In this year’s Whitehall High School yearbook, Taylor George and Ivanna Jones were named the most likely to remain best friends forever.

Their special bond was formed on the basketball court and the on playing fields in middle school where both were multi-sport athletes. It continued in high school where they both carved out outstanding athletic careers that will long resonate after their graduation.

Jones was a standout in three sports, the owner of three track and field records. Her accomplishments went far beyond the halls of Whitehall, as she was recognized among all her Lehigh Valley peers as the female athlete of the year by a local publication.

George was synonymous with Whitehall sports, a fixture on the basketball court and the soccer field since her freshman season. She added track and field onto that résumé this year and was part of the 4x100 relay team that placed second at the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Championships.

The consummate playmaker, George was extremely adept at running the offense, helping to lead her teams to winning seasons this year.

The two friends shared the soccer field in the fall, the basketball court in winter, and the track in spring. Through all those seasons they’ve been together, two athletes who will one day share the stage when they get inducted in Whitehall’s Hall of Fame. That’s why this pair has been chosen as co-winners for the Whitehall-Coplay Press’ Female Athletes of the Year.

Jones said that her senior season was one she’ll long remember. While she excelled in soccer and basketball, track and field is the arena where she wanted to leave her mark. She had set the school record for the long jump in her junior year, and was now setting her sights on the high and triple jump marks her senior season.

“I really wanted to break those records since I started,” said Jones.

Jones accomplished that feat, establishing records in two jumps, while tying the high jump mark at the Allentown School District Invitational. Both the long jump and triple jump records came in the district finals when the pressure was at its zenith.

“That was a great feeling,” she said.

Jones said that the she goes into every meet with the mindset of establishing a personal best, and if she somehow didn’t make it to the PIAA Track and Field Championships, she wanted the final jumps of her career to be her best.

Jones didn’t have to worry, qualifying for the states in all three jumps. She was a two-time state qualifier and this season placed 13th in the high jump and 15th in the long jump, ending her illustrious track and field career.

Jones said that her path to track and field was set in motion by her ability to jump on the basketball court.

“I noticed I could jump high while I was playing basketball,” said Jones.

That led to her focusing on the jumps once she began her track career. It was also a sport where success or failure were entirely on her shoulders.

“I liked that fact that when I would jump, it was my specialty and you’re relying on yourself,” said Jones. “It’s just you.”

Her leaping ability will now take her across the state as she’ll be part of Robert Morris University’s track and field team in the fall.

Whitehall head track and field coach James Sebesta said that Jones was a pleasure to coach, someone who was motivated to do her best.

“She was always working towards her goals no matter if she was hurting or not.” said Sebesta. She was a quiet competitor who didn’t say a lot but knew what she had to do and went out and did it.”

Jones was also part of a soccer team that finished 15-5-1 and made it to the district finals. The forward tallied 26 goals. She was a relentless attacker, and that fierce competitive drive helped propel the Zephyrs into the postseason. She was also named a first team EPC all-star at forward.

On the basketball court, Jones was a forward who often had the assignment of guarding the opposing team’s best front court player. She was a dynamic rebounder who used her jumping skills to nab boards, and was also a reliable scorer inside, averaging 10 points per game. She also helped her team get to the postseason in both the league and district playoffs.

Jones said that her senior season will hold many memories. In each sport she was part of a winning team that made the postseason. However, winning the 2014 district championship in soccer stands out, along with her school records in track.

She said that her parents provided a huge lift, supporting her in everything she did.

“They were always there for me,” she said. “They always took the time out.”

George knows a little about slaying Goliaths. As a small school that competes in the EPC against much bigger schools whose pool of athletes easily outnumber Whitehall, the road to victory was often a giant task.

Still, Whitehall has had its share of success the last four years thanks to George’s commitment to excellence and her tireless determination. It would have been easy to get discouraged at her size, a player who isn’t 5-foot who competes against bigger opponents on a daily basis.

George learned a long time ago that it’s not your size that determines success, but your desire. Her height was out of her control; she had to focus on what she could control.

“I just gave it everything I had,” said George. “That was my mindset. The amount of effort I could give was in my control.”

That effort helped the field hockey team to a 17-5 record, tallying three goals for the Zephyrs this season. But it was her role as a playmaker that made her stand out, notching eight assists her senior season. That play earned her a second team EPC all-star nod.

The team defeated Liberty in the first round of the district playoffs and were ousted by Stroudsburg in the semifinals.

George pulled double duty in the fall, playing soccer as well. Once again her skill set made her one of the best midfielders in the conference. She helped the soccer team to a 15-5-1 record, scoring six goals and tallying three assists in her final campaign. George scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick against Nazareth to put them in the district finals. She also earned third team EPC all-star recognition this year.

George said she liked midfield because of the action. Her style was to be aggressive and look to distribute the ball.

“I was always looking to make things happen,” she said.

Communication came in handy as well, and George made sure her teammates knew what to expect.

George was also a four-year starter on the basketball team. This is the sport where George really left her mark, both offensively and defensively. She could alter the course of a game from the perimeter, dropping threes in bunches, or deftly steal the ball from an opposing player to begin the fastbreak.

Head coach Dwight Repsher said that she had an impact on the game on both ends of the court.

“Her steals alone set her apart,” said Repsher. “She created a lot of offense from her defense.”

The senior said that her goals this year were to make it to districts and be an 1,000-point scorer. She fulfilled the district goal, playing a prominent role in a stellar season which saw the Zephyrs defeat a defending state champ, knock off Parkland who was undefeated in the EPC, and upend reigning district champs Nazareth in the same season. They finished with a 15-10 record.

She finished her senior season with 321 points and ended her brilliant career with 885 points. This was accomplished against teams whose game plan was to stop her. George was also named EPC second team all-star.

“That showed what a small school can really do,” said George. “Being able to compete like that against the bigger schools just shows you what we accomplished.”

This season George also competed in track. She was part of a 4x100 team that narrowly missed setting a school record and finished second to Liberty at the EPC Championships. Once again she teamed up with Jones in the relay, marking her final athletic event as a student-athlete at Whitehall.

George said that she’ll be attending Temple University in the fall. She isn’t going to play any sports for now, but said that window is still open.

George said that her family has played a big role in her athletic career. Her parents traveled to all her games, in season and off season. No matter what sport it was, they were there.

“They have been supporting me every step of the way,” she said.

Her fondest memory is winning the district championship in soccer, as well slaying the Trojans in basketball this season. But it’s also the friendships she forged, especially with Ivanna.

“She’s the best friend I could ever have,” said George.