The Whitehall track and field team reached the finish line in 2013 with another solid performance from both the boys and girls.

The boys proved to be one of the better teams in the conference, posting a 6-3 record, one of those wins coming against a deep Easton Area High School team. The girls finished the season 4-5, and were just a handful of points from a winning record, according to head coach James Sebesta.

Their effort throughout the year kept them competitive in every meet, relying on a strong stable of athletes to make 2013 another successful year.

"I thought it was a good year," said Sebesta.

Sebesta said that one key to their success this season was their ability to capture points in a number of events.

"We were really balanced," he said.

Whether it was Decontee Krayee or Arianie Pizarro getting points for the girls in the sprints, or Jake Wygant, Kenneth Christine-Mann and Stephen Buss nabbing points in the throws for the boys, the Zephyrs were able to mine almost every event for points whenever they stepped on the track.

The season also had some noteworthy occurrences led by the boys 4x800 team, twice setting the school record in that event. The foursome of Michael Leonhardt, J.C. Falcon, Michael Eible and Brian Plucinsky established the new mark of 8:06.24. They also qualified for the state tournament and will look to make more history next year as 3/4 of the team is back.

Angela Stella was another prime performer, earning a trip to Shippensburg in the 800 meters. The junior will be back next year, looking to make a return visit to the PIAA Track and Field Championships. Stella currently holds the school record in the 800 meters, setting that mark in 2012 when she crossed the line in 2:24.30.

As the team looks ahead, Sebesta said that they'll lose the bulk of their throwers on both the boys and girls teams. Standout seniors Mikaela Fedor, Shay Gimbel and Nicole Umbenhauer will all graduate, leaving a huge void in the shot, discus and javelin events. Similarly, the boys lose ace performers Wygant, Christine-Mann and Buss, all of whom were capable of taking firsts in the throws.

"That's a lot of points for us [to lose], especially on the girls side," said Sebesta. "We've been spoiled the last three years."

However, thrower Nick Nejad will return. Nejad's performance in the javelin provided the boys with a slew of points throughout the season.

They'll also have to replace a talented crop of sprinters with the departure of John Johnson, James Wah and Nick Shafnisky.

Conversely, the girls should remain strong in the sprints as Krayee, Pizarro, Jillian Kreglow and Ivanna Jones all return, giving the girls team a solid foundation on which to build.

The girls team will also benefit from long distance runner Emily Brand's return as well as Stella in the middle distances and relays.

In the field events, Taylor Hamscher's versatility will once again prove valuable next year, and sophomore LeAnna Cruz is expected to build on a solid year in the middle distances.

The boys lose Leonhardt who was a fixture in the middle distances the last few years, but they return a number of talented runners, led by Plucinsky, Eible, Clavin Schneck and Gabe Lamm.

Additionally, runner/jumper Falcon returns, providing the Zephs with a dual threat. Sebesta said he's also someone who is a valued leader on the team, ready with a word of encouragement that's coupled with a fierce competitive streak.

With Falcon in the fold, Sebesta said that with three runners returning from their record-setting run.

"We just need to find a fourth to fill that final spot," said Sebesta.

The jumps will see the return of talented Kyleem Harrison who's another versatile athlete who can do a number of events. Also, Isaiah Carey returns and will be another valuable asset to their 2014 success.

Daniel El-Hajj will return as will Kurt Koehler, both of whom should vie for top finishes in the runs and jumps.

The girls will also return Kelsey Millets, and Kelsey Antonchak.

The girls lose seniors Lindsey Bulcavage, Kayla Cunningham, Kathyrn DeLeo, Emily Graveno, Jessica Kroboth, Kelsey Magilton, Christine Metrick, Melanie Murphy, Natalee Rackus, Cassandra Schmidt, Kaytlyn Suranofsky and Brianna Walker.

Departing the program on the boys side are Domenic Continenza, Aaron Genevese, Michael Hozza, Josh Levano, Andrew Lloyd, Damon Meckes, Wigberto Ortiz, Suken Patel, Jacob Rex and Justin Sommer.

Sebesta said that they'll lose a lot of quality athletes but looks forward to the prospects of next year.