Calvin Littlejohn is in position to claim his own Triple Crown.

Now if only his pesky hamstring will cooperate.

Littlejohn, a Butler High School senior, qualified for the PIAA Track and Field Championships, which begin Friday in Shippensburg, in the long, high and triple jumps.

But Littlejohn wasn't completely healthy at the WPIAL Class AAA qualifier last Thursday because of a hamstring injury. However, he said he will be very close to normal once he sets foot in Shippensburg.

"I think I will be 100 percent," Littlejohn said after the WPIAL qualifier. "There's going to be a lot of competition out there."

There will also be a lot of intriguing story lines for the area athletes who advanced to Shippsenburg:

Mars sophomore Brittany Zaborowski is coming off a WPIAL Class AAA title in the 800-meter run.

Moniteau's Alyssa Deal recorded the best time in Butler County in the 1,600-meter run at the District 9 meet.

Slippery Rock High senior Erin Cranmer-Hart, who had the best time in the county in the 1,600-meter run until Friday, is back in Shippensburg after a year's absence.

Samantha Pistorius (Karns City) and Tara Maxwell and Sara Thiebaud (both of Butler) each will be competing in two events.

Seneca Valley's Ashley Turici improved from 99 feet in the javelin last year to better than 136 feet this year to punch her first ticket to the state meet.

The Raiders are also sending Kim Chapman in the 300-meter hurdles and the 400-meter relay team of Nikki Bryan, Da'Lynn Mills, Carrie Wack and Ashlee Zinkhann to the state meet. Chapman is an alternate on the relay team that had members forgo competing in other events to focus on the relay at the state meet.

But all eyes will be on Littlejohn, who will not be taxing his hamstring too much leading up to the state meet.

"We're going to back off a little," said Butler boys track and field coach Rick Schontz. "He's had a long season. We're going to do a lot of technique work - and a lot of stretching."

Littlejohn has been to the state meet before in the high jump, but never in the long and triple jumps for a very good reason: He never competed in those events before this year.

Schontz said the high jump could be Littlejohn's best chance at gold.

"The opportunity is there," Schontz said. "What it comes down to is who is the hot jumper on that particular day. If he can jump 6-7 and have no misses, he has a shot."

Littlejohn also has legitimate shots at the gold in the long and triple jumps.

And he will be undaunted by the state meet atmosphere.

"He won't be in awe," Schontz said. "He's been there before and it doesn't seem to bother him."

Teammate Tyrell Sales has been there before, too.

The senior qualified in the discus for the third consecutive season. He has the third-best mark in the state in the event.

"He's been very, very consistent," Schontz said. "He's gotten better in the last week. He's knocking on the door."

The Slippery Rock 1,600-meter relay team keeps getting better, too.

The team of Janelle Hartzell, Casey McCaffrey, Robin Craig and Erin Cranmer-Hart have lopped 20 seconds off their time in the last month and have posted a best mark of 9 minutes, 31.38 seconds at the District 10 meet last week.

"They've just been a joy," said Slippery Rock boys and girls track coach Mike Kish. "They go to the Baldwin invite and set a school record, knocking 10 seconds off their time. It got us thinking, 'Can their time go any lower?'

"Then at the district meet, they all set (personal records). Who knows what they can do at the state meet?" he asked.

Everyone knows what Freeport's Lacey Cochran can do. Only a junior, she is a veteran of the state meet.

She finished third in the 400-meter run as a freshman and second in the event last year.

She is poised to place first this year.

"You never know who is out there until you get there," warned Freeport coach Bill Dillen.

While the usual suspects are in position to do well at the state meet, some unexpected entrants emerged.

One of the biggest surprises is Butler sophomore Kendall Butch, who qualified in both the high jump and pole vault in her first year of track and field.

Butch made remarkable strides in the pole vault, improving from 9 feet, 6 inches to 11-6 in one week.

"C.J. Morgante (Butler's pole vault coach) said she is going to be a big surprise," Schontz said. "He hit the nail on the head. Nothing distracts her. I don't think I've seen someone get so focused. She shows no fear, which is a really good trait for a pole vaulter."