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Mentor's Aidan Shiels, shown winning the boys 800-meter run during the Division I Austintown-Fitch Regional, is the 2025 News-Herald boys track and field athlete of the year. (Brian Fisher - for The News-Herald)
Mentor’s Aidan Shiels, shown winning the boys 800-meter run during the Division I Austintown-Fitch Regional, is the 2025 News-Herald boys track and field athlete of the year. (Brian Fisher – for The News-Herald)
UPDATED:

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Aidan Shiels

Mentor, senior

Amid a challenging selection year on the boys side given the depth and quality across all divisions, Shiels rendered the 2025 News-Herald boys track and field athlete of the year selection anything but. That one was easy. The Mentor senior was Division I state runner-up in the 800-meter run and anchored the Cardinals to a fourth in a red-hot D-I 4×800 final in Columbus. Both were in News-Herald coverage area all-time record-breaking time, a 1:52.13 in open 8 and Mentor going 7:42.20 in 4×8. The former was the program’s first state top four in boys open 8 since 1977 and second overall. Shiels set the coverage area open 8 standard two straight weekends, going 1:52.35 at the D-I Austintown-Fitch Regional to surpass the prior mark held by St. Joseph’s Barry Pajcic since 1974 before the 1:52.13 at state. The Cardinals’ 4×8 shattered that coverage area mark by more than two seconds that had stood since 2016.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Phil Gasper, Euclid

It’s not as if the Panthers weren’t still generating state qualifiers in the last decade. But there is no question that numbers and the Euclid we all admire locally wasn’t quite to the standard it had been. After the last two seasons? It’s back. The Panthers’ 4×8 advanced to state this spring for the first time since 1984 and third time overall. Their 4×4 got to state for the first time since 2009 and peaked beautifully, breaking the all-time News-Herald coverage area record with a 3:15.29 as it took third in D-I. Gasper has done wonders to transform the program — particularly in middle distance — and instill belief across the board to a much more recognizable iteration of Euclid boys track and field.

FIRST TEAM

(in alphabetical order; S: state, R: regional, D: district)

Billy Dennison, Sr., Mentor

S (D1): 4th 4×8, 8th 3,200, R: 1st 4×8, 4th 3,200

John Gibson, Jr., VASJ

S (D2): 1st 4×1, 7th 4×4, 15th 200, R: 1st 4×1

Caleb Hewitt, Sr., Chardon

S (D1): 9th 100, 10th 200, R: 3rd 200, 4th 100

Thomas Lodowski, So., University

S (D1): 3rd 800, R: 2nd 800, 5th 4×8, D: 1st 800

Tommy Mooney, Sr., Chagrin Falls

S (D2): 6th 1,600, 15th 3,200, R: 3rd 1,600, 5th 3,200

Matthew Penkowski, Jr., Mentor

S (D1): 4th 4×8, 8th 1,600, R: 1st 4×8, 3rd 1,600

Josh Porter, Jr., Riverside

S (D1): 7th shot, R: 2nd shot, D: 1st shot

Ryan Radkowski, Sr., Madison

S (D1): 8th shot, 16th discus, R: 2nd discus, 7th HJ

Traxton Richards, Fr., Perry

S (D2): 2nd PV, 10th 4×1, R: 1st PV, 6th 4×4

Ethan Stein, Jr., Gilmour

S (D2): 4th discus, 10th shot, R: 5th discus, 6th shot

SECOND TEAM

(in alphabetical order; S: state, R: regional, D: district)

Lars Broberg, Sr., Gilmour: S (D2) — 14th 100, 16th 400

Dominic Burns, Jr., Mentor: S (D1) — 9th 110h, R — 6th 4×1

Armani Chiappone, Sr., Perry: S (D2) — 4th HJ, 10th 4×1

Malik Hogan, Jr., Euclid: S (D1) — 3rd 4×4, 12th 4×8

John Jordan, Sr., Euclid: S (D1) — 3rd 4×4, R — 7th 400

Kyndall McCaleb, Jr., Riverside: S (D1) — 14th 4×2, 16th LJ

Levi Mullen-Zurbrugg, Sr., Harvey: S (D1) — 11th shot, R — 8th discus

Mark Poje, Jr., Riverside: S (D1) — 9th shot, R — 5th shot

Mario Seats, Sr., Euclid: S (D1) — 3rd 4×4, 12th 4×8

Max Soltis, Sr., Cardinal: S (D3) — 7th discus, R — 9th shot

THIRD TEAM

(in alphabetical order; S: state, R: regional, D: district)

Ardell Chatman, Jr., VASJ: S (D2) — 1st 4×1, R — 6th 100

King Duke, So., Euclid: S (D1) — 12th 4×8, R — 4th 4×8

Ethen Eudell, Jr., Harvey: S (D1) — 17th 300h, R — 4th 300h

LaJuan Hamelin, Jr., Euclid: S (D1) — 3rd 4×4, R — 8th 400

Maurice Hereford, Sr., Euclid: S (D1) — 12th 4×8, R — 4th 4×8

Jeremiah Martin, Sr., VASJ: S (D2) — 1st 4×1, 7th 4×4

Michael Maynard, Jr., Mentor: S (D1) — 4th 4×8, R — 9th 1,600

Donald Shymske, Sr., Geneva: R (D1) — 6th 800, D — 3rd 800

Caleb Stein, Sr., Lake Catholic: R (D2) — 7th LJ, D — 3rd LJ

Levi Turell, Sr., Beachwood: S (D2) — 12th 400, R — 5th 400

HONOR ROLL

Andrews Osborne: Shiven Patel, Beachwood: Peter Adobamen, Benedictine: Corde Blair, Berkshire: Nathan Fultz, Brush: Damar Bradford, Cardinal: Mason Thistlethwaite, Chagrin Falls: Kelan Byrne, Chardon: Joshua Calzada, Cornerstone Christian: Cairo Crosby, Euclid: Sincere Hamilton, Fairport: Isaac Robinson, Geneva: Joseph Pecore, Gilmour: Aiden McNamara, Harvey: Eryck McClain, Hawken: Kayden Parker, Kenston: Matthew Collins, Kirtland: Charlie Vignero, Lake Catholic: Jimmy Gibbons, Madison: Owen Bottar, Mayfield: Brian Cureton III, Mentor: Robert Knutson, NDCL: Brennen Burke, North: Brayden Sandstrom, Perry: Xavier Jackson, Richmond Heights: Jordan Lewis, Riverside: Colin Borris, South: Marquez Lashley, University: Jack O’Neill, VASJ: Davion Taylor, West Geauga: Jacob Williams, Wickliffe: Niko Garrison

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