Photo: Dan Loughlin/MileSplit
- - -
As the outdoor season approaches, several eighth graders across Maryland have already begun turning heads with standout indoor performances over the past few months
From the fast-twitch sprinters chasing records to the distance runners setting themselves up for high school success, these rising stars are poised to make an immediate impact once they prepare for the high school ranks.
Leila Wiseman, Southern Sprinters Elite Track & Field:
With PBs of 7.63 and 24.27 in the 60m and 200m, Wiseman is the second-fastest eighth grader nationwide in both events, as well as No. 8 and No. 7 in the national record books, and one of the fastest we've seen in recent memory.
Wiseman was phenomenal at The VA Showcase, finishing seventh in the 60m final, and also winning the event at the PUMA New York International Showcase.
As it stands, Wiseman is the No. 9 and No. 7 ranked sprinter in the 60m and 200m in eighth-grade history, and there's still time to move up the list.
Cavan Kootman, Seven Locks Running:
His final year before shifting to the high school ranks, Kootman is already a sub-five miler, and it's not even outdoor season.
A year ago, he had PBs of 2:29.08, 5:20.55, and 10:28.65 in the 800m, 1600m, and 3000m, and he's already lowered them to 2:21.83, 4:57.71, and 10:04.61 this winter.
In state history, only a select few eighth-grade boys have ever broken 5:00 during indoors, and Kootman is the most recent to join the club.
Maxwell Thomas, Firebirds Track Club:
Over the years, Maryland has produced a few of the top distance talents in the country, and it looks like there's another one on the way.
Thomas ran 7.26 (60m) and 23.10 (200m) this winter, and finished in the top three in the eighth-grade division in both events at the PUMA New York International Showcase.
As the No. 2 and No. 4 performer in Maryland's middle school record books, Thomas is ahead of a few stars in both lists, including current Bullis School standout Cameron Homer.
She may not have had as busy an indoor season as some of the other athletes on this list, but Young had a busy weekend last month at The CIRCUIT Philly, where she competed in the 60m, 400m, and the 60mH.
In the prelims of the 60m and 60mH, she notched a pair of PBs, running 8.03 and 9.79, both putting her towards the top of the list in the record books.
Samuel Stribling Jr., 301 Panthers:
Whether he's racing the 60m, 200m, or 400m, Stribling Jr. is at the top of his game and one of the best on the track.
With PBs of 7.46, 23.50, and 52.58, respectively, the eighth-grade sensation has quickly been rising throughout the ranks.
While he sits at No. 3, No. 2, and No. 1 in the sprint trio in the 2026 Maryland eighth-grade lists, he's one of the few athletes nationwide to be ranked in the top-25 in all three, currently sitting sixth and fifth in the 200m and 400m.
Nahla Valentine, Baltimore White Knight Track Club:
As a seventh grader, it wasn't until early July that Valentine surpassed 17-0 in the long jump, and had accomplished the feat twice before the calendar even had a chance to flip to March.
At the Legacy-Indoor Winter Track & Field Showcase and The CIRCUIT Philly, Valentine jumped 17-1.5 and 17-2.25 (Indoor PB) in a pair of runner-up finishes, with the latter good enough to make her the fifth-best middle schooler in the country this season.
She's also one of the 40 eighth-grade girls to ever jump 17-0 or farther, and the third to ever jump 16-0 or better in state history.
Aaron Weems, Stay In Your Lane Track Club:
If this indoor season has proven us anything, it's that our middle school athletes are continuing to become more well-rounded before they even begin their high school seasons.
A prime example of that is Weems, an eighth grader who has performed well in the 60m, 200m, 400m, and 60mH.
Ranked inside the top-15 eighth graders in all three events, as well as being the state leader in the 55m, he's made big improvements after a strong seventh-grade outdoor season, and will almost certainly lower a lot of his PBs between now and the end of the season.
Photo: Dan Loughlin/MileSplit
- - -