MUNCIE — Rain couldn’t stop the Blackhawks, Broncos, Eagles, Raiders, Warriors and Tigers from running at the 2026 Delaware County Track and Field meet.
Cowan, Daleville, Delta, Wapahani, Wes-Del and Yorktown met at Delta High School on Friday, May 8, for the county meet, which continued on despite some steady showers as the meet began. With no lightning in the area and the rain easing up about halfway through, everything went on exactly as scheduled.
The rain did, however, affect the performances of the athletes. After last year’s historic meet saw six county records fall, only one meet record was set in 2026.
Here’s a look at the top performances, full team scores and your 2026 All-Delaware County track and field athletes:
Delta, Yorktown split boys county championship
For the first time since 2010 and only the second time in meet history, there was a tie for the Delaware County boys track championship. Delta and Yorktown both finished with team scores of 156.
As the meet entered the final two events — the 3,200-meter run and the 4×400 relay — Yorktown trailed Delta by 10 points. In order to force the tie, the Tigers needed to claim the top two places in the 3,200 and then finish one spot behind Delta in the 4×400.
Sophomore Thomas Loney and junior Owen Lamb took care of business in the former, and the 4×400 team of senior Owen Fouts, senior Ross Arbogast, junior Benson Nyamoringo and sophomore Kevin Smith finished second behind Delta to ensure Yorktown’s county championship streak stayed alive.
“I really wanted to go out strong, and I think me and Lamb were really able to do that,” Loney said. “I just put full faith in the Lord, and I knew he would have my back.”
The victory marked a third-consecutive Delaware County championship for the Yorktown boys. Head coach Jared Turner attributed the team’s continued success to the Tigers’ assistant coaching staff — Angie Taylor (sprints), Dan Whitehead (sprints), John Dragoo (throws), Mark Sigmon (mid-distance), Christina Kuzma (sprints) and Ashley Stuffel (distance).
“Great assistant coaches, that truly is the answer,” Turner said. “I’m not trying to give a textbook answer. Our sprint coaches, our throws coaches, just all the way around. These coaches are the ones that are really kind of hands-on with these athletes all the time. I’m just really blessed to coach with an extended group of coaches that are really the direct coaches of these kids every single day.”
Delta wins girls title, Backus siblings shine
The girls county championship was not nearly as close, as Delta won with a team score of 178 to beat out Yorktown’s 164. It marked the Eagles’ first girls county championship since 2024 and their fourth in the last six years.
“Just a total team effort,” Delta coach Shane Conley said. “If you look at the results, we have seniors like Jillian (Barr) who went out and handled their business, poor girl’s been sick all week. Then you’ve got two freshmen (Aurora Thorpe and Reese Stanley) in the 400 just running gutsy, competitive races, then coming back and running the 4×400. Sophomores in the long jump and in the high jump, so just the whole team effort for them.”
A frequent theme in Delta’s success on both the girls and boys sides was the Backus last name. Sophomore Reese Backus endured a front-loaded schedule, finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles with a new personal-best time of 16.06 and in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.79 seconds. She then anchored the Eagles’ first-place 4×100 team and won the long jump at 17-4 feet. Already an indoor state champion in the long jump, Backus is enjoying a breakout sophomore campaign.
“It’s just my practice. I just out a lot of time in and hard work,” she said. “I try to get all my workouts done and really just push on.”
Reese’s older siblings — seniors Grey and Grier Backus — also played big roles in Delta’s successes. On the boys side, Grey Backus won the 200-meter dash and anchored Delta’s winning 4×100 and 4×400 teams. Meanwhile, Grier Backus passed the baton to her younger sister as the Eagles’ third runner on the girls 4×100.
“I think it’s just really cool considering our whole family has left a mark in Delta history,” Grier Backus said. “I think it was really cool tonight being in a race with my sister, and I think it’s just so cool for all of us to represent our family and represent Jesus on the track and in everything we do.”
Quinn Backus, the oldest sibling, was a multi-time all-county runner in various events during his Delta career and now serves as an assistant coach with the team. Having all of his siblings around has been a lift for Grey Backus, who was disappointed with a second-place finish in the 100-meter dash but bounced back with his three all-county finishes later in the meet.
“It’s definitely good having people to rely on,” Grey Backus said. “I didn’t do my best today in the 100, and when I come home and get mad about it, I’ll go see my siblings and then they’re happy they won it. That gets me back in my mood, and I try to run good again for the 200, and I won that.”
Wapahani senior Preston McCorkill breaks his own meet record
Last season, Wapahani then-junior Preston McCorkill set a new county meet record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.29 seconds. In his final career county meet, McCorkill made sure that record was short-lived by finishing the 400 in 49.87 seconds.
“I really wanted to break 50 here at this meet,” McCorkill said. “This year, I’ve had a lot of trouble injury-wise, so to come out here and run a great time, it’s amazing.”
Shortly after the Hoosier State Relays Indoor State Championships, McCorkill suffered a sprained ankle while playing a pickup basketball game. The nagging injury has limited his abilities on the track this spring, but it didn’t stop him from breaking his own record and going out as a county champion one more time.
“It’s been a big hill for me, but I know I’m not given these challenges for no reason,” McCorkill said. “I’m given them to overcome them. I’m glad I’ve been given this challenge because it’s challenged me mentally, physically, to help me push myself better, and I’m truly appreciative of that.”
2026 Delaware County track and field meet team scores
Girls
Boys
T1. Yorktown 156
T1. Delta 156
3. Wapahani 78
4. Wes-Del 31
5. Cowan 24
6. Daleville 13
2026 All-Delaware County track and field athletes
(Winners of each event are named All-County.)
4×800 relay
100/110 hurdles
100-meter dash
1600-meter run
4×100 relay
400-meter dash
300 hurdles
800-meter run
200-meter dash
3200-meter run
4×400 relay
Long Jump
High Jump
Shot Put
Discus
Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@usatodayco.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Top performers from 2026 Delaware County track and field meet
Reporting by Cade Hampton, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
