North Pocono begins 2023 right where it ended 2022 – at the top of the Big School boys listings in the first Riverfront Sports Super Six Track and Field Power Rankings of District 2 teams of this season.
The rankings were released early Tuesday afternoon, hours before the Opening Day of conference action in track and field.
Three Wyoming Valley Conference teams lead the other rankings. The Holy Redeemer boys, Dallas girls and Lake-Lehman girls all open the season holding No. 1 spots.
Last year’s final No. 1 teams all open this season in the rankings, but Wyoming Area had no chance of remaining in the top position in Small School boys.
Both Wyoming Area teams make the move from Class 2A to 3A this season, going from the Small School to the Big School rankings.
The rankings combine an assessment of teams’ strength for both dual meet and invitational/championship meet competition.
North Pocono thrived in both a year ago, winning the Lackawanna Track Conference Division 2 and District 2 Class 3A boys championships.
The Trojans are followed in the Big School boys rankings, in order, by Valley View, Hazleton Area, Abington Heights, Crestwood and Wyoming Area.
Valley View and Abington Heights shared the LTC Division 1 title with Scranton last season.
Crestwood on WVC Division 1.
Wyoming Area won WVC Division 2 and District 2 Class 2A.
Dallas opens the season as the No. 1 Big School girls team after going undefeated as champion of WVC Division 1 last season.
The Lady Mountaineers are followed by: Abington Heights, Wallenpaupack, Hazleton Area, Wyoming Area and Crestwood.
Abington Heights, the 15-time defending LTC Division 1 champion, has already won a non-league meet from Wallenpaupack this season.
Wallenpaupack, last year’s final No. 1 team, is the defending LTC Division 2 and District 2 Class 3A champion.
Wyoming Area won WVC Division 2 last season.
Holy Redeemer opens the season as Small School boys No. 1, followed by Mid Valley, Lake-Lehman, Dunmore, Riverside and Lakeland.
Mid Valley won the LTC Division 3 title last season.
Lake-Lehman opens as the No. 1 Small School girls team.
The Lady Knights are followed by Montrose, Holy Redeemer, Lakeland, Riverside and Susquehanna.
Montrose, last season’s final No. 1 team, is the defending LTC Division 4 and District 2 Class 2A champion.
Lakeland won LTC Division 3.
Tatum Norris makes Susquehanna into the odd team that becomes more of a threat as the meets get bigger.
The Lady Sabers finished last in arguably the weekest division in District 2, but won a state Class 2A championship a year ago with Norris supplying all the points at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships.
The opening track and field rankings, with last season’s final rankings, divisional records and district place finish:
RIVERFRONT SPORTS SUPER SIX TRACK AND FIELD POWER RANKINGS
Big School Boys
| Rank | Team | Last Rank | 2022 Division Record | 2022 District Place |
| 1 | North Pocono | 1 | 4-0 | 1st |
| 2 | Valley View | 3 | 3-1 | 3rd |
| 3 | Hazleton Area | 6 | 4-2 | 4th |
| 4 | Abington Heights | 5 | 3-1 | 6th |
| 5 | Crestwood | 2 | 6-0 | 2nd |
| 6 | Wyoming Area | 1, Small | 6-0 | 1 in 2A |
Small School Boys
| Rank | Team | Last Rank | 2022 Division Record | 2022 District Place |
| 1 | Holy Redeemer | 3 | 5-1 | 3rd |
| 2 | Mid Valley | 2 | 5-0 | 2nd |
| 3 | Lake-Lehman | 4 | 4-2 | 5th |
| 4 | Dunmore | NR | 4-1 | 6th |
| 5 | Riverside | NR | 1-4 | 8th |
| 6 | Lakeland | 6 | 3-2 | 4th |
Big School Girls
| Rank | Team | Last Rank | 2022 Division Record | 2022 District Place |
| 1 | Dallas | 3 | 6-0 | 3rd |
| 2 | Abington Heights | 2 | 4-0 | 2nd |
| 3 | Wallenpaupack | 1 | 4-0 | 1st |
| 4 | Hazleton Area | 5 | 4-2 | 7th |
| 5 | Wyoming Area | 2, Small | 6-0 | 2 in 2A |
| 6 | Crestwood | 4 | 5-1 | 6th |
Small School Girls
| Rank | Team | Last Rank | 2022 Division Record | 2022 District Place |
| 1 | Lake-Lehman | 3 | 5-1 | 4th |
| 2 | Montrose | 1 | 5-0 | 1st |
| 3 | Holy Redeemer | 4 | 4-2 | 5th |
| 4 | Lakeland | 5 | 5-0 | 6th |
| 5 | Riverside | 6 | 3-2 | 3rd |
| 6 | Susquehanna | NR | 0-5 | 10th |
