With their first full year of high school track and field competition now complete, it's time now for the Class of 2026 to receive its first recruiting rankings update.
We ranked our athletes based on a tiered rating system, current MileSplit50 and MileSplit track and field and cross country rankings, state records, historical results and performances over national competition. We leaned heavily on current data.
A slew of incoming sophomores made their marks on the track and in the field this past year, even ranking among some of the top athletes not just in their class, but in the nation in their respective events.
With three more years left of competition for the Class of 2026, this gives a very early look at some of the top athletes to watch for in the coming seasons of competition.
Check below for the full rankings for the boys Class of 2026. For any questions or thoughts on our recruiting rankings, email signings@milesplit.com.
Disclaimers: Please not that times, marks and national rankings used in the making of this list were strictly based on wind-legal times, unless noted otherwise. Keep in mind, we rank athletes based largely on personal best times or marks and less on head-to-head matchups or championships won, though we have considered both of those variables.
CLASS OF 2026 BOYS RECRUITING RANKINGS
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RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | EVENT | BIO |
| 1 | Bullis School (MD) | Sprints | Wilson has proven this year that not only is he the top sprinter for the freshman class across a variety of distances, but he is also one of the best in the county, regardless of grade. The Bullis School (MD) freshman won the New Balance Nationals Indoor 400m title in a class record of 46.67 and during the indoor season set ninth grade all-time records in the 300m, 400m, 500m and 600m. He continued his success on the outdoor track with a 45.99 runner-up finish in the 400m at New Balance Nationals Outdoor, which ranks at US No. 2 all-time in freshman class history. | |
| 2 | American Heritage (FL) | Sprints | Remember that MileSplit Instagram video of Zamarii Sanders clocking 10.40 (+1.7) in his first-ever high school race at the Louie Bing Invitational in February? Well, we certainly do, and as the second-fastest freshman to ever run the 100m in history, Sanders is one of the next sprint stars to watch for. The American Heritage (FL) ninth-grader would go on to place fifth at the FHSAA 3A State Championships in the 100m and end his season with a 200m PR of 21.15 for the third-best mark in the class in 2023. | |
| 3 | Holliday (TX) | Distance | Strohman took the distance world by storm toward the end of his outdoor season as he not only won both the 1,600m and 3,200m at the UIL Texas Class 3A State Championships, but he also clocked a best of 4:09.23 for the mile to rank second all-time for freshmen in the event. The Holliday (TX) newcomer has certainly shown he has the chops to compete at the national level as he ranks at U.S. No. 1 for the grade in the 1,500m (3:57.52), 1,600m (4:07.84) and mile, as well as fourth in the class for 3,200m (9:11.73). | |
| 4 | Nixa (MO) | Throws | Not only does Jackson Cantwell lead the Class of 2026 in both the shot put and discus, but his top marks compare to some of the top nation leaders for all grades. Cantwell unleashed a massive 64-3.75 for U.S. No. 2 all-time for freshman at the MSHSAA Class 5 State Championships in May. He also threw 191-4 in the discus at the Kansas Relays this season, both of which sit among the top 30 nationally for all classes. | |
