Largest Waukon boys track team in recent history has trio of State Meet competitors, pair of medalists in nine returning letterwinners


Waukon boys track returning letterwinners ... Left to right - Front row: Nathan O’Neill, Brody Berns, Jack O’Neill, Noah Hatlan; Back row: Lincoln Snitker, Logan Delaney, Ashton Wohlfeil, Braxton Stewart. Not pictured: Nash Pearson.

Waukon boys track juniors and seniors ... Left to right - Front row: Cael Rethwisch, Ayden Blake, Brock Bockman, Ethyn King-Marshall; Second row: Ethan Hooten, Cullen Dickson, Nate Keenan, Josh Keenan, Riley Palmer, Evan O’Neill, Nathan O’Neill, Carson Lonning, Sean Bieber, Isaac Cooper; Third row: Tyler Jones, Mason Kelly, Logan Lubahn, Noah Hatlan, Jakob Regan, Tanner Marting, Corbyn Palmer, Cade Kelly, Isaac Roe; Back row: Lincoln Snitker, Elliott Kooiker, Braden Hemann, Logan Delaney, Ashton Wohlfeil, Braxton Stewart, Hunter O’Neill. Not pictured: Milan Byrnes, Kaelin Crawford, Tucker Jackson, Nash Pearson, James VanderVelden.

Waukon boys track freshmen and sophomores ... Left to right - Front row: Ethan Gibbs, Isaac Reisinger, Ryland Egan, Ethan Baker, Pryson Rasmussen, Matthew Miller, Hayden Dahlstrom, John Blake, Holten Palmer, Max Jones; Second row: Caleb Helgerson, Damon Berger, Preston Dietrich, Judah Johnson, Garrison Byrnes, Carson Hager, Graine Curtin, Kaden Sullivan, McKinley Rostvold; Third row: Connor Cahoon, Jacob Courtney, Kaedyn Anderson, Isaac Ericson, Skyler Dugan, Ethan Kelly; Back row: Brody Gress, Dylan Flack, Kole McCormick, Shawn Martin, Mason Wasson, Lucas Byrnes, Brody Berns, Jack O’Neill. Not pictured: Jaxon Brinkman, Talon Hutchens and Brandon Teslow.

The 2022 Waukon boys track team will field one of its largest fields in recent memory, as 71 young men have reported for early-season duty this spring. That largest in recent memory number, however, will only be headlined by nine returning varsity letterwinners from last season, but within those returning veterans lies some considerable accomplishment at the highest level of Iowa high school track and field competition.

“That is the most I can remember being out in the last 25 years,” Waukon boys track coach Ted Snitker said of this season’s sizable group of competitors.

Of this season’s nine veteran returnees, nearly half of them are the most experienced a high school track and field competitor compete can be, as four seniors pace that experience level in Logan Delaney, Lincoln Snitker, Braxton Stewart and Ashton Wohlfeil. The junior trio of Noah Hatlan, Nathan O’Neill and Nash Pearson, and the sophomore pair of Brody Berns and Jack O’Neill round out this year’s letterwinning returnees.

“As always, we expect our letterwinners and upperclassmen to lead our practices and meets, especially early in the year,” Coach Snitker said. “The young guys and new guys need that leadership as they start to get their feet wet. As the season progresses, and those new ones become more comfortable, we still expect our letterwinners to lead, but more by what they are trying to accomplish themselves and how they compete. Whether that be the best finish they can achieve in the Northeast Iowa Conference Meet, our Indian Relays, or be it a chance to run down at the State Meet.”

Among that veteran group are three competitors who not only bring back multiple years of experience but whose efforts last season allow them to bring back the ultimate experience of competing at that State Track and Field Meet in Des Moines. Nathan O’Neill not only returns as a State Meet qualifier in the 3200 meter run from last spring, but also carries with him the experience of back-to-back State Meet qualification in cross country each of the past two falls, along with Delaney.

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