Ready for the biggest hit of the summer?

This weekend’s PIAA Track and Field Championships is set to be a blockbuster.

The hype has been building during an epic season where area athletes have taken center stage,

Records have fallen at a rapid pace.

Rod Heckman, who compiles and maintains Times News area track and field bests each year, has kept tabs on all the performances this spring and provided the following information:

• There have been seven all-time area bests this season, three by Jim Thorpe’s Kaila O’Connor (100, 200, 300 hurdles) and two by Palmerton’s Nataly Walters (long jump, triple jump); and two by Pleasant Valley athletes.

• O’Connor’s bests in the 100 and 200 broke marks that were set back in 1988 (by Tricia Plasko).

• Walters broke the long jump mark that Kayla Hope set when she won a state gold medal.

• The Pleasant Valley boys set an all-time best in 400 relay (42.96, breaking the mark of 43.04 by Northwestern in 2014) but it was only good enough for third at EPC meet.

• Pleasant Valley’s Reese Ruggiero set an all-time area best in the girls pole vault at last week’s District 11 meet, clearing 11-3 to place second in the Class 3A.

That’s just a snapshot of the success area athletes have enjoyed this spring.

But it also gives an indication of what could be on the horizon this weekend in Shippensburg.

Walters, a sophomore, is seeded first in both the Class 2A long jump (18-10.5) and triple jump (39-2.75), while O’Connor is the second seed in the 200 (24.80) and the third seed in the 100 (12.20).

Marian’s Fatikha Tikhtova leads a big District 11 and area presence in the high jump as the top seed at 5-6. Paige Casterline of Palisades and Northwestern’s Faith Yost are seeded second and third, respectively, at 5-4.

Northern Lehigh’s Zoe Hathaway is the sixth seed at 5-2, while Palmerton’s Emma Rex and Emma Snyder are seeded 10th and 11th, also at 5-2.

On the boys’ side, Jim Thorpe has the top seed in the Class 2A 1600 relay with a time of 3:26.93.

Walters, who placed seventh in the long jump at states last year, is coming off a pair of record-setting performances at the District 11 meet. She won the Class 2A long jump with a mark of 18-10.5, establishing a meet record and breaking the mark previously held by Palmerton’s Debbie Rodrigues (18-10.25), which was set in 1976.

It was the longest-standing girls record in either Class 2A or 3A.

She wasn’t done.

One day after breaking a record in the long jump, Walters returned to Whitehall’s Zephyr Sports Complex and established another mark in Class 2A competition.

The sophomore won the triple jump with a leap of 39-2.75, a mark that broke the previous record of 39-0 set by Saucon Valley’s Michana Johnson in 1989.

“Right now, I’m kind of standing on the podium thinking, ‘Hey, I won,’ and it’s cool that I broke the record,” Walters said after her triple jump win. “But just starting to think about how many talented athletes have come through and haven’t broken those records, and now I’m the one to do it, it’s super rewarding and something I’m very proud of. I know at some point it will really hit home and I’ll realize all that hard work is paying off. It’s just really cool to have those records. They’re from so long ago, and it just makes it that much more rewarding I want to say.”

A week earlier, Walters also broke the Colonial League meet record in the triple jump.

The all-time area best established by Walters in the long jump is now 19-1.5 and 39-8 in the triple jump.

O’Connor turned in a sublime performance at the Schuylkill League meet, where she won four gold medals – three individually – and set meet records in the 100 and 200.

Her stellar performance continued at districts, where she ran to gold in the 100 and 200, and anchored the 1600 relay team to a second-place finish.

Those runs also came one day after she was disqualified for interference in the 300 hurdles, another event she was the top seed in and has established an all-time area best in at 43.84, breaking a mark of 44.48 by Pleasant Valley’s Lauren Kelchner set in 2001.

“Last night definitely gave me some more motivation, I will definitely say that,” O’Connor said of the hurdles. “I was definitely disappointed from yesterday, but I have to use that and knew I still had two more races. The world isn’t over, I just have to come back stronger, and I just had to really lock in and focus.”

O’Connor’s best mark in the 100 is 11.97 and 24.64 in the 200.

Plasko and Pleasant Valley’s Jalurah Moore (2017) had previously run a 12.0 in the 100, while Plasko had a time of 24.8 in the 200.