| 5 | Somerset Academy (FL) | Sprints | As the only freshman under 21 seconds in the 200m this season, Baker has put the sprint community on notice. The Somerset Academy Pembroke (FL) athlete clocked a U.S. No. 1 20.89 (+1.7) for freshmen at the FHSAA 3A State Championships, which earned him a runner-up finish in his first-ever high school state meet. In total, he's dipped under the 21-second barrier twice this season with legal wind, including a 20.94 (+1.1) effort at his regional championships. Baker also holds a wind-legal personal best of 10.56 (+0.0) to be a top sprint recruit. | |
| 6 | Bloomington (IL) | Pole Vault | Reaching near the 17-foot mark is impressive for any high school boys pole vaulter, let alone a freshman. Whitaker leads the class in the event with a 16-11.15 PR from the AAU Central Illinois District Qualifier and won his first state title this year with a 16-8.75 clearance. Indoors, he also vaulted 16-8 to lead the freshman class as well and took second on the national stage at Nike Indoor Nationals. | |
| 7 | Lake Belton (TX) | Sprints | He first hit the national scene with 200m and long jump age group records at the 2022 AAU Junior Olympic Games, and since beginning his freshman year at Lake Belton, he has put down more impressive efforts on the track. 10.41 (+1.7) for the 100m ranked him second among freshmen this season and also earned his a fourth-place finish at the UIL Texas Class 5A State Championships. Jones recently clocked a 21.05 (+0.7) 200m PR at regionals to rise to second in the class 200m rankings as well. | |
| 8 | American Heritage (FL) | Sprints | Bennett also made his mark in Florida and nationally this season as he holds the third-best 100m mark of the class, with his 10.43 (+1.7) from the Louie Bing Invitational. Bennett would go on to take fifth in the 200m at the FHSAA 3A state meet in a wind-legal season best of 21.39 (+1.7) and eighth in the 100m finals. | |
| 9 | Gar-Field (VA) | Hurdles | Kai-Smith enters our rankings as the top combined sprinter in the Class of 2026, sitting at U.S. No. 2 for the grade in both the 110mH (14.44 -- -1.9) and 300mH (38.07). From Gar-Field High School in Virginia, Kai-Smith earned second in the 300mH and sixth in the 110mH at the VHSL Class 6 State Championships. | |
| 10 | Cleveland (TN) | Distance | Clemons has been on our radar since the cross country season when he clocked a freshmen class lead of 15:01.90 for the 5K. He solidified his place among the top freshmen athletes outdoors when he logged bests of 4:12.84 in the 1,600m, 4:14.42 for the mile and 9:12.75 in the 3,200m, the latter of which won him the first Tennessee state title of his career. | |
| 11 | Heritage Hall (OK) | Jumps | Murphy cleared 6-10 in the high jump to lead freshmen in the event, nearing that elusive 7-0 mark in just his first year as a high schooler. He cleared 6-8 or higher five times this season, including a 6-8 height to win a state title in Oklahoma. He even has skill at the long jump, where he logged a season best of 21-10. | |
| 12 | La Cueva (NM) | Jumps/Sprints | Montano may be the most versatile athlete in the Class of 2026. The rising sophomore from La Cueva (NM) not only leads the class in the long jump by over a foot with his 23-7.75 (+0.0) wind-legal best and state-winning effort from the NMAA 5A championships, but he also has a 200m PR of 21.73 (-0.7) and a 100m best of 10.77. | |
| 13 | Creekside (FL) | Sprints | Out of Creekside (FL), Howell put down solid marks on the track this outdoor season, including a 21.31 (+1.7) best in the 200m to rank fourth in the class. He earned a fourth-place effort in the 200m and a fifth-place finish for the 100m at the FHSAA 4A State Championships | |
| 14 | Southlake Carroll (TX) | Distance | The class leader in the 3,200m at 9:06.49 has been one of the most exciting athletes to watch develop this year in Texas. Leonard has built off momentum from the cross country season to clock a 5,000m outdoor class best of 14:33.51 and a 4:15.02 for the 1,600m this spring. | |
