Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo won the girls discus competition at the 2025 DODEA European Track and Field Championships with a throw of 102 feet 7 inches on May 22, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
When DODEA-Europe athletes step to the starting line this weekend, they will begin the marathon that is the track and field season.
All will be seeking to peak at the right moment — the track at Kaiserslautern High School on May 21 and 22.
One thing’s for certain: Most champions will be new after the graduation or transfer out of a vast majority of last year’s winners.
Here’s a team-by-team breakdown based off coaches’ responses:
The Cougars have brought home Division III European titles three of the past four seasons, but they were either the boys (2025) or the girls (2022 and 2023) — never at the same time.
Ansbach has high hopes this year both teams can put it together, even though many of the 25-person roster are new to track and field.
Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo leads the girls squad. The senior qualified for Euros in the discus, shot put and high jump. She won the discus and made the podium in the shot put by placing fifth.
The boys can bank on the experience of sophomore Ryan Benson. As a freshman, the middle- and long-distance runner competed in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs, placing fifth in the latter.
Sister-brother combo Ailee and Makai Sinclair are expected to fill the void left by the McLaughlin siblings. Both Sinclairs are sprinters and jumpers and should do well.
Also a sprinter and long jumper, Donovan Howard is new to the team.
First-year coach Hannah Lally said the Saints have a large group of talented underclassmen as well as a good group of upperclassmen to guide them.
Senior Kennedy Rose and junior Chanel Graham bring back experience on the girls side, while seniors Kevin Cruz-Rivera and Aiden Gibson and sophomores Carter Riggs, Sawyer Soloman and Zane Taylor are the boy veterans.
New for the girls are five freshmen — Ella Atkinson, Desyrae Hughes, Lydia Marner, Anela McKeown and Chloe Williams. Sophomores Christopher Diaz and Oliver Ryan and freshmen Julius Norris, Nathan Marks and Landon Zamora should have an impact for the boys.
The Buccaneers haven’t claimed a Division III track and field title since 2020, according to coach Dewayne Piggé.
To end that drought, Baumholder is banking four seniors to pace the group that includes nine freshmen.
Four Buccaneers return with Euros experience. Senior captain Gregory Makubaya competed in the high and triple jumps, the latter of which teammate Skylar Cooper also took part. Sophomore Jaylon Bilbrew produced a Top-10 finish in the long jump.
For the girls, senior captain Dariana Luna placed 13th in the long jump. Sara Ross also returns for the Buccaneers.
Joining the squad are upperclassmen Amelia Munyengwe, Leai Vaisagote, Kimberlynn Morgan, Owen Seale, Jaylan Harewood, Bray’Jah Riley and DeWayne Washington. Other newcomers are Alyona Klinzing, Serenity Odoms, Mia Johnson, Bryce Lee Gonzalez, Eli Lee Gonzalez, William Mayo, Aelyn Scott, Louisa Washington and Levi Munyengwe.
The Tigers also could see themselves standing atop the Division III podium come late May thanks to a strong core and a big-time transfer.
Senior captains Kenya Tucker and Jacob Berkau are back after earning silver medals at last year’s European meet in the girls 100 and boys 300 hurdles, respectively. Junior Lucas Gibbs placed sixth in the boys 400, while sophomore Ben Tocco qualified in the mile.
For the girls, sophomore Lena Tocco ran the 1,600 in Kaiserslautern. Others returning are Bella Porto, Ileana Rodriguez and Adrianna Stevenson.
The girls get a major boost in Vilseck transfer Mazie Lorcher. The senior finished second in both the 400 and 800 races at Euros.
Joe Cole is a newcomer expected to have an impact for the boys.
A powerhouse on the track this decade, the Raiders swept the boys and girls Division I crowns in 2025 by 62 and 36 points, respectively.
Repeating that feat in 2026 may be difficult, but people can’t count out coach Jason Steadman’s squad.
While sprinters and hurdlers have helped Kaiserslautern amass points in years past, the boys team will turn to the middle- and long-distance runners to lead the way.
Senior Collin Higgins is back after placing second and third in the boys 400 and 800 races, respectively. He also will play a role on multiple relays.
Junior Emilio Geraci qualified for the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 at last year’s European meet, collecting two Top-10 finishes. He picked up right where he left off during the cross country season, and his coach said Geraci should be a force in the long-distance races.
The two will be supplemented by Jaden Dean. The sophomore transferred from South Carolina and had an immediate impact on the cross country team.
Olivia Seeblinder will carry the flag for the sprinters, especially the girls. The senior took fourth and sixth in the 400 and 200 dashes at last year’s Euros. Irene Lutz also gives the Kaiserslautern girls program some experience.
Sophomore Isabel Ramierz-Ortiz lets her blazing kicks to the finish line do the talking for her and should experience success in her first season as a Raider.
The throwers also could be a strength this spring. Junior Rylee Baker seeks to take the next step after earning silver in both the girls discus and shot put.
Seniors Floris Van Kampen and Noah Wagner are contenders in the boys events as well. Van Kampen placed fifth in the shot put and qualified in the discus, while Wagner also got some Euros experience in the shot put.
