The South Hadley girls track & field team is back where it started.
A year ago, the Tigers won the District F&G Division 2 championship. That title served as a springboard for the program, which won its first PVIAC indoor championship in February.
When this season’s district championship gets underway, Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Mohawk Trail in Buckland, South Hadley will be the target.
“I think everyone knows what we have,” South Hadley coach Nick Davis said. “We got to the point where people know we’ll be strong in the relays and what we have coming out of the field. We’ll have a body in every event, it’s just a matter of how they perform. I don’t think there will be any surprises.”
The Tigers have a combination of top-end talent and depth, which could make them tough to beat. It also made it a challenge to determine what events athletes would compete in.
“Writing a lineup was difficult,” Davis said.
Lindsay Marjanski is the top seed in the high jump (5 feet, 4 inches) and second seed in the 200-meter dash (26.71 seconds). Her sister Paige is tied for the top seed in long jump (16-5) and is third in triple (34-2).
Defending champ Savannah Sudyka owns the top mark in the shot put at 37-8½, more than four feet further than second seed Gabby Shean of Mohawk.
Meanwhile, Maddie Doolittle is third in the 400 hurdles (1:12.02) and Sarah Fudger third in 800 (2:26.61).
Whether the Tigers are trailing or leading entering the relays, they have a chance to close strong.
South Hadley is seeded first in both the 4×100 and 4×400, and is second in the 4×8.
“It’s nice knowing (the relays are there) because at the end of the meet we have 28-30 points on paper,” Davis said. “We have an opportunity to score a handful of points. It keeps the kids going and they get up for the relays.”
Hampshire Regional could do well.
Jillian Scott is ranked No. 1 in the pole vault (9-1), while Bri Salomao is in a four-way tie for the long jump top seed at 16-5.
Katelyn Pickunka is tied for second in the high jump (5-0), Hannah Labrie is second in 100 hurdles (16.4) and Lovisa Swedenborg is in a four-way tie for second in the 100 (12.8).
Frontier Regional’s Olivia Vecellio is the top seed in the discus (100-4). Teammates Alexa Boyden (98-2) and Reilly Isler (97-10) go 3-4 in the javelin. Boyden is third in the shot put (33-¼).
In the boys championship, South Hadley’s Nick Lajoie is second in the 400 hurdles (59.62) and third in the 110 hurdles (16.5). Teammates Joe Werenski (2-mile, 10:19.62) and Luke Petrosky (800, 2:04.49) are both second. Clayton Koppi is third in the javelin (143-7).
For Frontier Regional, Jack Vecellio is second in the pole vault (12-0), Carsten Carey is second in the mile (4:40.1) and third in the 2-mile (10:23.8), while Brandyn Robinson (53.6) and Ben Litskoski (53.7) go 2-3 in the 400.
Meet organizers announced on Thursday that due to Saturday’s forecast, the D-1 championships were postponed to Monday at 4 p.m. at Holyoke.
Amherst Regional and Northampton should make noise in both the boys and girls championship.
In the boys meet, the defending champion Blue Devils have a number of top individuals as well as strong relays.
Cole Lavalle is seeded first in the 400 hurdles (59.5) and second in the 400 (51.12). He won both events last year.
Christian Hodgson (200, 22.7) and Nick Peterson (mile, 4:29.98) are also seeded first.
Benjamin Gordon Sniffen (800, 1:57.34) and Philip Hempstead (2-mile, 9:54.17) are second. Michael Dean (mile, 4:32.37) and Ethan Cooper (400, 52.27) are each third.
Amherst, which was runner-up to Northampton last season, will make a push behind top seeds Zack Ellis (javelin, 183-2), Jack Yanko (2-mile, 9:53.4) and Aiden Foucault Etheridge (800, 1:56.1).
Ellis is the defending champ.
Devin Dixon (110 hurdles, 15.95) and Junior Pontes da veiga (100, 11.2) are each seeded third.
If the championship comes down to the relays Northampton and Amherst are in good position.
The Hurricanes are the top seed in both the 4×800 and 4×400, and is third in the 4×100. Northampton is second in the 4×400, third in the 4×8 and sixth in the 4×1.
In the girls championship, the Blue Devils and Hurricanes will battle it out in the distance events.
Amherst’s Sophia Jacobs-Townsley is the defending champ and top seed in both the mile (5:04.61) and 2-mile (10:54.31).
In the mile, Northampton’s Mary Yount is second (5:12.81) with teammates Rosie Ingmann (5:25.75) and Peyton Pettiford-Rowan (5:37.59) third and fifth. Amherst’s Maddie Shea is fourth (5:34.59).
In the 2-mile, Yount is second (11.38.8) followed by Amherst’s Zada Forde (12:00.7) and Ingmann (12:08.4).
Also for Northampton, Adele Jordan is second in two events (triple jump, 34-5¼; 400 hurdles, 1:10.73), while Emma Harder is first in 200 (25.63) and second in the 100 (12.4).
For Amherst, Julia Hopley (800, 2:22.74) and Isabela Shepard (400, 61.1) are seeded second.
Hamp and Amherst are strong in the relays as well.
Amherst is first in both the 4×800 and 4×400, while Northampton is second in all three relays.