Typically, by the time spring has sprung, the grass is growing and the flowers are blooming, the Parkland girls track and field season is well underway and nearing the postseason.

This year is different. While the girls are nearing the postseason, the season is not well underway. Through last week, there have been more postponements (four) than meets (three). When given the chance to compete, however, the Trojans have dominated opponents.

“I remind all our athletes often that you can’t always control what happens to you,” said Parkland track and field coach Stephen Ott. “You can, however, control how you respond.”

The response speaks for itself. Parkland routed William Allen 145-5 on April 19.

“Allen does not have as much depth as us,” Ott said in assessing his club’s performance against the Canaries, while praising the work of the Allen coaching staff to prepare the athletes they do have.

Parkland sprinter Naeema Salau won the 100-meter dash in 12.4 second and in the process earned a number one East Penn Conference overall rank, while teammate Ivy Dias finished the 200-meter race in 27 seconds.

Madeleine Battista made a 4-foot, 11-inch high jump, while Coral Shivok had a 10-foot, 6-inch pole vault.

Grace Nation, a consistently superior performer, made a 15-foot, 11-inch long jump against Allen. She also had a 35-foot, 6-inch triple jump to earn a number one EPC ranking. Other outstanding performances against the Canaries included Mikayla-Anne Woodring, who achieved a 33-foot, 3-inch shot put toss, and Sonya Shivok hurled an 87-foot, 2-inch discus throw.

“We have a number of top athletes across each of the different areas,” Ott said. “This balance is the key to having success as a team. The results on the track and in the field proved that we have resilient young adults who want to focus on improving and moving forward.”