Progress can be a process - both as a team and individually.

The first half of the track and field season has seen development on both fronts for area teams.

A pair of programs took another step forward on Tuesday.

The Northwestern Lehigh girls remained undefeated with wins over Northern Lehigh and Palisades, while the Tigers split with the Bulldogs and Pirates in the boys meet.

Sweep success

In the girls meet, Northwestern posted an 89-60 win over Palisades and recorded a 99.5-50.5 victory over Northern Lehigh. The Pirates also secured a 83-65 win over the Bulldogs in the girls meet.

And little by little, athletes are performing with an eye toward the postseason.

Northwestern’s Faith Yost is familiar with performing at a high level. The Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Yost has picked up right where she left off last season.

The senior posted wins in the 100 and 300 hurdles, along with the high jump and long jump on Tuesday.

Yost was sixth in the Class 3A high jump at states a year ago.

“Today went very well,” said Yost. “I surprised myself in high jump. Before I had to go run the 300 meter hurdles, I had a 5-1 jump, made it on the first attempt, and I was told I was five to six inches over. That was by far my best jump this season, and if I didn’t have 300 meter hurdles, I’m pretty confident I would have been similar to where I was at the end of last season. So that went really well, and I was still able to take a win out of that event.

“(In the) 300 meter hurdles, I PR’d for the season. Long jump wasn’t the best performance because I was tired at the end of the meet. But I’m very consistent, and that will help at the end of the season.”

Yost started her day with a win in the 100 hurdles, crossing the line in 15.5. She bounced to a win in the high jump before running a 49.0 in the 300 hurdles. The Tigers swept the top three spots in the event, with Megan Fornwalt placing second and Katie Brensinger third.

Yost’s day ended with a leap of 16-4.25 to win the long jump.

The Tigers (5-0) also had a strong run to win the 400 relay with a time of 51.7 by the team of Kaia Grantham, Abby Pomajevich, Carsyn Van Norman and Bailey Murray.

Northwestern also got wins from Grace Yost in the pole vault (8-9), and was strong in the throwing events with Brensinger winning the shot put (32-3) and Hannah Gober placing first in the javelin (89-7).

Northern Lehigh’s Katelynn Barthold won the 1600 Tuesday in 5:50.0, an event she was a state qualifier in a year ago. She was also second in the long jump behind Yost, and was a member of the winning 1600 relay team with Moffitt, Gordon Evelina Mayak in 4:21.20.

“I’m definitely not happy right now where I am with the half-mile and the mile, but long jump and the 400 and 4x4 (1600 relay), I feel like I’ve improved a lot,” said Barthold. “I only ran the 400 once last year, but I’m going to be running it more this year, so I’m kind of excited about that.”

The Bulldogs (1-4) placed first and second in the 400 with Mikayla Gordon getting the win in 1:04.80 and Natalie Moffitt placing second (1:05.40). Emma Heil also won the 3200 with a time of 13:35.10, while Caitlin Kirk won the discus with a toss of 88-00.

Tigers split

The Tigers picked up a 113-36 win over Northern Lehigh in the boys meet, but fell to Palisades 89-61. The Pirates also recorded a 97-42 win over the Bulldogs.

Northwestern (3-2) got a big day from Colin Myers in the throwing events. Myers won the shot put with a mark of 42-6, and the discus with a throw of 137-8, both personal bests.

“I think a decent bit of strength, and then agility and speed,” Myers said of what’s helped him in those events.

Myers is constantly working to improve.

“I tweaked my release today because in practice I couldn’t throw anything in 110 (feet) this week because I couldn’t get it to spin,” Myers said of the discus. “So I tweaked my release today, and I got it to spin.

“It’s a lot of things to think of when you’re in the circle.”

The Tigers also got victories from Shane Leh in the 110 hurdles with a personal best 17.4, and Cayden Kuhns in the pole vault (9-9). Leh also placed second in the 300 hurdles, crossing the line in 42.8, under his previous mark of 44.4 and the same as winner Bryce Guthier of Palisades, who won on judge’s decision.

Kuhns, who was sixth in the pole vault in Class 3A a year ago with (A) height of 12-3, is eager to soar past that this season.

“My season, I kind of had a rough start to it. I’m figuring out technical stuff with pole vault, so I wanted to come into the meet jumping higher than I previously have, but I kind of plateaued,” said Kuhns. “But I just have to figure out more technical aspects. It’s taken a long time to have those click. But by the end of the season, I’m hoping progress and jump 13 (feet).”

Nick Frame - competing in track and field for the first time this season for Northern Lehigh (0-5) - has been stellar this spring. That success continued Tuesday, as Frame tied in the high jump (5-11) for first with teammate Izaiah Ramos, (AND ALSO) won the long jump (20-8) and the javelin (143-1).

“I never did track before, so I wanted to come out and see what I could do before I head to college,” said Frame, who will play football at Bloomsburg next fall. “And it’s turned out to be really fun.”

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

... Kuhns uses his background off the track to help him in the pole vault. “I was a gymnast for 10 years, so I kind of have that awareness, being upside down and stuff,” said Kuhns. “So our coach told me to try pole vault, and I’m doing it in college next year at Ithaca. So I’m excited for that, it’s going to be fun. I’m hoping to finish this season strong.”

