The numbers may not be quite what track and field coaches were hoping for, but the Huskies look like they will be able to deliver some quality performances this year.
That’s Head Coach Nathan Whitfield’s assessment as he looks forward to the 2026 season.
“We have a lot of returners this year,” Whitfield said of his team, which numbered 50 boys and 37 girls going into Spring Break.
“They’re looking really good,” he said.
Gone are graduates Chase Cameron, Kasey Kast, Jack Simmons, Conner Stevens and Kolton Wilmarth, after qualifying for state or contributing to the 4×100 and 4×400 relays that made state. They were among approximately a dozen seniors who departed to graduation.
“We’re real excited about the ones we have returned and we have a pretty good freshman group, though not quite the numbers that we expected this year,” Whitfield said. “That led to our overall numbers being a little bit lower than last year. But we’re still a good-sized team.”
Senior Dillan Davis and junior Ryker Burr return for the boys after qualifying in the 400 and 800, respectively, as well as contributing to those relays, and junior Nick Larson returns after winning district titles and making state in both hurdles races (posting a PR of 16.88 in the 110 and 43.62 in the 300) and the pole vault, finishing the season with a best of 11-8. Gavin Tyler, now a junior, returns in the throws after qualifying for state in the shot last year with a throw just under his personal best of 47-9.
Davis ran 50.48 in the 400 at the district meet, his personal best, and Burr finished second to Newport senior Noah Larson in a photo finish, running a personal best 2:02.44.
They’re not the only ones who return with promise.
Kaeson Walker, now a junior, was third in the district triple jump last year with a leap just short of his PR of 40-11, and then-freshman Sam Barringer was fourth, also just short of his PR of 40-3¾.
Landon Murry, now a junior, was fourth in the long jump, though his district finish was about a foot short of his personal best of 19-10¾, set midway through the season.
On the girls side, the only returning state qualifier is now-senior McKenzie Miller, who secured her first trip to state in track in the 3000, running a PR of 10:48.91 at state.
Other promising returnees include Loralai Mark, now a senior, who missed a trip to state in the long jump by inches last year with a third-place finish at districts, with a personal best of nearly a foot – 15-11½.
Noelle Helfrich, now a junior, was fourth in the 800 with a personal best of 2:37.36, behind two seniors.
Miller was fourth in the 1500 ((5:04.53) with now-sophomore Emma Whitton, a two-time top-10 state cross-country placewinner behind her in fifth.
Now-senior Delanie Pratt was fourth in the 100 hurdles after running a PR of 17.94 in the district prelims.
Now-senior Selah Wright is back in the shot and discus after finishing well off her personal bests in the top five in both events at districts, with repeat district champion Kalina Saechao of Cascade now gone to graduation.
Sweet Home’s boys finished second at the six-team Oregon West Conference district meet last year, 28½ points behind Philomath, while the girls were fourth as Philomath won the district title, then moved on to win the state championship.
Rounding out the boys roster are
On the boys side are: seniors Memphis Gay, Cannon Klumph, Kyle Porter, Elisha Scofield, Manuel Rivera and Lukas Thompson; juniors David Anderson, Logan Anderson, Hunter Clark, Bradley Dewitte, Logan Estep, Caden Foley, Rafe Hayes, Carson Kleinschmit, Malakai Pizarro, AJ Rodriguez, Conner Spencer, Gunnar Summers and Kaeson Walker; sophomores Eli Adams, Sam Barringer, Chance Corey, Wes Goff, Louis Kistner, Evan Knight, Russell Schroeder, Kace Stevens, Ean Tackett, Mason Tyler, Malakai Walls and Acen Webber; and freshmen Silas Baker, Brayden Driver, Ernie Hicks, Mason Mark, Austin Millard, Hudson Ogden, Elijah Rodriguez, Halen Salvador, Jaicob Shaw, Landon Thomson, Bentley Uhlry, Marshall Van Dijk, Marcus Warthern,and Adam Wilmarth.
The girls roster also includes: senior Madison Olheiser, juniors Eturnyti Allison, Mailey Brewer, Brooke Elder, Amara Gonzales, Noelle Helfrich, Jayla Moore, McKenzie Ohlheiser, Miu Simmons and Khloe Wood; sophomores Kaylee Bain, Yadira Casas, Madison Ciullo, Ellie Dominy, Sydney Dominy, Grace Gardner, Adrianna Morse, Hannah Nicholson, Hailee Ramsdell and Dinah Watkins; and freshmen Zoie Allison, Persephone Brookfield, Pyper Hall, Elizabeth Hankins, Marion Helfrich, Alexis Lee, Navaeh Lopez, Jocelyn Simmons, Cassie Spencer, Kali Vogel, Taleah Zacarias and Kassidy Zajic.
Whitfield is assisted by Andy Waldrop and Randy Whitfield in throwing events, Spencer Hart and Angela Stevens in the jumps, Dave Martin in the distance events and hurdles, and Josie Macklin and Ramiro Santana in the relays and short sprints.
The Huskies opened this season Tuesday, March 16, with an intrasquad meet that also included East Linn Christian which, Whitfield said, gave both teams some competition beyond themselves.
“I’m really happy with this team, with where they’re at,” he said. “Kind of a lot like last year, this is a team that just knows how to work and shows up and works every day.
“We have some underclassmen that are pushing those upperclassmen a little bit more this year, so they’re a little bit more motivated and working that little bit extra.”
The schedule is similar to the Huskies’ in 2025, with a trip to Banks for the Bob Frank Invitational on April 11, and the Meet of Champions at home on April 25. Stayton will host this year’s districts May 22-23.
Whitfield said that after that runner-up finish last year, the boys are looking for more this year.
“We’re hoping to be in the fight for the district title,” he said. “We got second last year, which was a little bit of a disappointment, but we knew it was a tall order and it’s the same thing again this year.
He said he sees Stayton as a rising power in the Oregon West Conference and “Philomath’s girls are returning four-time state champs, so that’s a tough team to crack.”
“But we’re getting more competitive on our girls side and we’re hopefully moving up a few spots.”