Abby Dalton wasn’t trying to provide fans with an exciting race at last week’s Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Championships.

The Hornet senior would have been happier to cruise to a victory. But when Stroudsburg freshman Ciara Conboy challenged her in the final stages of the 1600-meter relay, Dalton knew what she had to do to secure her second gold medal of the meet. She finished strong and earned the win by seven hundredths of a second, finishing in 5:08.65 while Conboy came in at 5:08.72.

“I didn’t want it to be that exciting,” Dalton said. “I knew someone was coming up behind me. They were cheering for her. I saw my teammates and they all looked really scared.”

The race capped a stellar league meet for Dalton. She set personal bests while winning the 1,600 and 3,200 (11:00.83). She also ran a career best split in helping the 4x800 relay team to a second place finish. The team also posted it’s best time of the year in the event.

Dalton, who has battled an iron deficiency since cross country season, is back near 100 percent and ready for the postseason.

“I got everything health-wise solved,” she said.

While Dalton was one of just three individual Hornet medal winners at the meet. The Hornets also had many athletes finish just outside the top four places.

All three girls relays earned medals. The 400-meter relay took second place in 49.21 with the foursome of Alanna Smith, Breyanna Roper, Mackenzie Dries and Kayla Smith.

The girls 1600-meter relay team finished third in 4:07.61. That team was composed of Maddie Brown, Kayla Smith, Katharine Downey and Alanna Smith.

Junior Lindsay Lumsden took a fourth-place medal in triple jump at 35-11. Sophomore Alanna Smith placed third in the 200-meter dash at leagues. She ran a 26.35 in finals and a 26.18 in her preliminary heat.

Emmaus, which went 11-0 in the regular season to earn the EPC girls co-championship, had other athletes place in the top eight spots to earn team points and help the Hornets finish fourth overall at the league meet. But with only one gold medalist, the Hornets couldn’t overcome the top teams at the league meet.

“If you look at the league seed sheets,” said Emmaus head coach Kami Reinhard. “We have a lot of depth. Six girls in the 800. Five girls in the 200. Five girls in the 400. We have a lot of depth, we just aren’t at the top yet.

“We’re hanging in there, but we just don’t have that top-spot person beyond Abby Dalton.”

Other top five finishers for Emmaus at the league meet include Alanna Smith, who placed fifth in the 100-meter dash in 12.69. Sophomore Mackenzie Dries, who was fifth in the 400 at 1:00.09. Sophomore Anna-Scott Hand was fifth in discus at 97-10.

Stroudsburg, which also went undefeated in the regular season, won the girls title at the league meet with 89 points, followed by Easton (85.75) and Liberty (82).

Emmaus’ boys team finished 15th at leagues with seven points.

The Hornets went on to compete in this week’s District 11 Championships. See next week’s Press for coverage.