 3 ranking in the world in the 400.
Joe Schubert, Milwaukee Marquette, 2017
Wheelchair track still is an emerging sport in Wisconsin, with heats for wheelchair athletes being held at the WIAA state track and field meet since only 2011. While fellow Hilltopper Gianni Quintero is quickly catching up to his career marks, Schubert set the standard with an incredible 10 individual state titles over his career, which remains the WIAA record leading up to the 2026 state meet. Those titles include four-peats in the 100 and 400, along with 2016-2017 titles in the 800. His best came last in both the 100 and 400, as his senior times were 18.16 and 1:04.52, respectively.
Chris Solinsky, Stevens Point, 2003
Conversation of the Stevens Point area’s legacy of distance runners cannot omit the five-time WIAA state champion Solinsky. After taking sixth in the 3,200 as a freshman, the future WISTCA Hall of Fame Class of 2013 inductee won three straight titles in the event. His time of 8:58.39 as a junior was a then-WIAA state record. Before going on to UW-Madison to star nationally in track, he also won the 1,600 his junior and senior high school seasons, adding to a second place at state as a sophomore. He would also place third in the 800 his senior year.
Who else should be on this list? Some suggestions:
Jared Abbrederis, Wautoma, 2009
Kevin Bledsoe, Milwaukee South, 1987
Greg Bracey, Milwaukee Vincent, 2003
Josh Dickerson, D.C. Everest, 1996
Noah Eckelberg, Columbus Catholic, 2021
Jim Flanigan, Southern Door, 1990
Larry Franklin, Madison Central, 1965
Art Meyer, Milwaukee South, 1908
Trey Roy, West Bend East, 2012
Joe Thomas, Brookfield Central, 1996
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who are Wisconsin’s best-ever high school boys track athletes? Vote here
Reporting by Zac Bellman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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