Whitehall's boys cross country team took fifth place with 120 points, and Whitehall's girls cross country team took sixth place with 168 points at the Lehigh Valley Conference Cross Country Championships on Tuesday at Bethlehem Municipal.

Whitehall junior Gabe Lamm finished the race in sixth place in 17:13, coming in first for the Zephyrs.

"The start was fast. I got up to second, and was there from the mile to the one-and-a-half mile. The pack I was with in the beginning caught up on the hills, and they got away from me on the S turns," Lamm said.

Lamm paced himself with Parkland's Grant Newman, who placed seventh in 17:15, and Freedom's Chris Kelly, who placed eighth in 17:18.

"I was basically running with them for the rest of the race, and at the last mile, I started to go for it. I was in front of them for the last mile and never saw them again," said Lamm.

Lamm is already thinking about the District 11 Cross Country Championships scheduled for Oct. 23, also at Bethlehem Municipal.

"I'm hoping next week to destroy my time and run a better race for me," he said.

Also finishing in the top-20 for the Zephyr boys was sophomore Calvin Schneck, who placed 16th in 17:47.

"I'm really happy with what I did today. At the beginning, I tried to pace myself with Gabe. If anything, I'll try to push myself harder through the straightaways [at districts]," Schneck said.

Whitehall senior Brian Plucinsky placed 19th in 17:57.

"I think I could have done a little better, but I dropped time from last year. I could have taken it out faster, picked more people off at the end, and had a longer sprint in," said Plucinsky.

In the girls race, Whitehall senior, Angela Stella, placed 19th in 21:21, coming in first for the Zephyrs.

"I feel like this is the best I've ever done on this course. It was pretty hot, especially on the hill. It felt like a stagnant heat, but the course had a nice breeze. I was actually right at the front, and I looked around like why am I up here? I thought I was going too fast," Stella said.

Stella continued on, listening intently as to her place in the race.

"Coming into the finish, I was in 25th or 26th. I counted, and there were some Parkland girls five or six ahead of me, so I passed them," said Stella.

Whitehall teammate, Emily Brand, placed 40th in 22:37, finishing second for the Zephyrs.

"I was feeling really good at the start. For the first mile, I was really pushing it. I wish I could have done a little better. The heat kind of got to me," Brand said.

Like Lamm, Brand is also thinking about districts.

"I'll go a little slower on the hill in the middle and maybe have a better kick at the end," she said.