| 15 | Vero Beach (FL) | Hurdles | White leads the Class of 2026 for the 110mH thanks to a 14.34 (-1.7) run from the FHSAA 4A Region 3 Championships. He would go on to earn fifth-place at the FHSAA 4A State Championships. | |
| 16 | Belgrade (MT) | Mid-Distance | The class leader in the 800m, Schmidt has gone a sensational 1:51.31 at the distance, which also earned him a title at his first-ever Montana State Championships. | |
| 17 | Oaks Christian (CA) | Sprints | Redeaux is one of the top sprinters out of California with personal bests of 10.50 (+1.4) and 21.32 (+1.7) for 200m to rank him in the top five for the class in those events. | |
| 18 | Long Beach Poly (CA) | Sprints | Only sitting behind Quincy Wilson on the class 400m rankings, Smith holds a PR of 48.19 from the CIF-Southern Sections Masters meet. | |
| 19 | Hazen (WA) | Hurdles | The top athlete in the class at 300mH leads the way with a 38.03 personal best from the Kingo Championships in May. He would go on to finish third in the event at the Washington State Championships, and has even shown promise at the 400m distance with a PR of 48.88. | |
| 20 | Dover (DE) | Jumps | Cole leapt 45-9.25 (+1.6) for a triple jump win at the Delaware State Championships, which also moved him into the class lead for the event this spring. He also holds a 22-2 (+0.0) wind-legal best in the long jump for fifth among freshmen this spring and took second in the event at the Delaware state meet. | |
| 21 | Christ Church (SC) | Hurdles | At the SCHSL Class 1A State Championships, Hall put down an impressive 55.11 performance for the win in the 400mH, which also ranks him as the top 400m hurdler in the nation for rising sophomores. | |
| 22 | Saint Christopher's (VA) | Pole Vault | 16-1 in the pole vault from the Virginia Prep League Championships ranks him as the second-best vaulter in the Class of 2026 and only the sixth athlete in the class to clear over 16 feet this outdoor season. | |
| 23 | Red Oak (TX) | Sprints | Robinson ranks among the top five 100m athletes in the class behind his 10.47 (+1.1) wind-legal best. He also earned sixth-place in the event at the UIL Texas 5A Championships. | |
| 24 | Warsaw Community (IN) | Jumps | Randall is one of the most consistent high jumpers in the class and sits second this outdoor season among his peers with a 6-9 season best. He's gone over 6-6 three times this spring and cleared 6-7 or higher a total of five times during the winter indoor season. | |
| 25 | Bloomington North (IN) | Mid-Distance | Winders ranks second in the class for the 800m with a stellar 1:52.68 from the IHSAA Boys State Championships, where he earned a runner-up finish. | |
| 26 | Weber (UT) | Jumps/Hurdles | Hamblin can get it done both in the hurdles and the jumps with bests of 14.52 (+0.0) for the 110mH, 38.81 in the 300mH and 22-4 for the long jump. Those marks rank him fourth in the class in the 110mH and sixth for the 300mH. | |
| 27 | West Plains (TX) | Jumps | Williams is the third-best high jumper in the Class of 2026 via his 6-8 PR from the UIL Texas Class 4A State Championships. | |
| 28 | American Heritage (FL) | Throws | Moreau threw a season best of 56-11.25 in the shot put at the FHSAA 3A Regional meet to rank second among shot putters in the Class of 2026. | |
| 29 | Christian Collegiate (MS) | Throws | Fairley's season best of 176-0 in the discus puts him at U.S. No. 2 for the freshman class in 2023. | |
| 30 | Vista Ridge (CO) | Sprints | Dooley has elite-level range across all sprint events with PRs of 10.89 (+1.4) in the 100m, 21.81 (+0.0) at the 200m and 48.44 in the 400m. His 400m best ranks fifth in the nation for the class. | |
| 31 | Horn Lake (MS) | Sprints | Sinegal has bests of 10.55 and 21.81 in the 100m and 200m, ranking in the top 10 for the 100m for the class. | |