Tikhtova is knocking on the door of an all-time area best in the high jump, which is currently held by Pleasant Valley’s Katie Dempsey at 5-8, a mark set in 2005.

The senior owns the area best in the event this season with two jumps at 5-7.

“Obviously, I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to get this far,” said Tikhtova after her win at districts. “But personally, I think I can do even better so I’m hoping for states to maybe get past 5-8. My goal has been 5-9 all season so hopefully I can get that. My PR is 5-7, so I tried 5-8, I couldn’t get it, but maybe next time.”

Yost medaled in the event competing in Class 3A last season, clearing 5-4 for sixth place. The Northwestern senior, who was the Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year last spring, is also seeded third in the long jump at states this season.

She broke the Colonial League record in the event two weeks ago with a jump of 18-9 on her way to the gold medal.

Ruggiero’s all-time area best in the pole vault last week wasn’t enough to get her a gold medal, but it was good enough to get her to States.

“I PR’d today so that was fun,” said the Pleasant Valley standout. “I’m glad I get another chance to PR at states and I’m happy with my height, happy I made it to states. It was a goal of mine this season. So overall happy.”

Her previous best was 11-0, which also matched the all-time area best in the event, set by Jim Thorpe’s Debbie Loyd in 2018.

“I started the season at 9-10, so it’s been a good progression,” said Ruggiero. “I go to Philly Jumps Club and my coach there Sam Young, he’s really helped me progress and the other coaches there too.

“At states, I want to do good personally, get some rest in and see how it goes.”

There’s no question the bar has been raised this season.

Grab your popcorn, because we’re in for an epic thrill ride this weekend.

TRIP TO SHIPP ... Following are the area athletes who will be participating in this weekend’s PIAA State Track and Field Championships in Shippensburg:

Girls

Class 2A

3200 relay - Jim Thorpe, 12th, 9:57.96 (25 teams)

100 hurdles - Evelina Mayak, Northern Lehigh, 12th, 16.07 (25 individuals)

100 - Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, third, 12.20 (27 individuals)

1600 - Celia Rodriguez Gonzalez, Jim Thorpe, 18th, 5:28.29 (25 individuals)

400 relay - Palmerton, 27th, 51.92 (29 teams)

800 - Nicole Carroll, Jim Thorpe, 14th, 2:22.75 (24 individuals)

200 - Kaila O’Connor, Jim Thorpe, second, 24.80 (26 individuals)

3200 - Angelina Klein, Northwestern, 23rd, 12:15.95 (26 individuals)

1600 relay - Jim Thorpe, 20th, 4:14.49 (25 teams)

High jump - Fatikha Tikhtova, Marian, first, 5-6; Faith Yost, Northwestern, third, 5-4; Zoe Hathaway, Northern Lehigh, sixth, 5-2; Emma Rex, Palmerton, 10th, 5-2; Emma Snyder, Palmerton, 11th, 5-2

Pole vault - Katrin Cavanaugh, Jim Thorpe, ninth, 10-10

Long jump - Nataly Walters, Palmerton, first, 18-10.5; Faith Yost, Northwestern, third, 17-8.25

Triple jump - Nataly Walters, Palmerton, first, 39-2.75

Shot put - Sadie Fenstermaker, Northwestern, 10th, 36-5

Discus - Caitlin Kirk, Northern Lehigh, 21st, 106-7

Javelin - Carly Minchhoff, Marian, 12th, 120-7

Class 3A

Pole vault - Reese Ruggiero, Pleasant Valley, 17th, 11-3 (21 individuals)

BOYS

Class 2A

3200 relay - Palmerton, ninth, 8:13.03 (26 teams)

110 hurdles - Bryson Walters, Palmerton, 14th, 15.26 (31 individuals)

1600 - Ryan Bailor, Jim Thorpe, 16th, 4:28.33; Owen Hibell, Palmerton, 20th, 4:30.66 (30 individuals)

300 hurdles - Bryson Walters, Palmerton, 15th, 40.83 (27 individuals)

800 - Ridge Snyder, Jim Thorpe, seventh, 1:58.03 (29 individuals)

3200 - Matthew Santana, Northwestern, 22nd, 9:50.30 (30 individuals)

1600 relay - Jim Thorpe, first, 3:26.93

High jump - Gavin Nelson, Northwestern, seventh, 6-3

Discus - Jesse Rodino, Marian, 15th, 141-4 (24 individuals)

Javelin - Brad Jones, Panther Valley, 10th, 168-5 (25 individuals)

Class 3A

400 relay - Pleasant Valley, 28th, 43.11 (34 teams)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

... Below is the schedule of events for both Friday and Saturday’s action in Shippensburg:

FRIDAY, MAY 26

TRACK EVENTS – PRELIMINARIES AND FINAL (where noted)

EVENT – CLASS – TIME

1600

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 9 a.m.

