OBSERVER File Photo The Dunkirk/Silver Creek 1,600-meter relay team of Michael Hanlon, Nathan Carlson, Johnee Thomas and Lucas Lawrie run in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex this morning.

STATEN ISLAND — Early this morning six local athletes will partake in the festivities across the state at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

While most of track and field you compete individually, the first local athletes to be put to the test will be working as a team, the Dunkirk/Silver Creek 1,600-meter relay team.

At 11 a.m. the trials for the 1,600-meter relays will begin and looking for their best runs of the season are Michael Hanlon, Nathan Carlson, Johnee Thomas and Lucas Lawrie. The Dunkirk/Silver Creek quartet advanced to the state championships with a run of 3:28.83 at the Section VI State Qualifiers two weeks ago, but their best run came at the SPIRE Scholastic Showcase Meet a month ago with a time of 3:27.03.

The best time in the event this year was ran by Section IX’s Newburgh Free Academy at the 116th Millrose Games with an incredible finish at 3:16.68. The other teams to run a faster time than the Dunkirk/Silver Creek quartet are Section I’s Suffern at 3:24.31, Section VIII’s Freeport at 3:22.84 and Section XI’s Longwood at 3:26.41.

Shortly after Michael Hanlon, Nathan Carlson, Johnee Thomas and Lucas Lawrie take the track for their trials, a pair of local individual runners will compete in the 300 meters.

Coming in as the Section VI Champion is Falconer/Frewsburg/Randolph/Maple Grove’s Talon Rowland running a first-place time of 35.43 at the Kerr-Pegula Field House at Houghton College. Williamsville South’s Auralleus Hicks finished right behind Rowland for second, but Jamestown’s Jarren Cotter also met the state standard with a pace of 36.75 to join this weekend’s event.

The top time ran in the state this season was by Jaylin Santiago of Fordham Prep at 34.15 in the Catholic High School Athletic Association Intersectional Championship.

Also racing ahead of Rowland’s time are Andrew Fasone of Section I’s Somers at 34.87, Neil Howard of Section II’s Taconic Hills at 34.68, Ryan Rauber of Section III’s Tully at 35.37, Bradock Salisbury of Section IV’s Horesheads at 34.99, Perrion Williams of Section V’s Benjamin Franklin Media Arts at 34.77, Brailyn Jimenez of Section VIII’s Hempstead at 35.36, Aaron Williams of Section IX’s Middletown at 35.00 and Kaiden White of Section XI’s West Islip at 34.50.

The trials for Rowland and Cotter begin around 1 p.m.

If any of the local runners qualify for the finals, the 300 meters is a quick turnaround at 3:10 p.m. and the 1,600-meter relay final will take place about an hour later at 4:15 p.m.

The event will be streamed on the NFHS Network.