The first time Maddie Sessler ran the hurdles in competition, she qualified for the state meet.

Two years later, the Plymouth South junior boasts an impressive resume: a fourth-place finish in the 100m hurdles at the all-state meet last June, a top 10 finish at the nationals with the Panthers’ shuttle hurdle relay team , and an all-state title in the 55m hurdles during the indoor season.

“You’re mostly racing against yourself,’’ Sessler said of her specialty event.

“You always have to be watching where you’re going because you could run right into a hurdle.’’

The junior may as well have been racing against herself in the final leg of the 4x100 hurdle relay at last Sunday’s MSTCA Division 2 outdoor relays in Marshfield.

The Panthers cruised past the competition with a time of 1 minute, 4.23 seconds, nearly five seconds quicker than second-place Hingham.

Teammates Jaiden Andrews, Meghan Gallerani and Katie Romanovicz helped build the lead. Sessler finished the deal, crossing the finish line with no one else in sight.

The Panthers broke their own meet record and again qualified for nationals.

“She’s won everything there is to win, at this point,’’ said coach Jeff Tracey.

“To see the excitement she just had, winning that race, it’s awesome. Because for her teammates, it’s a much bigger deal than it should be for her.’’

Hurdlers make valuable track athletes. Their running and jumping ability gives them the versatility to excel in multiple events, and a number of the top programs in the region rely on that resourcefulness.

“The kids that do the hurdles are usually the best overall athletes,’’ Tracey said.

“All of our hurdlers are kids that we can throw into any of the sprints and are also kids that can do the jumps and the javelins.

BC High junior Michael Mecha finished fourth in the triple jump at last year’s all-state meet. The Randolph resident also runs the 100-meter hurdles. Classmate Luke Sideropoulos, a junior from Hanover, ran the 600 and 4x400 during the indoor season. He also placed ninth in the 400 hurdles at last year’s Division 1 meet.

“It’s a common double,’’ said BC High coach John Normant, referring to hurdling and jumping.

“They’ll often run a relay late [as well] because they already bring that speed.’’

Miler Colm Feeney applauds his teammates for their versatility.

“It’s a huge asset to the team,’’ said Feeney, of Braintree.

“We know Luke and Mike can go to whatever event we need them.’’

To stay in shape in the offseason, Normant asks his hurdlers to do squats and box jumps.

Added Mansfield boys’ coach Judy Collins, “Those guys just have to do a lot of reps on the track.’’

“Get into the weight room, work on flexibility. Stuff, in preseason, they have to do on their own. There’s no shortcuts.’’

Sophomores Jareme DiLorenzo (100) and Mike Shannon (400) run the hurdles for the Hornets.

“We do a lot of quick agility and sprints,’’ DiLorenzo said of the offseason regimen.

“A lot of stuff to keep our hips loose . . . If you hit the first hurdle, you still have nine more.’’

While Collins coaches up her sophomores, Notre Dame Academy coach Rick Kates has two seasoned hurdlers: junior Peri Chase (Cohasset) and senior Gabby Sillari (Kingston) in the 100 and 400, respectively.

“They’re returning, proven veterans who do well in those big meets,’’ Kates said.

“I would expect them to be right up there in the D2 meet and the [All]-State meet.’’

As a junior last year, Sillari was fifth in Division 2 in the 400. She’ll also competed in the pentathlon, which includes hurdles, shot put, long jump, high jump and the 800.

Chase is building off an appearance in the 55m hurdles at the Division 3 meet indoors.

“It’s a combination of different things: speed, technique,’’ Kates said.

“I tend to look at the biomechanics of their gait, their strength.’’

Learning the fundamentals can take time.

“It was really hard trying to get down the steps and everything,’’ said Plymouth South junior Jaiden Andrews.

“It’s just been crazy to see how far I’ve come.’’ Tracey believes she has a chance to place in the Division 2 meet.

Her older sister, Jayci, was a member of South’s relay hurdle team a year ago. This year, as a freshman at Bridgewater State, she has won seven MASCAC Track Athlete of the Week honors between the indoor and outdoor seasons.

“To lose Jayci this year and run a faster time is pretty impressive,’’ Tracey said.

Jayci helped her younger sister master the intricacies of the hurdle.

“You have to be a little bit reckless,’’ Tracey said.

“You have to have a short memory because pretty much anyone who does the hurdles is going to fall at some point.’’

But the transition wasn’t too difficult for Sessler. As a sophomore, she finished fourth at in the 100 hurdles at the all-state met. Sessler also competes in the high jump and long jump.

“It translates into my jumping a lot,’’ Sessler said of hurdling.

“To practice for long jump we’ll jump over a hurdle into the pit so just knowing how to do that helps.’’

She is also a standout forward on the South girls’ soccer team.

“There are a couple of pictures out there where I’m playing soccer and someone’s going to slide tackle and I’m just hurdling right over them,’’ Sessler said with a laugh.

“Perfect form.’’

Whether she’s deking past center backs or blazing by competitors on the track, one thing remains clear; put a hurdle in front of Maddie Sessler, and she’ll clear it.

“She’s the best hurdler I’ve coached,’’ Tracey said after the state relay win.

“Probably the best hurdler I ever will coach, so I’m pretty lucky right now.’’

Matt MacCormack can be reached at matt.maccormack@globe.com.