Who are Wisconsin’s best-ever high school boys track athletes? Vote here

Wisconsin high school track and field athletes are more determined than most throughout the nation, having to work around frigid winters and wet springs to stay in shape for the spring season. As the United State approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports is celebrating the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time . Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country's sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their state and regions.

What's our rubric for determining the “defining” boys track and field athletes in Wisconsin history? Some players became local legends on the high school track but didn't translate that success to college or in the pros. Some blossomed late, and their high school days offered only a hint of their eventual greatness.

How do we compare or measure those things? Our aim: Identifying trailblazers and trendsetter whose influence reaches beyond championships and statistics − and whose stories reflect a lasting impact on their state. Our process is imperfect.

Let us know at the bottom who should be on this list. Paul Annear, Richland Center, (graduated in) 2008 Annear is tied with one other member of this list for the second-most career event state titles in Wisconsin history with eight. The jumping specialist was a four-time high-jump state champion, who at one time held the Division 2 state record with his senior-year jump of 6-foot-11.