OBSERVER File Photo Dunkirk’s Julia Fred and Sierra Jacques compete during a track meet earlier this season. Jacques is seeded 15th, and Fred No. 16, in the Section VI Track & Field Championships steeplechase event.

Three local girls will be No. 1 seeds in Division 2 when the Section VI Track & Field Championships get underway today at Niagara Falls High School.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley junior Rachael Ward is first in the pole vault (12-3), Dunkirk senior Emilee Hanlon is first in the high jump (5-5) and Fredonia sophomore Emily Brown is first in both the 400-meter hurdles (1:05.28) and 2,000-meter steeplechase (7:18.34).

Cattaraugus-Little Valley senior Abby Gostomski is the No. 2 seed in the steeplechase (7:18.70) while Southwestern senior Karen Johnson is 12th (8:22.12), Dunkirk seventh-grader Sierra Jacques is 15th (8:26.86) and Dunkirk senior Julia Fred is 16th (8:27.46).

Southwestern senior Lauren Swan is fourth behind Brown in the 400-meter hurdles with a seed time of 1:05.56 followed by Southwestern junior teammate Katja Kranzo in ninth (1:09.59).

Chautauqua Lake freshman Amelia Brown is 12th (1:10.32), Silver Creek/Forestville sophomore Sarah Boothe is 15th (1:12.87) and Franklinville/Ellicottville/West Valley freshman Hayly Fredrickson in 16th (1:13.07).

Behind Ward in the pole vault are Salamanca senior Mushirah Sheppard in second (11-0), Southwestern freshman Cassidy Allen in fourth (9-6), Cattaraugus-Little Valley junior Jessica Ritchie in sixth (9-0), Hayly Fredrickson in sixth (9-0), Frewsburg junior Claire Johnson in 12th (8-3) and Falconer/Cassadaga Valley junior Sarah Disbro in 12th (8-3).

Fredonia senior Claire Stokes is second behind Hanlon in the high jump at 5 feet, 4 inches while Frewsburg senior Maddie Sohl is fourth (5-2), Southwestern senior Aubin Cotter is fifth (5-1), Westfield/Brocton sophomore McKayla Wolfe is ninth, Clymer/Sherman/Panama junior Karianne Yuchnitz is 11th (4-10) and Chautauqua Lake senior Sydney Lachajczyk is 11th (4-10).

Southwestern sophomore Gianna Hoose is seeded No. 2 in the discus (111-2) followed by junior teammate Hannah Lillie in sixth (106-0) and Clymer/Sherman/Panama senior Trisha Walker in ninth (98-3).

Abby Gostomski is seeded No. 3 in the 800 meters (2:17.58) followed by Maple Grove freshman Ava Crist in fourth (2:19.54), Falconer/Cassadaga Valley sophomore Mackenzie Haskins in seventh (2:26.25), Southwestern junior Breah Orlando in 12th (2:29.67) and Silver Creek/Forestville freshman Juliana Flick in 16th (2:32.38).

Clymer/Sherman/Panama sophomore Kylee Odell is seeded No. 3 in the 1,500 meters (4:52.17) followed by Crist in fifth (4:52.66), Cattaraugus-Little Valley senior Bailey Gostomski in sixth (4:52.69), Maple Grove freshman Christina Peppy in seventh (4:54.29), Southwestern junior Hannah Sullivan in eighth (5:00.78) and Silver Creek/Forestville senior Rei Sugiuchi in 13th (5:13.16).

Peppy is seeded third in the 3,000 meters (10:37.94) while Bailey Gostomski is fourth (10:45.14), Sullivan is sixth (11:11.34), Silver Creek/Forestville freshman Ellie Decker is ninth (11:15.41), Maple Grove eighth-grader Abby Brunenavs is 13th (11:31.14) and Lillie is 15th (11:39.34).

In the 100-meter hurdles, Fredonia senior Lydia Lanski is third (15.66), Franklinville/Ellicottville/West Valley freshman Logan Fredrickson is ninth (16.74) and Kranzo is 14th (17.43).

Clymer/Sherman/Panama sophomore Kylie Schnars is seeded No. 3 in the pentathlon with 2,678 points followed by Maple Grove junior Bryn Mozzi in seventh (2,148), Falconer/Cassadaga Valley eighth-grader Grace Lundmark in 14th (1,867) and Lachajczyk in 16th (1,847).

Hanlon is seeded No. 4 in the 200 meters (26.21) followed by Falconer/Cassadaga Valley sophomore Samantha Gilbert in fifth (26.22) and Maple Grove junior Chloe Kibbe in 12th (27.04).

Hanlon is also fourth in the long jump (17-5.5) followed by Sheppard in fifth (16-10.5), Gilbert in eighth (16-5.25) and Westfield/Brocton senior Hannah Hoebener in 15th (15-8).

Sohl is fourth in the triple jump (34-5) followed by Gilbert in fifth (34-3).

In the shot put, Franklinville/Ellicottville/West Valley senior Rena Riley is seeded No. 4 (35-3.75) followed by Maple Grove junior Alyssa Steen in fifth (34-0), Southwestern senior Emily Rybicki in ninth (33-6.5) and Fredonia senior Lauren Kluck in 13th (31-11).

Dunkirk sophomore Jericha Petrella is seeded fourth in the 400 meters (59.85) followed by Clymer/Sherman/Panama freshman Mackenzie Gratto in sixth (1:01.87), Maple Grove freshman Cate Walter in ninth (1:03.04), Silver Creek/Forestville freshman Kylie Procknal in 10th (1:03.15), Frewsburg senior Kelsey Wolfe in 13th (1:03.75) and Franklinville/Ellicottville/West Valley sophomore McKenna Kaleta in 16th (1:03.94).

In the 100 meters, Gilbert is seeded seventh (12.77) and Cattaraugus-Little Valley junior Lauren Eaton is 14th (13.14).

In the 400-meter relay, Dunkirk is seeded No. 4 (50.94) and Fredonia is 13th (53.17).

In the 1,600-meter relay, Cattaraugus-Little Valley is seeded No. 4 (4:12.04), Maple Grove is seventh (4:16.44), Dunkirk is eighth (4:17.04) and Frewsburg is 13th (4:19.69).

Clymer/Sherman/Panama is the No. 2 seed in the 3,200-meter relay (10:02.77) followed by Maple Grove in seventh (4:16.44), Southwestern in eighth (10:23.29), Silver Creek/Forestville in 10th (10:31.90), Westfield/Brocton in 11th (10:37.52), Falconer/Cassadaga Valley in 12th (10:39.24), Franklinville/Ellicottville/West Valley in 15th (10:48.93) and Randolph in 16th (10:49.58).