​After months filled with a blend of excitement and moments that brought both joy and tears, the spring sports season has officially concluded in the Gainesville area. With the close of the season comes the release of the Gainesville Sun’s All-Area teams. In total, we will unveil 11 All-Area teams across six spring sports: baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, tennis, and track and field. You can view all teams at Gainesville.com/sports/high-school. For each sport, we designate a Player of the Year—the athlete we and the area coaches regard as the best of the season.
But we want to give you, the fans, a chance to weigh in. To accompany each All-Area team, we’re launching Player of the Year polls. Each poll will feature the first-team nominees from the corresponding sport as candidates.
Taking a closer look at the boys track and field and the overall 2026 season, Palatka’s KJ Wright Jr. has earned recognition as the Gainesville Sun boys track athlete of the year. He is pictured on the grounds of Palatka High School in Palatka, Florida, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (Photo by Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun)
The poll below invites you to vote for the best boys track and field athlete of 2026. We released the All-Area track team on Wednesday and named Palatka’s two-time state champion, KJ Wright, as our Player of the Year. Nine nominees are included, and voters may cast as many ballots as they wish. The poll closes at noon on Sunday, July 12.
Please share this poll with family and friends, and congratulations to everyone named to the All-Area teams and to their families for their hard work and achievements this season. Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics along with Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com, and the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X at @Noah_ram1, on Instagram at @Ramreporter, and on Facebook at Noah Ram – Reporter.
This article originally appeared in The Gainesville Sun: Who was the Gainesville area’s best Boys Track and Field athlete in 2026? Vote now to help determine the voting outcomes and enhance visibility for the season’s standout performers.