For the track and field athlete, there are no bottled-and-corked methods of peaking at the ideal time, only the hope that months of preparation are sufficient.

This is the challenge all 10 area girls programs stare at later this afternoon as sectionals play out at both Pendleton Heights and Madison-Grant.

At Pendleton Heights, the host Arabians come in as defending team champion after edging county nemesis Highland, 119.5-109 at the 2007 sectional.

Individually, first places among those athletes returning went to Anderson sprinter Jasmine McGhee in the 100- (12.6 seconds) and 200-meter (27.7) dashes, Alexandria’s Bri Foster in the 1,600-meter run (5:32), Frankton’s Heather Herrmann in the 3,200 (12:32), Katie Kritzer of Pendleton Heights in the 100 hurdles (18.83) and Frankton’s Candace DeLong in the 300 hurdles (48.9).

In the field events, Pendleton Heights sophomore Ellie McCardwell is back to defend her title in the pole vault. Same goes for Highland in the form of long jumper Donielle Burton (16-1), Jaleesa Mohr in the shot put (31 feet, 1 inch) and Kiera Allen in the discus (112-5).

McGhee, also a third-place finisher in the high jump at last year’s sectional, is nursing a sore ankle after injuring it playing basketball on Thursday.

“I’m hoping she’s going to be ready. If she’s healthy, we should do well in the 100, 200 and 400 relay,” said Anderson coach Linda Williams-Boyd. “Jasmine has had a great season. She was peaking.”

McCardwell and Kritzer came through as the Arabians’ lone titlists last spring, yet Pendleton Heights’ depth proved to be the difference. Arabians coach Ron Hinton hopes this is the case today.

“It’s our depth that does it for us. Someone else might win, but we could have two in the top five in certain events,” he said.

One such athlete is Kritzer, a second-place performer to DeLong in last year’s 300 hurdles. Others include freshmen Hannah Douglas in the 800 and high jump, Autumn Brown in the 400 and distance relays and sprinter Molly Markle.

Molly Craig and Kat Cler specialize in the long jump, while sophomore Catrina Langley does hurdles events and senior Blaine Bishop runs the 1,600 and 3,200. Paige Perkins and Elyse Werling are the Arabians’ hope for advancement in shot put and discus.

“We’re ready,” said Hinton. “We’ve had some injuries and some illnesses this season, but we’re healthy now, so let’s bring it on.”

Among the Lapel hopefuls are junior Julie Miller, the 400-meter champion at county and at the White River Athletic Conference Meet. Miller took fourth at sectional in the event as a sophomore, two seconds behind third-place Michelle Fites of Shenandoah.

Another regional possibility is Leah Steele, winner of the 3,200 at the WRAC Meet. Steele also has the potential to move on in the postseason as a hurdler. Conference discus champ Samantha Tarlton, a senior, finished third at sectional a year ago and looks to move up, as does Shenandoah’s Sarah Bromagem, who was fourth.

Bromagem is also seeded fourth today in the 800-meter run, while Raiders teammates Jasmine Stephens and Emily Eller are seeded third in the 400-meter dash and 300-meter hurdles, respectively.