The boys high school state track and field season for 2026 was another intense one in the Springfield area. It culminated in three state championships won on May 30 at the Illinois High School Association’s state track and field meet at O’Brien Field in Charleston.
The State Journal-Register now announces its 12-member all-area boys track and field team, led by its large school and small school athletes of the year, Chatham Glenwood’s Larry Wills and Gillespie’s Chaz Oberkfell. Following those two biographies, the other 10 members will be listed alphabetically.
Larry Wills, Chatham Glenwood
The Titans’ senior high jumper, long jumper and a leg on the 4×200-meter relay team had quite the successful season, which ended with a second-place finish in the Class 3A long jump at 23-feet, 4 ¾-inches. It was just his third runner-up finish in the long jump and fourth time he didn’t win the event. He won the Central State Eight Conference in the event and the 3A Bloomington Sectional.
He finished tied with three others in the 3A high jump, but finished third on the tiebreaker, which is number of misses. His teammate, junior McKenzie Doe III, was one spot above Wills and their 15 points earned in high jump helped Glenwood clear Homewood-Flossmoor to take third in the team standings in the final event. Wills, along with teammates Cruz Evans, Blake Lehnen and Colton Ladage, also finished third in the 3A 4×2 relay.
“I’m glad we had a lot of versatility when it comes to just this little, small school (Glenwood’s IHSA enrollment for ‘25-26 was 1,435) and then going against school with 3,000, 4,000 kids,” Wills said.
Evanston, the Class 3A state team winner, had an enrollment of 3,465 while runner-up Belleville West was 1,990.
But the SJ-R’s Large School Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year winner was disappointed in himself for his high jump finish. While he set his personal best of 6-10¾ at the CS8 meet in mid-May, he only managed 6-7 at state. He said it was by the slimmest of margins.
“I barely lost that,” Wills said. “Probably like one more centimeter on my jump, and that would have cleared it. And then I’ve been jumping that all year. So, it was a big bummer to just fail it at the biggest stage.”
Wills will continue both his football and track careers at Henderson State University in Arkansas, an NCAA Division II school.
Chaz Oberkfell, Gillespie
The senior Miner graduated as a reigning three-time state champion, which began in the fall with a Class 1A boys cross country state title then finished with titles in the Class 1A 3,200-meter run and the 1,600-run. He also took eighth in the 800-run, a cherry on the top in selecting the SJ-R’s Small School Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
In the second of three heats of the 3,200-run, Oberkfell ran what turned out to be the winning time by nearly 24 seconds (Oberkfell finished in 9 minutes, 8.17 seconds). But he was aiming for 9:05 to beat the state record. Maybe in past seasons, he wouldn’t have had the competition enough in the second heat to push him to the time he posted, but he said he learned how to run on his own this season.
“Getting pushed is definitely nice, but this year I started learning I can run on my own pretty solid,” Oberkfell said. “I wanted to go for the state record . . . and I missed it by a few seconds, but I was still happy with my time.”
The second heat provided him with more recovery time ahead of his 800 and 1,600 runs.
“I’m like, I want to do it before that (11 a.m. start time compared to one a little after noon),” Oberkfell said. “Plus, just having that nicer weather in the morning is definitely a benefit of it.”
If the 3,200 was nearly a cakewalk, the 1,600 was anything but. Sullivan’s Johnathan Iacobazzi made a push on the last lap and the final stretch became a battle of wills. Oberkfell held on ahead of the Sullivan sophomore, winning in 4:14.66, just 0.07 seconds ahead of Iacobazzi.
“I just want to thank God; He gave me the legs there for that last lap,” Oberkfell said after winning the 1,600. “After that 800, I was feeling it and just coming back for (the 1,600), I was a little nervous.
“Iacobazzi’s a strong runner, there’s a lot of other strong runners in this field. On that last 100 (meters), whenever I saw (Iacobazzi) was slightly in front of me, I’m like, ‘I’ve got to go.’”
Oberkfell will run next school year at NCAA D-I Southern Indiana.
Jacob Barth, Auburn
As Barth came across the 1A 4×400-relay finish line five seconds ahead of his nearest competitor (winning in in 3:17.79), he flashed two fingers to signify the second time he’s brought home the four-member Trojans’ team for a state championship. The senior took the baton from Sam Talavera, who received it from James Baisden after Hunter Piper started the group off with an excellent lead lap. Barth also finished second in the 400-meter dash (48.74), was the lead leg of a fourth-place 4×800-relay team and took 20th in the long jump (20-11¼).
Liam Bettis, Taylorville
The Tornadoes junior finished second in the 2A 1,600-run (4:18.01) and seventh in the 3,200 (9:21.89).
McKenzie Doe III, Chatham Glenwood
Doe finished second in the 3A high jump at 6-7 (lost a four-way tie for first on number of total of misses, finished one spot ahead of teammate Larry Wills) and qualified for state in three other events: the 110-meter hurdles, the 300-hurdles and in the 4×400-relay.
Ian Escapa, Rushville-Industry
The Rockets senior was the SJ-R’s highest-placing finisher in the 1A triple jump at 46-5¾ for third. He also helped the R-I 4×200-relay team qualify for state prelims.
Nick Glisson, Mason City Illini Central
The Cougars senior took fourth in the 1A 400 (49.27) and 12th in high jump (6-0¾).
Darren Henry, Jacksonville
The Crimsons sophomore was third in the 2A high jump (6-8¼), ninth in the long jump (21-7½) and 14th in the triple jump (43-3¼).
Austin Homer, Carlinville
The Cavaliers senior pole vaulter was third in 1A at 13-11¼.
Kamri Sales, Southeast
The Spartans senior was second in the 2A triple jump at 46-0 ¾ and qualified for state in the 300-hurdles.
Tristan Stanton, Rochester
The Rockets senior was fourth in the 2A long jump (22-4½), sixth in triple jump (44-9¼), and helped Rochester’s 4×100- and 4×200-relay teams qualify for the 2A state meet.
Elijah Teefey, Pleasant Plains
The Cardinals senior was third in the 1A 3,200-run and second in the top heat (9:38.54), was fifth in the 1,600-run (4:25.44) and helped the Cardinals’ 4×800-relay team qualify for the 1A state meet.
Contact Ryan Mahan: 788-1546, ryan.mahan@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/RyanMahanSJR.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: SJ-R’s boys track & field athletes of the year, all-area team for 2026
Reporting by Ryan Mahan, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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By Ryan Mahan, Springfield State Journal-Register | USA TODAY Network
