Five area athletes have top seeds for Saturday's District 4 track and field championship meet at Athens High School, and area athletes are seeded second in eight events and third in seven others.
In addition, Southern Columbia's boys team will be defending its back-to-back team titles from 2012 and 2013.
Mount Carmel Area freshmen Marissa Kleman and Maura Fiamoncini are seeded first in the AA girls 400 meters and javelin, respectively, and Southern Columbia's Luke Rarig and Cody Pavlick are seeded first in the AA boys long jump and discus, respectively, The other top seed is Shamokin's Chris Petraskie in the boys AAA high jump. Rarick, Pavlick and Petraskie are defending champions in those events.
Mount Carmel has three second seeds in AA - David Fletcher (800 meters), Lauren Hause (1600), and the boys 4 x 400 meter relay. Rarig is seeded second in the 110-meter high hurdles, Southern's Trent Donlan (discus) and Shamokin's Christian Duganitz is seeded second in the AAA boys shot put. Shamokin's girls nabbed two AAA second seeds with Sofia Pearson (long jump) and the 4 x 100 relay team.
The Red Tornadoes are seeded third in four events. Both the boys and girls 4 x 800 meter relay teams are seeded third, as well as Nate Bartos (3200 meters) and Ali Varano (300-meter hurdles). Rarig is seeded third in the boys 300 intermediate hurdles, Petraskie is seeded third in the AA boys triple jump and Southern's Andrew Steely is seeded third in the AA 800.
Complete seedings were not available on the District Four website as of Thursday because of a clerical error, which originally had Shamokin's boys competing in AA. Shamokin boys coach Mike Rogers confirmed Thursday that the Indians are indeed, competing in AAA along with the girls.
Shamokin boys' seeding times and distances were listed on the AA list of accepted competitors, but their heat numbers were listed, without times and distances, on the AAA heat and flight sheets. There was no list of AAA accepted competitors, their times and/or distances, as of 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
The meet begins Saturday at 9:45 a.m. at Athens.
Multiple defending champions are Shikellamy's Ryan Wary (boys AAA 100, 200 and 300 hurdles), Williamsport's Chet Schwoyer (AAA 1600, 3200), Central Columbia's Ellen Shepard (AA girls 100, 200), Danville's Shelby Freedman (AA girls long jump, javelin); and Selinsgrove's Courtney McCartney (AAA girls shot and discus).
Other boys defending champs include Milton's Norman Whaley (AAA triple jump), and Josh Brown (javelin); and East Juniata's David Brantley (AA 300 hurdles).
Other girls defending champs include Williamsport's Heaven Maeshack (AAA girls 100), and Jaid Harsch (high hurdles); Montoursville's Teri Stoner (AA high hurdles) and Kirten O'Malley (400); Lewisburg's Jenna Farmer (AA 800); Selinsgrove's Brianna Carnathan (AAA 800) and Alexis Auman (AAA triple jump); Danville's Mackenzie Jones (AAA 3200) and Warrior Run's Steph Shamburg (AA javelin).
Following is a list of area AA top eight seeded competitors, along with the top seeds and performances in each event, with girls events first:
100: 1. Ellen Shepard, Central Columbia, 12.34; 4. Ali Varano, Mount Carmel, 12.88.
200: 1. Ellen Shepard, Central Columbia, 25.94; 6, Marissa Kleman, Mount Carmel, 26.75; 7. Ali Varano, Mount Carmel, 26.94.
400: 1. Marissa Kleman, Mount Carmel, 1:00.21.
800: 1. Jenna Farmer, Lewisburg, 2:15.90.
1600: 1. Jenna Farmer, Lewisburg, 5:08.18; 2. Lauren Hause, Mount Carmel, 5:18.98; 6. Teanna Shutt, Southern Columbia, 5:27.66.
3200: 1. Tori Ross, Warrior Run, 11:40.65.
