With the recently completed Allentown School District Invitational, the Whitehall track and field team got a little taste of what's in store for them in the upcoming postseason.

The annual ASD meet serves as a primer for both the league and district meets, serving as a barometer of where individuals and relay teams stand as the league and district championships approach.

This season 29 schools competed at J. Birney Crum Stadium on Friday, with Whitehall grabbing third place among the boys, finishing with 47.61 points. The Invitational on the boys side was won by East Stroudsburg North with 76.11.

Head coach James Sebesta said it was tough going for everyone under adverse conditions, but they still managed some stellar performances among the area's best.

In the 3,200, Gabe Lamm captured first place, crossing the line in 9:48.93. Sebesta said that Lamm was trailing Pleasant Valley's Seth Slavin by 60 meters with 30 meters remaining in the race. However, Slavin, who had got off to a blistering pace, ran out of gas, allowing Lamm to eventually overtake him in the final few meters to win the race.

Sebesta said that Lamm knew that he still had an opportunity for a win given his experience in cross country with Slavin. He simply stuck to his game plan, having enough left in the tank to pull out the victory.

"Gabe just ran his race, which was smart," said Sebesta. "He caught him in the end, and won the race."

Saquon Barkley was nearly Whitehall's other top finisher. Barkley was edged in the 100 meters by Bethlehem Catholic's Donovan West, losing by a scant four hundredths of a second. He crossed the line in 11.48, with West taking first in 11.44.

Sebesta said that Barkley got out leaned at the wire, an adjustment he'll make as they head into the postseason. With Barkley being a first-year track athlete, Sebesta said that it's something that comes with experience, and the senior continues to learn.

Barkley was also part of the boys 4x100 team that finished third, crossing the line in 44.40. That team included Ronny Okungu, Nicholas Kovalchick and Mustafa Mitchell.

Calvin Schneck had a strong showing in the Allen Invitational as well. The junior placed third in the 800, finishing in 1:59.55, and was fourth in the 1,600, hitting the tape in 4:31.96.

Schneck has the versatility to finish among the top four in three races, as well as competing in the 4x800 relay. Sebesta's said that's a reflection of his tireless work ethic.

Their undefeated 4x800 team didn't run since Andrew Frisch is still recovering from an injury. However, Sebesta believes his foursome could have contended for the top spot and is confident that they'll be right where they need to be once the EPC Championships begin. He said that Frisch is working out now and is expected to resume his role shortly.

Tyler Meyers was able to capture 5th in the discus with a 134-4 mark.

"He's quietly making a name for himself," said Sebesta. "He just gets better. He's really hoping to pop one soon."

On the girls side, Liberty took the top spot among the competitors with 96 points. Whitehall finished 11th with 26 points.

Amanda Crooks finished 5th in the 100 meters, crossing the line in 13.32. The freshman has been among the tops in the Valley all season in the sprints, and is continuing that trend with her strong showing at ASD.

The girls stayed strong in the sprint relay, finishing fourth in the 4x100 with a time of 50.43. That group included Decontee Krayee, Kourtney Cunningham, Ivanna Jones and Crooks.

Sebesta said they performed well after coming from the Penn Relays the day before. He also expects them to be among the contenders when the postseason arrives.

Jones was extremely busy at the Invitational. In addition to relay, the junior competed in the long jump, triple and high jump, finishing third in the high with a 5-2 mark. That height actually tied for second, but she lost that spot on her number of attempts to clear the bar.

Sebesta was pleased with their performance at the Invitational, managing to get among the leaders in a number of events.

"I'm pretty happy with our day, we got a lot of fourths," said Sebesta.

In addition to the ASD Invitational, the girls 4x100 relay team also competed in the Penn Relays held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on April 23. That team consisted of Crooks, Krayee, Jones, Kourtrney Cunningham and alternate Kylee Cunningham.

Sebesta said that they finished 53rd out of 379 schools competing in the 4x100, and were able to finish second in their heat at the prestigious relay event. Additionally, they ran a personal best in that race, and then eclipsed that personal best the next day at the Allen Invitational.