Top 15 Ames-area Iowa high school boys track and field athletes ahead of the 2024 season
The 2024 high school boys track and field season will feature many talented athletes with state experience.
Ames and Gilbert will both be led by talented distance runners. Ballard, Roland-Story, Collins-Maxwell and Colo-NESCO bring back some talented sprinters, and Nevada features a sprinter and a distance runner with state experience.
There are some talented newcomers who will be out to make names for themselves in 2024.
This is just a preseason list, so plenty of new names could emerge during the season. But here, in alphabetical order, are the top 15 boys high school track athletes in the Ames area right now.
Charlie Bennett, Ames
Events: Distance races
Year: Senior
Bennett suffered from COVID-19 complications in the fall of 2022, and he was not able to get back to top form by the 2023 track season.
But he rebounded with a strong cross country season this past fall and looks to be a major contributor for the Ames boys cross country team this season. During his sophomore season, Bennett ran the lead leg on the Ames boys' 4x800-meter relay team that qualified for state and placed 21st in Class 4A with a time of eight minutes, 25.91 seconds.
Logan Bleich, Gilbert
Events: Distance races
Year: Freshman
Bleich is entering his first season of high school track as a freshman.
But he has already made a huge first impression at Gilbert after leading the Tigers to the 3A boys team championship at the 2023 state co-ed cross country meet in the fall. He figures to be a big weapon for Gilbert in distance races this spring.
Isaac Brown, Collins-Maxwell
Events: Sprints
Year: Senior
Brown did not compete at state last year, but he qualified in two 1A sprinting events for Collins-Maxwell.
Brown made it to state in both the open 100 and 200 races. He is looking for the chance to finally run on the blue oval at Drake Stadium this May.
Breckin Clatt, Colo-NESCO
Events: Sprints, hurdles
Year: Sophomore
Clatt was one of two state qualifiers for the Colo-NESCO boys last season, and he is the only one returning in 2024.
Clatt placed 18th in the open 400 with a time of 58.31 seconds.
Gavin Clouser, Ames
Events: Sprints
Year: Junior
Clouser will look to step up and become a top sprinter for the Ames boys in 2024.
As a sophomore Clouser ran the second leg on the Ames distance medley team that took 19th in 4A with a time of 3:40 flat.
Carter Holland, Nevada
Events: Distance races
Year: Senior
Holland is the top returning distance runner for the Nevada boys in 2024.
Also a state qualifier in cross country, Holland ran an impressive 800 time of 1:56.45 at last year's state meet to place sixth in 3A. Holland also anchored Nevada to a 17th-place finish in the 3A boys 4x800.
Chase Ihle, Ballard
Events: Long jump
Year: Sophomore
Ihle came out of nowhere to earn a fourth-place finish in the 3A boys long jump at state as a freshman in 2023.
Ihle's peak jump at last year's state meet was an impressive 21 feet, 8.25 inches. The three jumpers who placed ahead of him are all back for their senior seasons, but Ihle should still be in the mix for a state championship in the event.
Sam Knoll, Roland-Story
Events: Sprints
Year: Junior
Knoll is one of Roland-Story's most experienced sprinters heading into 2024.
Last year as a sophomore Knoll qualified for state as part of Roland-Story's sprint medley team, but the Norse suffered a DQ in the race. He will be back with something to prove this spring.
Connor Kunze, Nevada
Events: Sprints
Year: Sophomore
Kunze is the top returning sprinter for Nevada.
As a freshman, Kunze managed to earn his way onto the blue oval in the 3A boys 200. He placed 17th in the prelims with a time of 23.05.
Chance Lande, Ballard
Events: Sprints
Year: Senior
Lande was outstanding for Ballard as a junior in 2023.
Lande placed eighth in the 3A boys open 400 at state with a time of 50.55. He also anchored Ballard to a surprise third-place time of 8:06.16 in the 4x800, a seventh-place showing of 3:23.87 in the 4x400 and a school-record 13th-place time of 1:35.40 in the sprint medley.
Zach Lenkaitis, Ames
Events: Distance races
Year: Junior
Lenkaitis is looking to recover from a stress fracture that cost him the cross country season in time to make a major contribution to the Ames boys track and field team in 2024.
Two years ago Lenkaitis qualified for state as a freshman. He anchored Ames' 4x800 team that placed 21st in 4A with a time of 8:25.91.
Heston McIlrath, Roland-Story
Events: Sprints
Year: Junior
McIlrath gives Roland-Story an excellent sprinter with state experience.
Last year as a sophomore McIlrath was part of Roland-Story's sprint medley, 4x400 and distance medley relay teams. The sprint medley DQ'd, but the Norse finished eighth in the 4x400 and 10th in the distance medley.
Jonathan Stoker, Gilbert
Events: Distance races
Year: Senior
Stoker is the veteran leader of Gilbert's talented group of distance runners.
Stoker placed 10th in the 3A boys 800 at last year's state meet with a time of 1:58.42. He also anchored Gilbert to an 11th-place effort in the 4x800.
Carson Squiers, Gilbert
Events: Distance races
Year: Sophomore
Squiers gives Gilbert yet another talented runner in distance events.
Last year as a freshman, Squiers took 17th in 3A at state during the 3,200 with a time of 10:10.98.
Jameson Witt, Ballard
Events: Sprints and middle distance races
Year: Senior
Witt enters his senior year having qualified for state in the open 400 each of the past two track seasons.
As a sophomore Witt placed 11th in 3A with a time of 51.16. He took 12th as a junior in 51:01.
Witt also ran on the Bomber boys 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams at state as a junior, helping both teams earn a top-eight place in 3A.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Top 15 Iowa boys track athletes to watch in the Ames area during 2024
