Cross country teams will kick off their postseason with the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference Championships, Saturday at Stanley Park in Westfield.
The girls varsity race starts at 3 p.m., followed by the boys at 3:40.
The race combines Division 1 and Division 2 teams from the PVIAC.
The Western Massachusetts Championships will return to Northfield Recreation Center on Nov. 11. The Division 1 and 2 races will include teams from Berkshire County.
Holyoke is the defending PVIAC boys champion, while Northampton is the defending girls champ.
The 3.1-mile Stanley Park course is flat and offers runners a chance to set personal records.
In the boys race, Amherst Regional junior Jack Yanko is the top favorite. Yanko was second last year behind then-senior Cameron Correia of Holyoke.
Pushing Yanko will be Holyoke’s No. 1 Izaien Lugo, West Springfield’s top harrier Gabe Medina and Northampton’s Ben Gordon-Sniffen.
Lugo was third last year with Medina fourth. Gordon-Sniffen played soccer.
Yanko won three individual races during the regular season, with his best performance on Oct. 17 when he broke Amherst’s school record that stood since 1983.
Amherst, Northampton, Holyoke and West Springfield should all challenge for the top spot. Amherst beat Northampton during the season, while West Springfield handed Amherst its first home loss since 1996. Meanwhile, Holyoke beat West Springfield.
Last year, Amherst was second, followed by Northampton and West Springfield.
Look for Division 2 Frontier Regional, which went undefeated for a second straight season, to make a push for a top-five finish.
In the girls race, Amherst Regional junior Sophia Jacobs-Townsley will look to make it two titles in a row. Jacobs-Townsley has been the top runner all season in the Pioneer Valley.
Last season, Mohawk teammates Jackie Wells and Meghan Davis were second and third, respectively, behind Jacobs-Townsley, who beat Wells by 55 seconds. Davis was 65 seconds back and will look to close that gap. Wells transferred to Mount Greylock.
Amherst, which finished second last year, handed Northampton its lone loss this season. Mary Yount leads the three-time champion Blue Devils. The Hurricanes last won in 2013.
Sophia Prouty leads Hampshire Regional, which was third in 2016. The Raiders went undefeated on the season and will look to crack the top three again.