BUTLER TWP — Mike Seybert has seen firsthand the amount of growth experienced by the Butler Track and Field Invitational.

He competed in the event as a Butler senior in the spring of 1980 and has spent many years as a coach for the Golden Tornado.

“Back when I was in high school, the number of teams that competed here was in the upper 30s,” said Seybert, now the head coach for the Tornado boys. “All of the big schools in the area would come, but it's definitely grown. We now attract about 70 teams and with the girls meet (which began in 2002), we are four times as big as when I competed.”

The 2019 edition of the invite will take place Thursday at Art Bernardi Stadium. It will be the 55th annual event for boys and the 18th for girls.

Aside from the host school, other Butler County schools competing include Mars, Knoch, Slippery Rock, Karns City, Moniteau and Freeport.

The invite serves as a mid-season barometer for athletes hoping to reach a new level by the end of the season.

“Our district meet is four weeks away,” said Butler girls coach John Williams. “This is an awesome opportunity for individuals and teams to see where they stack up.”

As of Tuesday morning, 64 teams and 1,371 athletes were committed to compete, but Williams said he expects some late entries.

The invite affords Butler's athletes the opportunity to display their abilities against top competition on their home turf.

“There's a lot of invites out there today, but this is a premier event,” Seybert said. “It's neat to run in front of people you know. It gives our kids a chance to shine in front of their families, their community.”

Field events are scheduled to start at 12:15 p.m. Final heats on the track will start at 4:30 p.m.