Defending state champion Katie Moncavage leads six Valley athletes or relay teams heading into this week’s PIAA Track & Field Championships as the top seed in their respective events.
The state meet runs Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University.
Moncavage, a Southern Columbia junior, will look to defend her Class 2A state title in the 800 as the top seed in that event. Moncavage won the district title on Saturday in 2:17.62.
At last year’s state meet, Moncavage ran 2:15.92 to claim her first state crown, edging Montoursville’s Lily Saul by less than a second.
Moncavage is also seeded third in the mile.
The other top seed in girls is Midd-West hurdler Camryn Pyle. The Mustang junior is the only runner in the 300 hurdles who broke 46 seconds at districts. Her seed time of 45.97 is the No. 1 seed. Last year’s state champion, Nora Johns of Quaker Valley, is seeded second.
In 2A boys, District 4 team champion Danville has three No. 1 seeds entering the state meet.
The Ironmen will compete in 2A this year after competing in 3A the last two years.
State cross-country champion Rory Lieberman is seeded first in the two-mile, just ahead of East Juniata’s Logan Strawser. Lieberman was a state silver medalist in 3A as a junior.
Strawser is seeded second in three events for the Tigers, including the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
Other top seeds for the Ironmen are sprinter Jackson Clarke in the 200 — he is seeded second in the 100 — and junior thrower Bronson Krainak in the javelin.
Clarke is making his first trip to states after untimely injuries ended the Princeton signee’s last two seasons. Krainak was the top seed the javelin 3A a year ago.
In 3A boys, Lewisburg’s 4x800 team is seeded first with Shikellamy fourth.
The Braves’ Chase Morgan is seeded second in the 200, while the Green Dragons’ Thomas Hess is the No. 2 seed in the 800.