Maria Snyder, Matt Dull and Michael Young had good days at last year's District 5 Track and Field Championships, and they are back and looking for more when this year's meet is held on Wednesday at Northern Bedford's Panther Community Stadium.
In fact, they are looking for a lot more.
Snyder is seeded first in three individual distances races and as part of Northern Bedford's 3200 girls relay team, while Chestnut Ridge's duo of Dull and Young are the boys to beat in two individual events.
The seedings were released Monday night, and the meet is slated to begin at 3 p.m. All the teams are Class AA.
Snyder, a junior, set meet records last year in the 1600- and 3200-meter runs before going on to grab a silver medal at states in the two-mile. She's favored heavily in both of those races again this year and also has a slight edge over Bedford's Carrie Baker for the top seeded time in the 800, in which she placed second last year.
Snyder isn't the only area girl seeded at the top in multiple events. Everett's Theole Feuillet is ranked atop the field in the shot put and the discus, but she figures to be challenged by Tussey Mountain's Carlee Bussard in both of those events. Bedford, meanwhile, is the top seed in the 400 and 1600 relays.
Northern Bedford's Nicole Batzel (pole vault), Tussey's Allyson Gearhart (300 hurdles), Chestnut Ridge's Jarica Seese (long jump) and Everett's Sarah Steckman (javelin) round out the area girls with No. 1 seeds, while Northern Bedford's Leah Hershberger is seeded second in three individual events. Only the winner and any performer meeting the state qualifying standard advance to next weekend's PIAA championships.
On the boys side, Dull is trying to improve on a district meet in which he won the 110 hurdles and met the state qualifying time in the 300 hurdles on his way to a fifth-place medal at states. Dull is the favorite in both those events on Wednesday and is seeded second to Northern Bedford's Trenton Barnes in the 200 dash. Ridge's 400 relay team is a top seed, also.
Young, meanwhile, won the triple jump and placed second in the long jump at districts in 2011 before placing seventh in the triple in the PIAA meet. He's a big favorite to repeat in the triple this year and is the first seed in the long, too.
Dull and Young aren't the only area boys returning after medaling at states a year ago. Northern Bedford's Zach Pressel was fifth in the high jump, and the Black Panther junior is back to try to defend his district title. His biggest competition comes from teammate Justin Baker, who has jumped the state qualifying height earlier this year.
Northern Bedford has two more top-seeded boys in Will Kline (shot put) and Collin Sherlock (1600). Tussey Mountain two-mile runner Gabriel Goizueta and the Bedford 3200 relay are the other area top seeds.
TOP THREE SEEDS
State qualifying standard in parentheses
BOYS
100 dash (11.20): 1, Dan Meyer, Somerset, 11.43; 2 (tie), Joel Ansell, Rockwood, and Trenton Barnes, Northern Bedford, 11.53.
200 dash (22.80): 1, Trenton Barnes, Northern Bedford, 22.74; 2, Matt Dull, Chestnut Ridge, 22.94; 3, Dan Meyer, Somerset, 23.07.
400 dash (50.70): 1, Jacob Ashkettle, Southern Fulton, 50.64; 2, Dylan Evans, Bedford, 50.87; 3, Trenton Barnes, Northern Bedford, 52.30.
800 run (1:59.70): 1, Jordan Wilt, Shade, 2:02.54; 2, Devon Tomlinson, Windber, 2:02.77; 3, Kenny White, Fannett-Metal, 2:02.94.
1600 run (4:31.13): 1, Collin Sherlock, Northern Bedford, 4:40.68; 2, Jordan Wilt, Shade, 4:41.97; 3, Robbie Miller, Everett, 4:43.78.
3200 run (9:48.01): 1, Gabriel Goizueta, Tussey Mountain, 10:10.85; 2, Mike Heck, Northern Bedford, 10:19.84; 3, Jimmy Farnan, Chestnut Ridge, 10:25.36.
110 hurdles (15.35): 1, Matt Dull, Chestnut Ridge, 15.03; 2, Josh Wakefield, Bedford, 16.14; 3, Corey Hill, McConnellsburg, 16.21.
300 hurdles (40.80): 1, Matt Dull, Chestnut Ridge, 38.87; 2, Josh Wakefield, Bedford, 41.40; 3, Corey Hill, McConnellsburg, 42.40.
400 relay (44.31): 1, Chestnut Ridge, 45.14; 2, Somerset, 45.25; 3, Bedford, 45.54.
1600 relay (3:29.60): 1, Bedford, 3:32.80; 2, Southern Fulton, 3:37.03; 3, Northern Bedford, 3:37.27.
3200 relay (8:15.55): 1, Windber, 8:25.24; 2, Southern Fulton, 8:29.01; 3, Bedford, 8:37.51.
High jump (6-4): 1, Zach Pressel, Northern Bedford, 6-6; 2, Justin Baker, Northern Bedford, 6-4; 3, Bryce Chilcote, Fannett-Metal, 6-1.
