The 2026 Boys D2 Indoor Track and Field Championships resume Sunday morning at Plymouth State University. The remaining field events, Long Jump and Shot Put, will kick things off at 9:00am while the 3000 meters will begin the track events at 9:30am. Obviously, we cannot thank enough the leadership of the NHITL, NHIAA, NH Officials, Plymouth State and Lancer Timing for making this not only possible, but an example of how state meets should be held.
As always NHTF will be there to livestream track and field events, snap pics, and provide social media coverage for the day.
Expect this to be an exciting 3 hours filled with incredible competition, awesome celebrations, records potentially broken and champs being crowned. The final seeds have been out since Wednesday, so let’s take a deeper look at both the team and individual competition.
Team Championship
Compared to the girls D2 meet where one program should be dominant, on paper, it seems to the battle on the boys side will be a classic indoor battle of 2 different teams. One team with a few stars who could rack up the points in their events versus one team who will spread points across most events. Souhegan and Coe-Brown are those two teams with Oyster River lurking as a potential disruptor.
Souhegan boasts elite sprint/jump talent led by Brody Smith (6.66) and John Katsel (6.73) in the 55m while also fielding the fastest 4×200 relay in Division II at 1:15.24. Smith is already the D2 HJ champ! Their ability to score across sprints, relays, hurdles and jumps gives them one of the meet’s highest ceilings. Coe-Brown counters with distance depth and points sprinkled across a number of events. CBNA will hope to score a cluster of points in the 3000m and 1500m. They also enter as the top seed in the 4×400 (3:38.02) and the 2nd seed in the 4×200 (1:18.67). Add hurdle favorite Brogan Grzybowski (8.02), and Coe-Brown has the scoring diversity required to challenge for the crown.
Oyster River should pile up points in the middle-distance and distance events, led by Oliver Lehman, seeded first in the 3000 (8:51.82) and second in the 1500 (4:09.10). Their relays and long jump presence could provide crucial supplemental scoring.
If Souhegan’s speed dominates and Coe-Brown’s distance crew performs to form, this could become a razor-tight championship decided in the relays.
Sprints & Hurdles
The 55 meter spotlight shines brightest on Gavin Buxton of Bow, whose 6.52 seed makes him the clear favorite. Souhegan’s Smith and Pelham’s Osinachi Nwabueze are the primary contenders, while Con-Val’s Ross Stephens will begin his day on his quest for sprint king status. Expect a blazing final where hundredths separate the podium.
Stephens will return in the 300 meters as the heavy favorite with a standout 34.24 — over a second ahead of most of the field. Souhegan’s Smith (35.53) also returns as does and Hollis/Brookline’s Andrew Desmarais (36.22). They along with Kingswood’s Ewan Nicoll (36.25) look like the primary challengers, but if Stephens runs to seed, this may be one of the meet’s more decisive victories.
Coe-Brown’s Brogan Grzybowski enters as top seed in the High Hurdles at 8.02. Pelham’s Brady O’Connor (8.29) and Sanborn’s Jacob Gonzalez (8.36) appear best positioned to challenge.
Middle Distance
Monadnock’s Peyton Joslyn brings in the top seed at 2:35.40 in the 1k and will likely dictate the race tempo. Milford’s Grant Skorupan and St. Thomas’ Oliver Schartner remain within striking distance, setting up a classic championship race which could hinge on the final lap. Plymouth’s George Sutherland seems to be best positioned to take 4th or even crash the top 3 party seeded at 2:42.64.
The 600 meters could produce one of the day’s best tactical battles. Hollis/Brookline’s Jacob Hoesch sits comfortably atop the field at 1:25.31, while St. Thomas teammates Aaron Hughes and Dominic LaRose lurk nearby. Kingswood’s Evan Thurston (1:29.74) leads the chase pack in what should be a fast, aggressive final. There are two variables to consider here. Hoesch is also in the 300, the next event. Expect him to give a measured effort, enough to win but not set any records. Then we have a slew of 7 athletes seeded within 2 seconds of each other, 1:29.04 to 1:30.79. This will be a great event!
Distance
Distance fans should circle this 3000 meters. Lehman’s drop in the season’s final 3k to 8:51.82 gives him the nod as the favorite and has been racing real well the last few weeks, but Coe-Brown’s Patrick Youngs (8:57.71) and Samuel Youngs (9:02.13) form a formidable duo. Team tactics may become a storyline here with OR’s Levi Clapp, CBNA’s Broden Cox and Souhegan’s Jacob Spencer all seeded in the top 6. Team implications are high!
Balance and intrigue usually defines the 1500 and this year is no different as all the major players stayed in this event. Who will be the freshest as most are doubling back. Will those who are actually fresh, racing the 1500 as their first event, make a large impact in this one? The top 3 seeds sees Milford’s Skorupan (4:08.88) as the top seed with Oyster River’s Lehman (4:09.10) and Monadnock’s Joslyn (4:10.90). Although Lehman will have a 3k in his legs from the start of the meet, Joslyn and Skorupan will have battled each other in the 1k and will be on shorter rest. CBNA’s Youngs brothers are the next 2 seeds along with Clapp and all will be coming back from the 3k. Our first “fresh” of the seeds is Plymouth’s Tate Hayman racing on his home track, and don’t sleep on CBNA’s Ben Larson either. How this race develops will be key. Will the fresh athletes attempt to make this an honest effort or will this be a sit and kick affair with fireworks over the last 300 meters?
Relays
The Black Bears of Coe-Brown hold the top seed at 3:38.02, but St. Thomas Aquinas (3:43.99) and Kingswood (3:43.88) remain within range. Coe-Brown will be hoping to establish an insurmountable lead in the team competition by the end of this one.
Souhegan’s eye-popping 1:15.24 seed in the 4×200 stands far ahead of the field, with Coe-Brown (1:18.67) and Monadnock (1:19.47) chasing. If the Sabers execute clean handoffs, this could be a pivotal momentum swing in the team standings. Souhegan will be quite happy if the meet comes down to the final event.
Long Jump & Shot Put
Pelham’s Osinachi Nwabueze leads the field with a massive 22-03.50, narrowly ahead of Souhegan’s Katsel (22-00.00). Belmont’s Brock Smith (20-10.00) rounds out the top contenders. Expect a duel beyond 22 feet, especially at the long-jump-friendly Plymouth State!
Mascoma Valley’s Barnaby Diehn towers over the competition with a 53-04.75 seed — the only thrower beyond 50 feet. Belmont’s Brady Filteau, John Stark’s Grant Spooner and Mascoma Valley’s Colin Myers comprise the “chase” group all in the 47-foot range.
Good luck to all!
