One of Brooke's Gilson's goals for the Whitehall swimming season is to get back to states for the third consecutive season, her last opportunity as she recently began her senior season.

Chances are and barring injury, Gilson will likely return later this winter. In the meantime, she plans to make the most of the season for herself and her Zephyr teammates.

With a solid core returning, Whitehall's girls' team should be a contender for the Lehigh Valley Conference crown.

One recent indicator could have been their recent defeat in a close match to Liberty, ones that usually have involved a wide margin of victory for the Hurricanes.

"We have a number of girls coming back and we should have a good season," said Gilson. "We swam a good meet against Liberty and we were with them the entire time. They (Liberty) had some faster swimmers at the end.

"But we know we have the confidence and the talent to have a strong season."

Her coach shares the same philosophy and believes Gilson can be a key igniter during the winter months.

"We have a group of girls who have been swimming together for awhile," said head coach Pete Rile. "They all have grown into steady and dependable swimmers over the past couple of years.

"Brooke (Gilson) has gained some valuable experience being out at states and has become a better swimmer because of it. I know she is looking forward to a big year and she is off to a good start for us so far."

Gilson has been among the top swimmers in each of her events this winter as she has been very active on various fronts in individual events and relays. It is common for her to swim a number of events, but she'll focus her attention on 500 freestyle and the 200 IM, events in which she has been successful at the district meets enabling her to get a ticket to the state finals.

Entering her final season, Gilson went about her business as usual, as she swam for the Parkland Aquatic Cub this summer. When she isn't swimming, Gilson is an active member of the school's National Honor Society as well as the Spanish and Leo clubs.

Next fall, Gilson will continue her swimming career at Bloomsburg University, where she will pursue a degree in chemistry. Until then, she'll look to concoct the right mix in the pool.

"I haven't done that well when I have been to states," Gilson said. "But I am looking forward to this season to see what we can do in the (Lehigh Valley) conference and then districts.

"If I can get back to states, I know I can do better."

Whether she does or not, Gilson surely will be making some more waves for the Zephyrs this winter.