BOYS

Palisades 89, Northwestern 61

Palisades 97, Northern Lehigh 42

Northwestern 113, Northern Lehigh 36

100 - 1. Gianluca LeBlanc (P) 11.20, 2. Evan Anderson (NW), 3. Aston Fitzgerald (P); 200 - 1. Gianluca LeBlanc (P) 23.10, 2. 2. Lucas Bottelier (P), 3. Evan Anderson (NW); 400 - 1. Hugh Salva (P) 53.70, 2. Benjamin Bachman (NW), 3. Ethan Kozlowski (NW); 800 - 1. Thomas Smigo (P) 2:06.60, 2. Greyson Wellings (NW), 3. Samuel Bower (NW); 1600 - 1. Thomas Smigo (P) 4:30.80, 2. Matthew Santana (NW), 3. Sean Kershner (NW); 3200 - 1. Thomas Smigo (P) 10:22.00, 2. Matthew Santana (NW), 3. Xander Giandomenico (NW); 110H - 1. Shane Leh (NW) 17.4, 2. Mason Campbell (P), 3. Brendan Miller (NW); 300H - 1. Bryce Guthier (P) 42.80*, 2. Shane Leh (NW), 3. Mason Campbell (P); 400 relay - 1. Palisades 45.60; 1600 relay - 1. Palisades 3:33.10; 3200 relay - 1. Northwestern (Braidon Berk, Sean Kershner, Logan Mesics, Zachary Santana) 10:25.90; High jump - 1. Nick Frame (NL), Izaiah Ramos (NL) 5-11, 2. Trevor Johnson (P); Pole vault - 1. Cayden Kuhns (NW) 9-9, 2. Seth Ford (P), 3. Blake Reinard (P); Long jump - 1. Nick Frame (NL) 20-08.0, 2. Lucas Bottelier (P), 3. Trevor Johnson (P); Triple jump - 1. Lucas Bottelier (P) 42-2.0, 2. Trevor Johnson (P), 3. Izaiah Ramos (NL); Shot put - 1. Colin Myers (NW) 42-06.0, 2. Sheadon Carr (P), 3. Ethan Karpowich (NL); Discus - 1. Colin Myers (NW) 137-08, 2. Landon Moll (NL), 3. Joseph Zaleski (P); Javelin

- 1. Nick Frame (NL) 143-01, 2. Bailey Smith (NL), 3. Brendan Miller (NW).

GIRLS

Northwestern 89, Palisades 60

Palisades 83, Northern Lehigh 65

Northwestern 99.5-Northern Lehigh 50.5

100 - 1. Kaylei Gruver (P) 12.7, 2. Carsyn Van Norman (NW), 3. Bailey Murray (NW); 200 - 1. Kaylei Gruver (P) 27.0*, 2. Carsyn Van Norman (NW), 3. Kaia Grantham (NW); 400 - 1. Mikayla Gordon (NL) 1:04.80, 2. Natalie Moffitt (NL), 3. Abby Mount (P); 800 - 1. Amelia Smith (P) 2:36.60, 2. Sophia Cornell (NW), 3. Haley Dubois (NW); 1600 - 1. Katelynn Barthold (NL) 5:50.00, 2. Angelina Klein (NW), 3. Amelia Smith (P); 3200 - 1. Emma Heil (NL) 13:35.10, 2. Giada Smith (P), 3. Delaney Szwast (NL); 100H - 1. Faith Yost (NW) 15.5, 2. Jillian Shulz (P), 3. Kyra Kochanowicz (P); 300H - 1. Faith Yost (NW) 49.0, 2. Megan Fornwalt (NW), 3. Katie Brensinger (NW); 400 relay - 1. Northwestern (Kaia Grantham, Abby Pomajevich, Carsyn Van Norman, Bailey Murray) 51.70; 1600 relay - 1. Northern Lehigh (Natalie Moffitt, Mikayla Gordon, Katelynn Barthold, Evelina Mayak) 4:21.20; 3200 relay - 1. Palisades 10:39.90; High jump - 1. Faith Yost (NW) 5-1*, 2. Zoe Hathaway (NL), 3. Paige Casterline (P); Pole vault - 1. Grace Yost (NW) 8-9, 2. Amy Andreoli (NW), 3. Riley Haubert (P); Long jump - 1. Faith Yost (NW) 16-4.25, 2. Katelynn Barthold (NL), 3. Paige Casterline (P); Triple jump - 1. Paige Casterline (P) 31-10.00, 2. Kendall Snyder (NL), 3. Lilah Unangst (NW); Shot put - 1. Katie Brensinger (NW) 32-3.0, 2. Sadie Fenstermaker (NW), 3. Daisy Richards (NL); Discus - 1. Caitlin Kirk (NL) 88-00, 2. Sadie Fenstermaker (NW), 3. Keona Dyer (NL); Javelin

- 1. Hannah Gober (NW) 89-7, 2. Dekota Barthold (NL), 3. Kaitlyn Carson (P).

* - Judge’s decision.