As the clouds begin to break and the rain comes and goes, the Butler County area’s track and field teams will be competing on the oval and beyond. The area has consistently churned out top talent in the sport.

Let’s take a look at who is primed to shine this season. These are the top boys athletes to watch, listed alphabetically:

Butler's Nicco Baggetta threw a personal best of 188-11 in the javelin last year and later earned silver at the WPIAL Track and Field Championships. Butler Eagle file photo

Morgan Phillips

Baggetta was the WPIAL Class 3A runner-up in the javelin last season (187 feet, 2 inches). His personal best throw of 188-11 is second on the Golden Tornado’s all-time list.

Rockets coach Tom Meling said he expects Doerflinger to “be in the hunt for a trip to states in the 800 meters as well as running the 1,600.”

Butler’s Carter Ekas anchored the Tornados 4x400 team and secured the win with a split time of 48.18 seconds and overall time of 3:20.43 in the WPIAL Track and Field Team Championship semifinals on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at Butler High School's Art Bernardi Stadium. Butler Eagle file photo

Rob McGraw

Ekas won the 200 and 400 meters at last month’s TSTCA Indoor Championships, with 22.28-second and 49.81-second marks, respectively. The former is a personal-best for him, according to athletic.net, while he also anchored the Golden Tornado’s 4x400 relay that set the WPIAL record last year.

Butler's Brendan Eicher finished second in the boys 1-mile with a time of 4:17.50 in the PTFCA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at Penn State University. Submitted photo

Eicher won the mile at the TSTCA Indoor Championships last month (4:25.01) and ran even better times at the PTFCA Championships and the New Balance Nationals indoor meet. By posting a 4:17.50 effort at the state indoor meet, Eicher finished as the runner-up to La Salle College High School’s Bobby Franklin (4:16.67).

Knoch’s Carter French took eighth place with a time of 16:25.6 at the Red, White & Blue Cross-Country Classic held Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at White Oak Park in White Oak, Pa. Butler Eagle file photo

Rob McGraw

French, who placed sixth in the PIAA Class 2A cross country meet last year, runs the 1,600 and 3,200 for the Knights.

Seneca Valley’s Dakari Payne celebrates after winning the Class 3A boys high jump with a height of 6-05.00 during a jump off with in the WPIAL Track and Field Championships on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at Slippery Rock University's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. Butler Eagle file photo

Rob McGraw

Payne pinned up marks of 6-3 in the high jump, 19-8 in the long jump and 43-11.5 in the triple jump during this indoor season. He earned gold in the high jump at last year’s WPIAL Class 3A title meet via a jump-off.

Planets coach Julianna Watenpool described Schroder as an “all-around sprinter” and believes he’s ready to fill the shoes of Mars’ top dog in such events. By running a time better than 11.35 seconds in the 100 meters, Schroder qualified for the New Balance Nationals outdoor meet as a freshman.

Union-Allegheny Clarion Valley’s Logan Skibinski took fourth place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.08 seconds in the District 9 Track and Field Championships to qualify for the PIAA Track and Field Championships on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Brookville High School. Butler Eagle file photo

Rob McGraw

Skibinski has posted a 10.8-second time in the 100 meters and also runs on the Falcons’ 4x400 relay along with Aidan Fox, Nick Ielase and Michael Yerkey.

North Catholic’s Jack Steineman (3300) took first place with a time of 15:32.9 in the Red, White and Blue Classic boys 2A cross country meet on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at White Oak Park, Allegheny County. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

Steineman set the state sophomore record in the 3,000 meters (8:30.83) at the state indoor meet earlier this month, according to North head coach Tim Souders. He’ll aim to build off a freshman campaign in which he qualified for states in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.