100

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Preliminaries) 10 a.m.

100 Hurdles

– 2A Girls-3A Girls (Preliminaries) 10:45 a.m.

110 Hurdles

– 2A Boys-3A Boys (Preliminaries) 11 a.m.

BREAK

400 Relay

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Preliminaries) 12 p.m.

400

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Preliminaries) 1 p.m.

300 Hurdles

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Preliminaries) 2 p.m.

200

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Preliminaries) 2:30 p.m.

1600 Relay

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Preliminaries) 3 p.m.

FIELD EVENTS - PRELIMINARIES AND FINALS

EVENT – CLASS – TIME

High Jump

– 2A Girls – 9 a.m.

Discus

– 2A Girls – 9 a.m.

Pole Vault

– 3A Girls – 9 a.m.

Shot Put

– 3A Girls – 9 a.m.

Long Jump

– 2A Boys – 9 a.m.

Javelin

– 2A Boys – 9 a.m.

Triple Jump

– 3A Boys – 9 a.m.

Long Jump

– 2A Girls – 12:30 p.m.

Javelin

– 2A Girls – 12:30 p.m.

Triple Jump

– 3A Girls – 12:30 p.m.

High Jump

– 2A Boys – 12:30 p.m.

Discus

– 2A Boys – 12:30 p.m.

Pole Vault

– 3A Boys – 12:30 p.m.

Shot Put

– 3A Boys & Boys Wheelchair – 12:30 p.m.

Long Jump Unified Division*

- 30 minutes after conclusion of regularly scheduled event.

Shot Put Unified Division*

- 30 minutes after conclusion of regularly scheduled event.

Javelin Throw Unified Division*

- 30 minutes after conclusion of regularly scheduled event

SATURDAY, MAY 27

TRACK EVENTS – FINALS

EVENT – CLASS – TIME

3200

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 9 a.m.

100 Hurdles

– 2A Girls-3A Girls (Final) 10 a.m.

110 Hurdles

– 2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 10:15 a.m.

100 Unified Division*

(Final) 10:20 a.m.

100

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-Boys Wheelchair-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 10:35 a.m.

3200 Relay

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 10:45 a.m.

BREAK

400 Relay Unified Division*

(Final) 12:30 p.m.

400 Relay

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 12:35 p.m.

400 Unified Division*

(Final) 12:50 p.m.

400

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 1:10 p.m.

300 Hurdles

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 1:25 p.m.

800 Unified Division*

(Final) 1:40 p.m.

800

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 1:55 p.m.

200

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-Boys Wheelchair-2A Boys-3A Boys (Final) 2:30 p.m.

Unified Award Presentation Upon completion of 200M Dash

Finals

1600 Relay

– 2A Girls-3A Girls-2A Boys-3A Boys No earlier than 20 minutes following completion of the 2A Girls’ 200M Dash

FIELD EVENTS - PRELIMINARIES AND FINALS

EVENT – CLASS – TIME

Pole Vault

– 2A Girls – 9 a.m.

Shot Put

– 2A Girls – 9 a.m.

High Jump

– 3A Girls – 9 a.m.

Discus

– 3A Girls – 9 a.m.

Triple Jump

– 2A Boys – 9 a.m.

Long Jump

– 3A Boys – 9 a.m.

Javelin

– 3A Boys – 9 a.m.

Triple Jump

– 2A Girls – 12:30 p.m.

Long Jump

– 3A Girls – 12:30 p.m.

Javelin

– 3A Girls – 12:30 p.m.

Pole Vault

– 2A Boys – 12:30 p.m.

Shot Put

– 2A Boys – 12:30 p.m.

High Jump

– 3A Boys – 12:30 p.m.

Discus

– 3A Boys – 12:30 p.m.