A host of representatives from the area will begin their respective pursuits of New York State Public High School Athletic Association track and field championships today at Section IX Middletown High School.

In addition to a full day of preliminary races, today’s action will also include the shot put and high jump finals for the pentathlon.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s John Swabik will look to get out on the right foot in those contests, as he enters the weekend with the No. 1 seed with 3,489 points. Swabik was able to fend off Maple Grove’s Carson Crist for a Section VI title last week at Williamsville South High School. Crist is in the No. 7 spot with 3,133 points, while John Poplawski of Walt Whitman is in second place with 3,416.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Samantha Gilbert will be competing in both the Division II long and triple jumps. The long jump finals will be held at 4 p.m. today and the triple jump will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Gilbert is the No. 7 seed in the long jump with a distance of 17 feet, 10§ inches, while Jade Foster of Unatego is the one to beat at 19-¢. Gilbert is No. 9 in the triple jump at 35-11¶.

Bryce Baglia of Falconer/Cassadaga Valley will have a busy weekend as well. The junior holds the No. 14 spot in the 800 meters at 1:56.47 and is also in a pair of relays. Baglia and teammates Austin Johns, Rayven Sample and Collin Barmore are the No. 2 team in Division II 4 by 400-meter relay with a time of 3:25.09. They trail only the team from Malverne, which leads with a time of 3:24.27.

Sample, Joey Pillittieri, Barmore and Baglia hold the No. 16 spot in the 4×800-meter relay with a time of 8:02.43 while Randolph’s team of Ronan McDonald, Christian Reithmiller, Deiter Miinte and Josh Walters are in the No. 26 spot at 8:11.32.

Sample will also be busy in the 400-meter dash, where he holds the No. 11 seed with a time of 50.27. Also competing in the 4 by 400 meter relay will be the Southwestern team of Jaden Kinnear, Garrett Swan, Eddie Scroxton and Marcus Kautzman.

The Trojans’ Gianna Hoose will be competing in the Division II discus. Hoose is in the No. 9 spot with a throw of 114-9 and will have company in the field from teammate Cassidy Allen. Allen is the No. 13 seed in the pole vault with a height of 10-8, while Rachael Ward of Falconer/Cassadaga Valley is the No. 3 vaulter at 12-9. Kaeli Thompson of Section 1 Warwick Valley leads the pole vault with a mark of 13-6. Mushirah Sheppard of Salamanca is in the No. 14 spot with a mark of 10-6.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s Cameron Barmore is tied with three others at No. 6 in the boys high jump. The junior enters the weekend with a best jump of 6-7, trailing both Kwamere White of Henninger and Zach Michelitch of Minisink Valley at 6-9. Barmore finished third in Division II and ninth overall with a jump of 6-4 one year ago as a sophomore.

Jamestown’s Grant Moore is tied for the No. 33 seed in the high jump with a mark of 6-2.

After winning a photo finish to take home her Section VI championship, Maple Grove’s Ava Crist is the No. 17 seeded runner in the girls 1,500-meter run. Crist holds a time of 4:45.50 while Katelyn Tuohy of North Rockland is in the top spot at 4:25.21.

Jamestown’s Giovana Calamunci holds the No. 16 seed in the Division I 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.67.

Kylie Schnars of Clymer/Sherman/Panama will carry a No. 9 seed into the girls pentathlon, entering with 2,807 points and trailing Zaria Fuller of Uniondale (3,313).

Fredonia’s Emily Brown is No. 20 in the 2,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 7:11.12 while Dunkirk’s Jericha Petrella is No. 3 in the Division II 400-meter dash with a time of 57.88.