The Whitehall track and field team got out of the blocks quickly with a win over visiting Pocono Mountain East last week.

The girls defeated the Cardinals 83-67, while the boys won 94.33-49.67 at the first dual meet of the season.

With a young squad still feeling their way through a lot of events, head coach Jim Sebesta was focused more on the big picture in their first meet of the season.

“Just give me a good effort,” said Sebesta.

The boys responded by getting points in every event, while the girls were just shut out in the high jump and discus.

Sprinter Amanda Crooks was one of many athletes who fulfilled her coach’s request, winning the 100 and 200 meters, The fleet-footed junior won the 100 in 12.0. She defeated talented Khyasia Caldwell by 1/10 of a second to get the victory. Crooks won the 200 in 25.9, easily outpacing PME’s Nia Harris who finished second in 28.1.

Crooks capped off her day with a first-place finish in the 4x100. The foursome of Crooks, Kate Bonshak, Kylee Cunningham and Angel Bacon crossed the line in 51.7.

Another sprinter who helped pile up points was Helen Davis. Davis was third in both the 100 (13.0) and the 200 (28.6).

Sebesta said that Davis who is someone “who shows up and competes.” She has become a tough runner who can get them some critical points in all her races.

In the 400, Kassidy Cunningham had the difficult task of lining up against Caldwell, the district winner in this event the last season. Cunningham came in second, hitting the tape in 1:06.4. She also raced in the 1,600, winning the mile in 6:14.

In the 800, Caterine Yunes Cosme finished third, crossing the line in 3:07.2.

Devon Roberts won the 3,200 for the Zephs in 13:12, giving them a strong showing in the distance races.

Aliyah Barkley won the 100 meter hurdles in 17.9, while Madelyn Mertz was second in 18.5. Those roles were revered in the 300 hurdles as Mertz finished first (53.1) and Barkley finished second (56.4).

Sebesta said that Barkley is emerging as a someone who can help them in a number of areas. In addition to hurdles she is also jumping. Sebesta said that once she gets more experience and her confidence grows, she’ll be someone to watch.

In addition to the 4x100, the girls also won the 4x400 and 4x800 relays.

The triple jump saw two top three finishes as Camila Medina was second (28-04.25), while Hayley Fenstermaker was third at 28-03.50.

Savanah Rivera finished second in the pole vault at 8 feet, while Elizabeth Rosario was third at 6-6.

In the throws, Whitehall swept the javelin with Logan Miller (106-09), Cheyenne Shook (92-10) and Taylor Rummel (85-08) taking the top three spots.

They also won the shot as Ques Clark was tops at 27-08.50, while Cameryn Evans took second at 26-06.50.

The boys also shined in the sprints as Dez Boykin and Martin Labib finished first and second respectively in the 100. Sebesta said that Boykin was able to lean for the win, edging his teammate 11.3 to 11.4 for the victory.

Labib was also part of a sweep in the 200 as he led that group with a 23.3 performance. Kresstoph Whittick finished second at 23.9, while Makhi Lee was third at 24.2.

Sebesta said that the 200 results were one of their best efforts in that event in a couple of years. He said that Labib is someone who works really hard and it’s starting to pay off.

The boys also swept the 400 as Zahir Linton led the pack (55.9), while Lee was second (57.8) and Jhodari Reid was third at 59.4.

In the mile, senior Andrew Hawk separated himself from the pack to claim victory, finishing in 5:14, while Caleb Staub did the same in the 3,200 with a 12:02.2 mark.

Whittick was able to break through in both hurdle races, ruining the Cardinals’ run at a sweep in those events. He finished third in the 110 and second in the 300 at 45.6.

Eric Johnson and Angel Falcon took the top two spots in the high jump with Johnson clearing 5-6, while Falcon cleared 5-4.

Gavin Wood continues to excel in the pole vault for the Zephs, winning the event with an 11-foot vault. Finishing second was Jordan Rivera who cleared 10-6, a personal best for the senior, said Sebesta.

Alan Negrete was second in the long jump (18-10.50), while Tavion George was second in the triple jump with a 39-00 mark.

The throws were highlighted by their two standout seniors Tyler Meyers and Jackson Buskirk. Those two easily outdistanced the field with Meyers winning the discus with a 129-10 mark, while Buskirk was first in the javelin with a 152-10 toss.

The Zephs swept the javelin as Lucas Souders came in second with a 120-09 mark, while Michael Bogucki was third at 117-09.

They also won the shot put as Julio Diaz took first with a 37-80 mark. Java Reyes was third at 32.60.

Sebesta said that he really “loved the effort they gave” and hopes it will continue as the season progresses. It was the first time a lot of the athletes experienced varsity competition and he said they did well in their respective events.