In a span of 476 days, 12 Arizona state records were set in the sport of track and field.
Starting in the 2023 season with Phoenix Desert Vista’s Hayden Gorovitz, who is now headed off to Nebraska, in the javelin, and now most recently with Gilbert’s Vance Nilsson in the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, the record books are being rewritten. Nilsson, an incoming freshman at Florida, has put Arizona on the map with his record-breaking spring.
The Arizona Republic recently released its top 50 recruits for the class of 2025 . Next up is the 2026 class, which features three talented sophomores – Phoenix North Canyon’s Rebekah-Jhade Garrett, Laveen Cesar Chavez’s Mayen Usoro and Queen Creek’s Dash Wasson – who are ranked high nationally among their peers as well.
We will start with the first 10, and add another 10 each week until it reaches the 50 top class of 2026 prospects in Arizona. Here is the boys' list:
1. Dash Wasson, Queen Creek, jumps
A premier talent in the pole vault. He’s already up to 16-5. That mark is only one inch off where Cole Riddle was as a sophomore – who would go on to set the state record at 17-7 while as a senior at Surprise Valley Vista in 2017. Wasson will enter next season as the No. 11-returning athlete in the nation. And with Paradise Valley’s Sam Novak expected to push the envelope next season, Wasson could reach great heights as a junior.
2. Symond Martin, Page, distance
Had an all-time sophomore season, running the fastest 3,200-meter time (9:12.09) in state history for his grade since 2000. Got down to 1:57.94 in the 800 and 4:15.30 in the 1,600 meters. Trains at 4,101 feet of elevation up in Page, one of the top distance-running schools in Arizona. The school is historically great in cross-country: the Sand Devils have won 19 state titles on the boys side, including the last two in a row. Martin has a 15:44 5,000-meter personal best. Coached by his father, Tim, a former runner.
3. Rylan Umphrey, Phoenix Brophy Prep, jumps
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Splits his time between football, where he plays quarterback. Umphrey is a rising name in the long jump, producing one of the best marks in state history from a sophomore. Went 22-7.25 in the last meet of the year at the AIA state championships to finish seventh. With Brophy’s history in track and field, Umphrey has all the resources needed to develop as an athlete.
4. Zarian Rodriguez, Chandler Hamilton, distance
He was just barely behind Page’s Martin in the 3,200 meters at the AIA state championships, running 9:12.60 to finish .51 seconds off of him. Rodriguez blasted onto the scene late last year and it really shouldn’t come as a surprise when you consider who his coach is: Mike Scannell, a Tempe McClintock alum, who walked on at ASU and is the former high school coach of Grant Fisher. He recently linked back up with Fisher at the professional level – Fisher just won the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
5. Mason Lombardi, Peoria Liberty, sprints
A two-way dynamic athlete who also plays on the football team. He’s becoming one of the fastest sprinters in his grade. Has personal bests of 10.98 in the 100, 22.14 in the 200 and 49.88 in the 400 meters. He’s in the top 5 for sophomores for each of those events.
6. Deshawn Krein, Phoenix Brophy Prep, sprints
Like his track teammate, Umphrey, Krein plays football as well. He was only able to compete sparingly last season, but made it count when he did. Ran 10.95 for the 100 meters in his season-opening meet and the last meet of the season, the Division I championships. Ran exactly 10.95 three times in the spring.
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7. Tyree McSwain, Gilbert Williams Field, sprints/hurdles
He was the main cog in the Blackhawks winning the Division II team state title with his efforts in the sprints and hurdles. Has run 49.27 in the 400 meters and 15.62 in the 110-meter hurdles and 40.39 in the 300-meter hurdles. With talented coach Kelvin Hunter at the helm, McSwain is in good hands.
8. Alex Bland, Flagstaff, distance
Made a name for himself when he won the AIA Division II state title in cross-country this past fall. Proved himself on the track with a 4:18.46 in the 1,600-meters and a 9:22.85 in the 3,200-meters. Trains in one of the best places on the planet for distance running at Flagstaff, with Trina Painter in charge, who knows how to develop runners.
9. Antonio Para, Goodyear Desert Edge, sprints
A dual-sport athlete who also is on the football team. His 10.94 personal best in the 100 meters was heavily wind-aided at 7.4 meters per second, but he’s run 11.05 before. Para was on the 4x100-meter relay team that ran 40.99, one of the fastest times in state history. Desert Edge is one of the up-and-coming track and field programs in the state with Sharod Selph, a former sprinter at Oklahoma State, leading the charge now.
10. Rico Blassingame, Tolleson Union, jumps
His future is in football as he has already stacked up offers from Washington, ASU and Arizona to name just a few. He was asked by track and field coach Rich Wellbrock to join the team towards the end of the season to help score some points. He was thrown into the high jump. And with literally only a few practices under his belt, Blassingame ended up clearing 6-4 and finished sixth at the AIA state championships. If the 6-foot-3 Blassingame wanted to, he could have a long career in track and field.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, ASU and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe .
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The Republic's Elite 50: Top class of 2026 boys track and field prospects
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