ROCHELLE — Around 75 student-athletes are signed up to run track and field for the Rochelle Hubs during the 2025 season, which started with the team’s first official practice on Tuesday.

Rochelle will look for its junior class to emerge after serving as the team’s core last spring. The Hubs are seeking to replace a talented senior class from 2024 that includes IHSA state qualifier Landon Mickley. Rochelle has roughly one month to prepare for its first indoor meet of the year, which will be the Byron Indoor Preview on March 15. The Hubs will also compete at the Gary Egler Invitational in Sycamore on March 19 and the Sterling Warrior Invitational on March 22. 

“We had some great athletes who graduated last year, but seeing who we have coming back, I think we’re going to have a great group of kids who are going to compete and I think we’re going to qualify more events for the state meet,” head coach Dale Bergeson said. “Every event is going to be better this year than it was last year… We started with such a young group a few years ago and they’re starting to get older. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with that.”

Field events are an area Bergeson said the Hubs should be strong in 2025. Junior pole vaulter Andrew Nuyen returns after winning the ITT Indoor State Championship and tying for third in the IHSA 2A State Championship last season. Senior Jack Tilton comes back after a second-place finish in the high jump at the Interstate 8 Conference meet. The Hubs are looking to rebuild in the throwing events, as Mickley led Rochelle in both the shot put and the discus throw in 2024.

“We’re going to be looking for improvements in throwing events and we’ll need to see who can fill in those gaps and score some points for us,” Bergeson said. “I think we’re going to see a lot of depth in our middle-distance events and our sprinters. We may have to pick and choose who goes to certain meets, but I’m excited to see who’s able to rise to the top this season.”

Junior sprinters Caden Goodwin and Reece Harris are expected to take on bigger varsity roles this season. Junior Declan McGee and freshman Tyler Johnson, who were the top runners on the cross country team during the fall, are two names to watch in the distance events this year. 

“I want us to score higher in the conference and my personal goal for us is to qualify for events for the state meet,” Bergeson said. “I want us to do well in the conference and I want us to have a state champion. I want someone who can come up and get on the medal stand this year.”

Rochelle’s outdoor season will begin with a road meet at Morris on Tuesday, April 8. Among the larger events the Hubs are set to compete in are the annual Hub Relays on April 19 and the annual Ogle County Invitational on May 6, both of which will be held at RTHS. Rochelle will also host the Interstate 8 Conference meet on May 16 and the IHSA 2A Sectional on May 21.