| 32 | Richmond Hill (GA) | Hurdles | Joshua has contested both the 300mH and longer 400mH as just a newcomer to the high school scene and ranks U.S. No. 2 for the Class of 2026 in the 400mH at 55.53. He also sits at No. 4 in the 300mH at 38.69. | |
| 33 | Coronado (CO) | Distance | As the third-best 800m runner for the grade, Campos has logged a season best of 1:52.99. | |
| 34 | Sierra Canyon (CA) | Sprints | At 21.37 (+1.5) on the season for 200m, Aguillar-Carnes sits tied with Quincy Wilson for the fifth-best mark in the class this outdoor season. | |
| 35 | Garrison (TX) | Pole Vault | Garvin joins Whitaker and Olsen as the only athletes to hit 16-0 or higher in the pole vault this season for the class. He owns a 16-0 effort. | |
| 36 | Anderson County (TN) | Throws | Dark, who led the class in the shot put during the indoor season, ranked third outdoors with a 56-9 season best. | |
| 37 | Carrollton (GA) | Jumps | Pinkard is the next top recruit at the triple jump, logging a best leap of 45-4 (+1.3) during the Georgia Class 7A State Championships. | |
| 38 | Wester. Central (OH) | Sprints | Young ranks as the third-best 400m talent in the Class of 2026 thanks to a 48.36 effort at his regional championships in May. | |
| 39 | Barrington (RI) | Throws | As the class leader in the hammer throw, Adams leads with a 171-1 best from the RIIL Class B Championships. | |
| 40 | Chelmsford (MA) | Throws | Gray is your class leader in the javelin, launching the implement 175-11 to win the freshman javelin at New Balance Nationals Outdoor. | |
| 41 | Niwot (CO) | Distance | The son of Olympians Alan and Shayne Culpepper and the brother of current NAZ Elite talent Cruz Culpepper, Rocco has certainly carried on the family tradition. He ranks third in the class for the mile at 4:19.26 and also owns PRs of 4:16.13 for 1,600m and 15:18.90 for 5k from the cross country season. | |
| 42 | Liberty Wentzville (MO) | Jumps | Williams marked the second-best long jump of the class this season with a 22-5 (+1.4) best. | |
| 43 | Del Norte (CA) | Distance | Yarborough ran U.S. No. 3 and No. 4 marks in the 1,600m (4:13.04) and mile (4:19.33) for the class this spring. | |
| 44 | ML King (CA) | Distance | Zavaleta has shown promise, particularly in the 3,200m distance with a time of 9:07.50 from this season. That ranks him as the second-best 3,200m racer in the country this season for the grade. | |
| 45 | Massaponax (VA) | Hurdles | Booker has range at both the 110mH and 300mH disciplines, ranking at U.S. No. 3 for the 300mH (38.33). | |
| 46 | Nixa (MO) | Throws | Mays, the teammate to top-ranked Class of 2026 thrower Jackson Cantwell, sits at U.S. No. 2 for the class in the discus, thanks to a 176-0 best from this season. | |
| 47 | Forest Park (VA) | Jumps | As the third-ranked triple jumper for the grade, Makuwa has logged a season best of 44-5.25 (+0.0). | |
| 48 | Hurst Bell (TX) | Sprints | Stewart clocked a 10.36 wind-aided mark for the 100m and 21.24 (no wind reading) at the 200m to log some of the top all-conditions sprint efforts this season. He ran a wind-legal 10.57 (+0.3) 100m at adidas Outdoor Nationals to win the freshman division and then added another win in the 200m with a wind-legal 21.17 (+0.7). That's No. 4 in the class. | |
| 49 | Cedar Falls (IA) | Distance | Merrick sits on the class 1,600m leaderboard at U.S. No. 4 with his 4:14.79 season best. | |
| 50 | Metairie Park Country Day (LA) | Throws | As the second-best javelin thrower in the nation for rising sophomores, Herzenberg marked 170-5.25 this season to win a Louisiana Class 2A state title. |
HONORABLE MENTION
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Note: The honorable mention rankings are ordered based on event discipline, though in no particular order.
RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | EVENT |
| HM | Avon (OH) | Sprints | |
| HM | Mansfield Lake Ridge (TX) | Sprints | |
| HM | St. Vincent Pallotti (MD) | Sprints | |
| HM | Lennard (FL) | Sprints | |
| HM | Long Beach Poly (CA) | Sprints | |
| HM | Epsicopal Academy (PA) | Sprints | |
| HM | Caesar Rodney (DE) | Hurdles | |
| HM | Ann Arbor (MI) | Hurdles | |
| HM | Carson (CA) | Hurdles | |
| HM | ThunderRidge (CO) | Mid-Distance | |
| HM | Yorkville (IL) | Mid-Distance | |
| HM | De Pere (WI) | Distance | |
| HM | Collins Hill (GA) | Distance | |
| HM | Rittman (OH) | Distance | |
| HM | Arlington (OH) | Jumps | |
| HM | Olney Richland County (IL) | Jumps | |
| HM | Central (CA) | Jumps | |
| HM | Wayne (OH) | Jumps | |
| HM | Anoka (MN) | Jumps | |
| HM | Jordan (CA) | Jumps | |
| HM | St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) | Throws | |
| HM | Chaminade (NY) | Throws | |
| HM | Olentangy (MO) | Throws | |
| HM | Avon (IN) | Throws | |
| HM | (AZ) | Throws | |
| HM | Crismon (AZ) | Pole Vault | |
| HM | Bullis School (MD) | Sprints | |
| HM | Owensboro (KY) | Sprints |
CLASS OF 2026:
Boys Class of 2026
First Version (June 22, 2023)
Girls Class of 2026
Second Version (COMING SOON)
CLASS OF 2025:
Boys Class of 2025
Second Version (June 21, 2023)
First Version (Nov. 28, 2022)
Girls Class of 2025
Second Version (COMING SOON)
First Version (Nov. 28, 2022)
CLASS OF 2024:
Boys Class of 2024
Third Version (June 20, 2023)
Second Version (Jan. 8, 2023)
First Version (May 28, 2021)
Girls Class of 2024
Third Version (COMING SOON)
Second Version (Jan. 8, 2023)
First Version (May 28, 2021)
CLASS OF 2023:
Boys Class of 2023
Fifth Update (November 14, 2022)
Fourth Update (June 3, 2022)
Third Update (Nov. 2, 2021)
Second Update (March 25, 2021)
First Version (August 27, 2020)
Girls Class of 2023
Fifth Update (November 14, 2022)
Fourth Update (June 2, 2022)
Third Update (Nov. 1, 2021)
Second Update (March 24, 2021)
First Version (August 27, 2020)
CLASS OF 2022:
Boys Class of 2022
Fourth Update (Dec. 15, 2021)
Third Update (May 5, 2021)
Second Update (Sept. 25, 2020)
First Version (February 27, 2020)
Girls Class of 2022
Fourth Update (Dec. 16, 2021)
Third Update (May 5, 2021)
Second Update (Sept. 25, 2020)
First Version (February 27, 2020)
CLASS OF 2021:
Boys Class of 2021
Third Update (Last updated, Nov. 11, 2020)
Second Update (May 1 2020)
First Version (Nov. 5, 2019)
Girls Class of 2021
Third Update (Last updated, Nov. 11, 2020)
Second Update (May 1, 2020)
First Version (Nov. 5, 2019)
CLASS OF 2020:
Boys Class of 2020
Second Update (Last updated, Nov. 13, 2019)
First Version (May 30, 2019)
Girls Class of 2020
Second Update (Last updated, Nov. 13, 2019)
First Version (May 30, 2019)
CLASS OF 2019:
Boys Class of 2019 (Last updated, Dec. 19, 2018)
Second Update (Mar. 21, 2019)
Girls Class of 2019 (Last updated, Dec. 19, 2018)
Second Update (Mar. 21, 2019)
CLASS OF 2018:
Boys Class of 2018 (Last updated, Nov. 9, 2017)
Re-Ranking The Class of 2018 (July 20, 2021)
Girls Class of 2018 (Last updated, Nov. 9, 2017)
Re-Ranking The Class of 2018 (July 21, 2021)