100 hurdles: 1. Britni Phillips, Bloomsburg, 15.14; 8. Gabrielle Scherer, Southern Columbia, 16.44.
300 hurdles: 1. Heather Merrifield, Hughesville, 45.61; 3. Ali Varano, Mount Carmel, 46.34.
4 x 100 relay: 1. Central Columbia, 48.88.
4 x 400 relay: 1. Lewisburg, 4:04.64; 5. Mount Carmel, 4:12.77.
4 x 800 relay: 1. Lewisburg, 9:33.51; 3. Mount Carmel, 9:56.10.
High jump: 1. Lindsey Carl, Central Columbia, 5-5.
Pole vault: 1. Katie Jones, South Williamsport, 10-6; 5. Teanna Shutt, Southern Columbia, 9-6.
Long jump: 1. Britni Phillips, Bloomsburg, 17-10; 7. Bailey Bzdak, Southern Columbia, 16-½; 8. Mackenzie Haladay, Southern Columbia, 16-0.
Triple jump: 1. Britni Phillips, Bloomsburg, 37-4; 4. Bailey Bzdak, Southern Columbia, 34-9.
Discus: 1. Jordan Long, Montoursville, 113-11; 6. Madelyn Witkoski, Mount Carmel, 104-6.
Javelin: 1. Maura Fiamoncini, Mount Carmel, 128-3; 6. Miranda Long, Southern Columbia, 107-9.
Shot put: 1. Kayla Stackhouse, Hughesville, 34-10; 8. Amber Kogut, Mount Carmel, 31-6½.
BOYS
100: 1. Jahvel Hemphill, Bloomsburg, 10.95; 4. Luke Rarig, Southern Columbia, 11.34.
110 high hurdles: 1. Josh Purcell, Troy, 14.60; 2. Luke Rarig, Southern Columbia, 14.78; 4. Christian Kelley, Mount Carmel, 16.14.
300 intermediate hurdles: 1. Josh Purcell, Troy, 39.64; 3. Luke Rarig, Southern Columbia, 40.45; 8. Billy Marzeski, Southern Columbia, 43.15.
200: 1. Steven Vogel, Towanda, 22.76; 4. Zeke Zsido, Mount Carmel, 23.24.
400: 1. Elias George, Warrior Run, 50.80; 5. David Fletcher, Mount Carmel, 51.94.
800: 1. Nicholas Scullin, Lewisburg, 1:58.27; 2. David Fletcher, Mount Carmel, 1:59.43; 3. Andrew Steely, Southern Columbia, 2:00.29.
1600: 1. Griffin Molino, South Williamsport, 4:12.93; 5. Andrew Steely, Southern Columbia, 4:31.14; 8. Tommy Moser, Mount Carmel, 4:41.15.
3200: 1. Griffin Molino, South Williamsport, 9:19.28; 3. Nate Bartos, Mount Carmel, 9:50.44.
High jump: 1. Wes Lapoint, Loyalsock, 6-4.
Pole vault: 1. Jared McHenry, Warrior Run, 15-0.
Long jump: 1. Luke Rarig, Southern Columbia, 21-11½.
Triple jump: 1. Joey Galizia, Sayre, 44-7.
Discus: 1. Cody Pavlick, Southern Columbia, 153-2; 4. Dominic Farronato, Mount Carmel, 140-7; 6, Trent Donlan, Southern Columbia, 136-1.
Javelin: 1. Jake Rohm, Warrior Run, 173-5; 3. Dominic Farronato, Mount Carmel, 171-1.
Shot put: 1. Frankie Tewell, Central Columbia, 51-11½; 2. Trent Donlan, 50-2¾.
4 x 100 relay: 1. Troy 44.57; 5. Mount Carmel, 45.54.
4 x 400 relay: 1. South Williamsport, 3;26.11; 2. Mount Carmel, 3:30.34.
4 x 800 relay: 1. South Williamsport, 8:02.05; 3. Mount Carmel, 8:16.62; 6. Southern Columbia, 8:29.62.