Long jump (21-6): 1, Michael Young, Chestnut Ridge, 21-8; 2, Dustin Blough, Windber, 21-3; 3, Zach Pressel, Northern Bedford, 20-8.
Triple jump (45-1.5): 1, Michael Young, Chestnut Ridge, 45-3; 2, Tayler Pressel, Northern Bedford, 43-10.5; 3, Matt Barkley, Windber, 42-5.
Shot put (50-3): 1, Will Kline, Northern Bedford, 44-6; 2, Quinton Hixson, Northern Bedford, 43-10 3, Jacob Krupa, Bedford, 43-4.5.
Discus (148-0): 1, Ryan Stoeckle, McConnellsburg, 137-7; 2, Adam Stultz, Chestnut Ridge, 137-6; 3, Tim Wagner, Berlin Brothersvalley, 136-7.
Javelin (176-0): Steven Meyer, Southern Fulton, 177-11; 2, Cody DeMoss, Bedford, 169-10; 3, Tony Yachere, Meyersdale, 160-1-.5.
Pole vault (13-6): 1. J.R. Hemminger, Somerset, 14-0; Dylan Cross, Southern Fulton, 12-6; 3 (tie), Dan Crist, Chestnut Ridge, and Tim Tallyen, Windber, 12-0.
GIRLS
100 dash (12.70): 1, Abbey Turner, Fannett-Metal, 13.04; 2, Leah Hershberger, Northern Bedford, and Kelly Vaughn, Meyersdale, 13.14.
200 dash (26.30): 1, Abbey Turner, Fannett-Metal, 26.44; 2, Leah Hershberger, Northern Bedford, 27.14; 3, Sarah Luprek, Berlin Brothersvalley, 27.25.
400 dash (59.95): 1, Abbey Turner, Fannett-Metal, 1:01.04; 2, Carrie Baker, Bedford, 1:01.35; 3, Sarah Luprek, Berlin Brothersvalley, 1:01.56.
800 run (2:20.60): 1, Maria Snyder, 2:24.75; 2, Carrie Baker, Bedford, 2:25.15; 3, Jalissa Snyder, H.O.P.E. for Hyndman, 2:25.26.
1600 run (5:18.30): 1, Maria Snyder, 5:15.65; 2, Macey Hollenshead, Southern Fulton, 5:33.34; 3, Maria McClatchey, Shade, 5:39.24,
3200 run (11:35.00): 1, Maria Snyder, 11:24.54; 2, Macey Hollenshead, 12:27.64; 3, Jenna Hollenshead, Southern Fulton, 12:43.67.
100 hurdles (16.01): Jenna Bracken, Windber, 15.69; 2, Catelyn Hittie, Berlin Brothersvalley, 15.99; 3, Janelle Long, Meyersdale, 16.34.
300 hurdles (47.64): 1, Allyson Gearhart, Tussey Mountain, 48.10; 2, Merissa Grey, McConnellsburg, 48.74; 3, Catelyn Hittie, Berlin Brothersvalley, 49.24.
400 relay (50.80): 1, Bedford, 52.34; 2, Berlin Brothersvalley, 52.49; 3, Meyersdale, 53.94.
1600 relay (4:08.75): 1, Bedford, 4:19.34; 2, Northern Bedford, 4:21.16; 3, Berlin Brothersvalley, 4:24.74.
3200 relay (9:50.40): 1, Northern Bedford, 10:13.64; 2, Windber, 10:41.23; 3, Shade, 10:46.24.
High jump (5-2): 1, Nikki Fleming, McConnellsburg, 5-2, 2 (tie), Erin Lischerelli, Conemaugh Township, and Ashley Morningstar, Everett, 5-0.
Long jump (16-11): 1, Jarica Seese, Chestnut Ridge, 16-8; 2, Leah Hershberger, Northern Bedford, 16-1.5; 3, Makayla Weaverling, Chestnut Ridge, 15-9.
Triple jump (35-6): 1, Jenna Bracken, Windber, 35-6; 2, Laura Will, Berlin Brothersvalley, 33-11.5; 3, Kaitlyn Lippencott, Bedford, 33-1.5.
Shot put (36-0): 1, Theole Feuillet, Everett, 33-8.75; 2, Carlee Bussard, Tussey Mountain, 32-0; 3, Katie Strapple, Windber, 31-9.5.
Discus (113-0): 1, Theole Feuillet, Everett, 98-0; 2, Stephanie Ponszek, Windber, 96-10; 3, Carlee Bussard, Tussey Mountain, 96-4.
Javelin (121-0): 1, Sarah Steckman, Everett, 99-6; 2, Emily Watkins, McConnellsburg, 99-0; 3, Jessica Nero, McConnellsburg, 93-11.
Pole vault (10-6): 1, Nicole Batzel, Northern Bedford, 9-3; 2, Amanda Kostryk, Chestnut Ridge, 8-9; 3, Darian Fetters, Bedford, 8-3.
