Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The opening day of the 2021 state track meet is less than two months away.

Don’t check your calendars, the math is correct.

With only a few days left in March we are already less than 60 days away from kicking off the state meet.

Track season is got underway for several area teams last week with the rest of the area programs getting into the act this week.

Before we start to look ahead at April and even the postseason in May we take a look at several area track and field performers to keep an eye on this season.

John Aschenbrenner

Senior, City High

A state qualifier in the shuttle hurdle relay as a sophomore in 2019, Aschenbrenner will now be looked upon to lead the City High shuttle corps as a senior.

Aschenbrenner, who is also expected to be a key contributor in the jumps for City High this season, opened the season by winning the 110 hurdles as the Steve Roth Relays in 15.52.

Jack Kinzer

Senior, Liberty High

One of four sophomores on the state qualifying 4×800 relay team in 2019, Kinzer will look to parlay a strong senior cross country season into a big senior season on the track.

Kinzer finished 46^th overall at the 4A state cross country meet in the fall and will be among the leaders of a Liberty High distance group that will be a major strength for the Lightning this spring.

Caden Noeller

Junior, West High

Noeller got his feet wet at the state meet as a freshman running alongside four seniors on the West High 4×800 relay team that finished 18^th at the 2019 state meet.

A strong more experience runner this season, Noeller showed he is poised for a breakthrough season after winning the 800 in a time of 2:03.75 in the season-opening Steve Roth Relays last week.

Tyler Bilskie

Senior, Solon

Bilskie will attempt to follow up a breakthrough fall with a strong spring on the track after helping the Spartans to the most successful cross country season in program history.

The leader of an emerging Solon distance group, Bilskie was among the most improved runners in the state during cross country season when he finished 50^th overall at the 3A state meet helping Solon to a runner-up team finish.

Alex McKane

Junior, West High

Another runner coming off a strong cross country season, McKane established himself as one of the top distance runners in the state with an 11^th place finish at the 4A cross country meet.

The junior already showed he will be a force on the track this spring winning the 1,600 title at the Steve Roth Relays in a time of 4:35.86.

Jovan Harris

Junior, City High

Harris got valuable state meet experience as a freshman running on the City High 4×200 relay team that placed 12^th at the state meet with a 1:30.12 in 2019.

Now an upperclassmen, Harris will be a key piece of the City High sprint corps and opened the season with a third-place finish in the 200 at the Steve Roth Relays.

Brandon Barker

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

One of the most decorated cross country runners in Clear Creek Amana history Barker will look to add some track hardware this spring.

Barker placed ninth at the 3A cross country meet in the fall and will look to build on that success during track season as a leader of an always strong Clipper distance group.

Mason Applegate

Junior, West High

One of the most uniquely versatile track athletes in the area, Applegate is a three-sport standout with an impressive combination of strength and speed.

Want proof?

Applegate was a state qualifier in the shot put as a freshman and opened the season with a toss of 48-8 in a runner-up finish at the Steve Roth Relays where he also was second in the 100 clocking a 11.28.

Isaac Rohert

Senior, City High

Rohert will get his first opportunity to showcase the speed that had City High coaches raving last spring before the season was shutdown due to the pandemic.

A transfer from Independence, Rohert swept the sprints at the Steve Roth Relays clocking an 11.12 in the 100 and a 22.74 in the 200.

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