Juniors Garrett Vitter and Alex McBride and sophomore Ryan Kosterman are prospects for the future who might turn heads this campaign, as well.
The Spartans have the experience and newcomers to put together a special season.
Sixteen SHAPE returners have qualified for Euros in the past, many of whom participated in the relays that produced four Top-5 finishes.
A couple of multiyear European runners lead the way. Senior Tudor Varvari has three final meet appearances under his belt, including an eighth-place finish in last year’s boys 400 race.
Fellow senior Logan Kimbrough was a part of the champion 4x100 relay team in 2024 and qualified in the 100 and 200 last year.
Senior Maria Claudia Lupulesasa advanced to Kaiserslautern in the girls 300 hurdles, while junior Wiktoria Rybka ran the 400. Senior Kairi Hall is a two-time Euros qualifier in the girls discus.
On the boys side, junior Samuel Pattenden and senior Mario Gonzalez are back after making it to Euros in the 300 hurdles.
Other finals veterans are seniors Franky Gonzalez and Jack Norris, juniors Lincoln Coley, William Smith and Michael McGlothlin and sophomore Tyce O’Donnell for the boys and junior Kennady Ruddell and sophomores Elia Guerrero and Chloe Kimbrough for the girls.
Transfers make the Spartans even more intriguing.
Junior Cassandra Jarzabek won everything there was to win in the Pacific while at Humphreys, South Korea, claiming crowns in the half mile, mile, two mile and 4x800 relay at the Far East meet. She holds the records in the 800 and 1,600.
For the boys, the Beaulieu brothers of sophomore Will and freshman Samuel transferred from Ontario, Canada. There, Will Beaulieu won the Ottawa Conference 100 hurdles championship.
The Jaguars begin their post-Rickalia Goss era with lots of potential, new head coach Samuel Werlinich said.
Sigonella has one veteran with Euros experience in Kane DeFrees. The sophomore qualified in the 110 hurdles, where he placed 10th.
Others returning are Kaleb James, Kalem Lawerence, Aidan Mackay, Evan Caraveo, Elias Dunn, Vaughn Dimapilis, Robert Gibbons, Sean Rivers, Weston Frank, Isiah Calleja, Neele Muhlberg, Alessa Merritt and Tess Martinsen.
New to the team are Cameo Doblack, Mozi, Okechukwu, Maeva Mackay, Aiyana Fernandez, Sophia Roman, Eli Martinsen and Lincoln Dry.
The Cougars enter this spring trying to defend their Division II boys crown, while the girls will seek improvement.
The boys have a solid group of returners who ran relays at the 2025 Euro meet. The entire 1,600 sprint medley relay team Jarrell Wing Jr., Kamdyn Crenshaw, Baedynn Morehouse and Eli Carrasco is back after placing seventh. The quartet also qualified in the 4x100.
Morehouse and Liam Miguel took part in the first-place 4x400 relay team.
Other veterans include Kolton Riley, Jack Findlay, Luca Stutgart, Dylan Horrigan, Kamaryi Crenshaw and Jaden George.
Junior Mia Boswell can build off a 2025 season that saw her reach Euros in the high jump and place 10th. She and Riley Brewington participated in the 4x100 relay squad that finished eighth last season.
Taylor Kirsch and Aurellia Townsend finished seventh in the sprint medley relay, and Carolina Ramos and Lilla Morris return as the lead and anchor legs of the girls 4x800 relay, which came in eighth place.
Others returning for the girls are Kayla Lubba, Suri Newberry, Nalani Ventura-Reyes, Lily Grady, Lauren Cuellar and Audrey Dokos.
Vicenza has 38 newcomers who will push for spots.
The Warriors have plenty of reasons to believe they can push their counterparts in the boys and girls competitions.
It starts with Alanna Donahue. The junior claimed the triple and long jump crowns as a sophomore, and she creates a great one-two punch in relays events with fellow junior Lana Winters, who finished runner-up in both the 100 and 200 dashes. The duo were the final two legs of the second-place 4x100 relay quartet.
Sophomore Carmen Lima also is back for more after just missing out on advancing out of the 400 preliminary race in ninth place.
Freshman Aubrey Dent transferred from Georgia and is making waves in the preseason.
In the throwing events, sophomore Aoife Wallin put DODEA-Europe on notice last spring when she placed fourth in the shot put. She will be looking to move her way up the podium.
And seniors Natalia Deaton and Teagan Osborne are back and seeking a podium placement in the discus.
For the boys, jumper Liam Ortiz and sprinter Alexander Varela both got a taste of Euros last season. Ortiz, a junior, placed seventh in the long jump, while Varela qualified with the 4x100 relay team.
Newcomer Michael Dozier should make some noise as well.
Sophomore Egon Gonzalez-Escalante could bounce on everybody’s radar this season.
As for throwers, Wiesbaden has a pair of Top-5 finishers coming back in senior Matthew Deich (shot put) and junior Michael Carbone (discus). The duo are looking to break school records as well as standing atop the podium in May.
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