Butler and Seneca Valley have the numbers in terms of athletes.

They — like every one else — will need the times and distances as well.

The biggest change as the 2017 outdoor track and field season arrives is the WPIAL’s elimination of the individual qualifier meets leading into the district championship meet.

“The weather became too much of an issue,” Mars girls track coach Joelle Patterson said. “The northern qualifier and southern qualifier were held on different days and the elements played a factor.

“One meet might be held on a sunny, warm day. The other might be on a cool, rainy day. All of the times were judged the same. It wasn’t fair to all of the athletes.”

Now times and distances from every regular season meet are submitted to the WPIAL, which is keeping a running website with the district’s updated leaders in each event.

The top 24 in each event will qualify for the WPIAL Class AAA meet. The top 16 will qualify in Class AA. No more than three athletes in any single event from one school can qualify.

“They want as many different schools represented in the championship meet as possible,” Patterson said.

In terms of WPIAL team competition, she said “we have some high quality girls, but we’re in the same section as Butler and North Allegheny ... We just can’t compete with their numbers.”

Mars has roughly 50 girls on its varsity team while the boys have 66. Butler has more than 100 boys and 75 girls, Seneca Valley 105 boys and 114 girls.

“We’ve got some strong distance runners in Noah Beveridge, Brett Brady, Steve Patteron, Tim Porter, Cam Sybert and Aden Dressler,” Butler boys coach Rick Schontz said. “That’s probably our biggest strength.”

Tornado girls coach John Williams has three PIAA qualifiers back in the sprints: Alexis Leech, Shana Hoy and Maddie Glew. Taylor Weaver qualified for states in the pole vault last year.

Leech is headed to Pitt, Weaver to St. Francis. Liz Simms, a sophomore, was a PIAA qualifier in middle distance and relays last year.

Seneca Valley coach Ray Peaco has a strong sprinter group in Jack Cook, Will Brisco, Jon Morgan, Payton Skalos and Walik Shabazz on the boys side. Erin Danik in the javelin and Rachel Hensler in distance running are among the top Raider girls.

“We’re in a tough section and whoever comes out of that section contends for the WPIAL (team) title every year,” Peaco said. “We belkeve that can be us.”

Knoch has 40 boys and 38 girls on its roster. One cannot talk about the Knights without talking about Jordan Geiast.

The senior reportedly tossed the discus 209 feet during a recent practice.

“Jordan is excited about this season,” said Judy Geist, his mother, throwing coach and Knoch girls track coach. “He wants to maintain his shot put where it’s at and he wants to chase the state record in the discus.”

Geist is defending state champion in both events.

The Knight boys are led by seniors John Ejzak and Max Freyermuth in distance events, Jayden Renfrew and Dylan Plutyk in sprints and jumps.

Logan DeJonge and Abby Albert are Knoch’s girls top sprinter-jumpers.

Butler County is filled with numerous other top athletes this season. Here are just a few of them:

Boys

Sprints — Ryan Marcella (Butler), Rob Reichenbaugh (Freeport), Chandler Turner (Karns City), Jimmy Hibbard (Mars), Ryan Putorti (Slippery Rock)

Hurdles — Jake Wolfrum (Butler), Kaiden Powers (Karns City), Trent Williams (Mars), Rob Williams (Slippery Rock)

Distance — Nathan Kaleida (Mars), Trey Razanauskas (Seneca Valley)

Jumps — Chandler Turner (Karns City), Spenser Myers (Karns City), Jimmy Hibbard (Mars), Justin Petrilena (Mars), Dalton Anderson (Moniteau), Matt Sloan (Seneca Valley), Hunter Prementine (Slippery Rock), Pat Shea (Slippery Rock)

Throws — Caleb Baxter (Butler), Kameron Patterson (Grove City), Ryan DeBoer (Seneca Valley), Sean Northcott (Slippery Rock)

Girls

Sprints — Tori Kopchak (Mars), Gabby Stewart (Moniteau), Emma Bair (Moniteau), Autumn Sutton (Seneca Valley), Madeline Neuschwander (Seneca Valley)

Hurdles — Maegan Emanuel (Butler), Tabetha Wilbert (Butler), Kenley Renfrew (Knoch), Sofia Beltran (Mars), Kinsley Bitzer (Mars), Samantha Hall (Moniteau), Brady Dalton (Slippery Rock)

Distance — Maggie Welty (Butler), Rylee Kopchak (CW North Catholic), Rebecca Pennington (Karns City), Rachel Wittmer (Knoch), Natalie Petrini (Mars), Annabel Hnath (Mars), Harley Pflugh (Slippery Rock)

Jumps — Alexis Hopper (Butler), MacKenzi Popovich (Butler), Tori Kopchak (Mars), Collettre Grossman (Moniteau), Alazia Greaves (Moniteau), Ehlana Lingenfelter (Seneca Valley), Macy McCall (Slippery Rock), Cierra Nagy (Slippery Rock)

Throws — Jena Reinheimer (Butler), Liz Rakers (Butler), Akyssa Eyth (Butler), Taylor Jackson (Butler), Mackenzie Craig (Karns City), Abby Kopac (Knoch), Madison Frank (Knoch), Cambrie Campbell (Moniteau), Jordan Jamieson (Seneca Valley), Anna Sullivan (Seneca Valley)