At the end of each season, The News-Press and Naples Daily News select All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every varsity sport. Coaches from area schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rate their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with our research led to the selection of the All-Area teams.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kobe Johnson
School: Dunbar
Year: Senior
Kobe Johnson came into the 2026 high school track season ranked as Florida’s top hurdler in the 110 meters.
Throughout the season, he never lost the crown, culminating in his first Class 3A state title.
After sweeping through postseason, winning district and regional titles in the 110 and 400 hurdles, the pressure was on Johnson at states.
He delivered, winning the 110 and coming in second in the 400 with a personal best.
The Coastal Carolina commit is the Southwest Florida Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Question: How does it feel to be named the SWFL Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year?
Johnson: It’s extremely a blessing. It’s been a long year. I worked hard, and, after last year not winning it, I made it a mission this year to get it, so that was really my goal for the season.
How were you feeling heading into the state meet?
Johnson: Up until the meet, extremely confident. I came off a big PR at regionals, so I was feeling good. Once I got to that line, I was a little nervous, but once I got going, I was cool from there.
How did you feel after crossing the finish line?
Johnson: Really, shock at first, and then excitement hit right after. I was worried about getting in my head and being nervous, messing up the race, but once it was all over, I was just excited that I won.
What was your favorite memory from high school track?
Johnson: I’d have to go with my first year ever doing track. Track was never something I saw myself doing. It was just an offseason sport for football, trying to get faster. First year doing it, me and my coach, we broke the 10u 60-meter hurdle national record, so that was the moment that sparked me loving track.
FIRST TEAM
Chancey Alexander
School: Dunbar
Year: Senior
Highlights: At the Class 3A state meet, Alexander came in third place with a PR in the 800 meters. He won LCAC, district, and regional titles in the event in addition to district and LCAC titles in the 1600 meters.
Hunter Babb
School: First Baptist
Year: Senior
Highlights: In the 800 meters, Babb won the Private 8 before coming in third at districts and regionals and finished in sixth with a PR at the Class 1A state meet. He also qualified for states in the 400 meters after coming in second at regionals.
Logan Bartelt
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Senior
Highlights: Bartelt was the Class 1A state runner-up in the 800 meters. He also came in second in the event at regionals and won the district title.
Isaiah Bernadel
School: South Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Bernadel won district and regional titles in the 100- and 200-meters dashes and contributed to the Wolfpack’s winning 4×100 relays at those meets. At the Class 3A state meet, he came in fourth in the 200 with a PR.
Jadrien Carmo
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior
Highlights: Carmo dominated all season in the 200- and 400-meter races, taking district and regional titles in both events. At the Class 2A state meet, he came in third in the 200 and second in the 400 with PRs.
Angel Cruz
School: Mariner
Year: Senior
Highlights: Cruz came in fourth place with a PR in the 3200 meters at the Class 3A state meet. He won regional, district, and LCAC titles in the event.
Logan Eastman
School: Aubrey Rogers
Year: Senior
Highlights: In the 800 meters, Eastman was the district runner-up and qualified for states. He contributed to the Patriots’ winning 4×800 relay at the Class 2A state meet.
Aaden Fields
School: North Fort Myers
Year: Senior
Highlights: In the 400-meter hurdles, Fields came in second at districts and fourth at regionals. At the Class 3A state meet, he finished in fifth place with a PR.
Dylan Gourley
School: Gateway
Year: Senior
Highlights: Gourley won the Class 4A state championship in the pole vault with a PR. He also won the regional title in the event.
Jace Jackson
School: Community School of Naples
Year: Senior
Highlights: In the shot put, Jackson came in second at districts and regionals and finished in third place at the Class 1A state meet. In the discus, he won the district title, came in third at regionals, and sixth at states with a PR.
Aaron Kluener
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior
Highlights: In his first track and field season, Kluener won the Class 2A javelin title, posting a PR throw. He won Private 8, district, and regional titles in the javelin.
Levi McKenzie
School: Riverdale
Year: Junior
Highlights: At the Class 3A state meet, McKenzie came in seventh in the 100 meters and third in the 200 and 400. He swept the events at districts and earned a regional title in the 400.
Alijah Molina
School: Naples
Year: Senior
Highlights: Molina won district titles in the 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles, and high jump. He came in second in the 110 hurdles and high jump at regionals and qualified for states in both events.
Caleb Paul
School: First Baptist
Year: Senior
Highlights: In the triple jump, Paul won a district title and the Class 1A state title with a PR. He came in second at districts and regionals in the high jump.
Pace Phillips
School: Community School of Naples
Year: Junior
Highlights: Phillips came in fifth place in the discus with a PR throw at the Class 1A state meet. He was the district runner-up in the event.
Ja’Kiee Robinson
School: Lehigh
Year: Senior
Highlights: Robinson won district titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as the long jump. He qualified for the Class 4A state meet in the 100 meters and long jump, coming in 13th and 10th, respectively.
Braden Turner
School: Aubrey Rogers
Year: Senior
Highlights: Turner won CCAC and district titles in the 800 meters and qualified for the Class 2A state meet in the event. He contributed to the Patriots’ winning 4×800 relay.
SECOND TEAM
John Allen, Palmetto Ridge
Grant Alward II, First Baptist
Mason Armstrong, St. John Neumann
Isaac Biddle, Cape Coral
Cameron Brenner, Community School
Hudson Casto, Community School
Manuel Colon, Bishop Verot
Quinn Enguita, Bishop Verot
Olusiji Fadayomi, SFCA
Reed Hagen, Fort Myers
Salvador Jimenez, Aubrey Rogers
Barton Kaaber, SFCA
Joshua Little, Dunbar
Jackson Manetta, Community School
Noah Mansson, Community School
Jayden Reyes, Cape Coral
Yael Salazar-Maysonet, Ida Baker
Dane Sheppard, North Fort Myers
HONORABLE MENTION
Aubrey Rogers: Jon Ellis, Hunter Puthoff, Ryan Reyes
Bishop Verot: Mark Brazley, Arrie Davis, Deshon Jenkins
Canterbury: Joe Banks
Cape Coral: Hunter Jendrusiak, Travaris Schley, Ruben Viera De Lemos
Community School: Tavian Fay, James Hess, Fritz Jacques Jr.
Cypress Lake: Bruno De Menezes Valdes
Dunbar: Sandler Pierre, Evan Sims, Daryl Williams
East Lee County: Latavious Peterson
First Baptist: Isaiah Boykins, Josia Pellant, Owen Pritchard
Fort Myers: Trae Britton, Chris Kozlowski, Kendley Louis
Gateway: Daven Gray
Gulf Coast: Jack Miller
Lehigh: Kameron Nesbitt
Naples: Reece Lolly, Logan Paul, Josiah Voltaire
North Fort Myers: Carter Hartley, Noah Hillman, Lane Marks
Riverdale: Malek Creal, Cleyon Grizzle, Brione Rios
SFCA: Coleman Smith, Brody Wunsch, David Yarnell
St. John Neumann: Terrance Calixte, Angel Esquijarosa, Thomas O’Brien
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jen Webber
School: Bishop Verot
Highlights: The Bishop Verot boys won district and regional meets before finishing in seventh place at the Class 2A state meet. At state, the Vikings qualified two relays, Jadrien Carmo posted a double-PR performance, and Aaron Kluener won a state javelin title.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Meet the 2026 SW FL Boys Track and Field All-Area Team, Athlete of the Year
Reporting by Dustin B Levy, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dustin B Levy, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
