EPC & CL Track & Field
- © Keystone Sports Extra
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Whitehall, PA - May 8, 2025: The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC) and Colonial League (CL) Track & Field Championships were held Wednesday and Thursday at Whitehall High School. The event was postponed from Tuesday and Wednesday due to weather.
The Emmaus High School girls took home the EPC trophy with 125 points. Emmaus was last on top in 2018 when they were the Co-Girls Track & Field Champions with Stroudsburg High School. Stroudsburg was the runner-up this year with 92.50 points.
The Parkland High School boys won the EPC title for the third year in a row. Parkland scored 132 points to runner-up Emmaus High School which tallied 98 points.
In the Colonial League Championship, the Southern Lehigh High School girls and boys both won. This was the girls fourth championship in a row (post COVID). It was the boys third championship in the last four years (post COVID).
The Emmaus girls won five events and placed an athlete or athletes in eleven other events. Leading the way for the Green Hornets was Madelyn McCartney, a junior, who was spectacular in winning the 3200 meter run, the 1600 meter run, and the 800 meter run. Kayla Rayne Quinones won the 100 meter hurdles (15.04) while Claudia Walls was first in the high jump (5-2). Walls also placed third in the long jump. Payton Campbell was right behind McCartney in both distance races, taking second in the 3200 meter run and fourth in the 1600 meter run.
The Parkland boys took home gold in three events and placed an athlete or athletes in fifteen others. Leading the way for the Trojans was Marcelo Castilla, a junior, who won the 800 meter run (1:58.23). Castilla was also a member of the winning 4x800 meter relay team and was a member of the 4x400 meter relay team which placed second. Jaden Bulgin won the high jump (6-5).
The Southern Lehigh girls won three events while placing an athlete or athletes in thirteen events. Leading the way for the Lady Spartans was Faith Schiffer, who won both hurdle events. She won the 300 meter hurdles in record time (44.14) as well as winning the high hurdles (15.08). Elena Johnson won the high jump (5-3) while Ella Kimmel, Mia Stanten, and Gracelyn Dickinson took one, two, three in the pole vault (8-9).
The Southern Lehigh boys took home gold in five events and placed an athlete or athletes in twelve events. Leading the way for the Spartans were Noah Tapler, who won the 100 meter dash (10.82), Jack Pavis, who won the 300 meter hurdles (40.99), and Peter Jones, who won the 800 meter run (2:00.23). The Trojans also won both the 4x800 and 4x400 relays.
Finally, there were several impressive and notable performances over the course of the two championship days, to include:
Saucon Valley’s Virginia Kraus, only a junior, won both distance races, setting a new record in the 1600 meter run in 5:00.49 (breaking a record set in 1987 by Sue Kozelnicky, Southern Lehigh, 5:00.64); Nataly Walters, Palmerton, won both the long and triple jumps and placed third in the 100 meter dash…she set two new records, one of which (triple) broke her own record, while in the long, she jumped to 19-2 (breaking a record set in 2023 by Faith Yost, Northwestern Lehigh, 18-9); Jake Rutkowitz, Palmerton, won the long and triple jumps and set a new record in the long (23-2); Brooke Nwigwe, East Stroudsburg South, won the discus with a heave of 120-1; Savina Steele, Notre Dame Green Pond, after being disqualified in the 100 meter hurdle finals, came back (a mark of a true champion) and won the 400 meter dash (57.38) and anchored the winning 4x400 meter relay; Hailey Jenkins, Catasauqua, won both the 100 meter dash (12.11) and the 200 meter dash (25.36); Julia Grant had a spectacular championship for Stroudsburg, winning the 200 meters (24.87), the 400 meters (55.87), and anchoring the winning 4x100 meter relay team (she also was a member of the 4x400 meter relay team that placed second); East Stroudsburg South’s Michael Udeh, Nasir Clark, and Jonathan Adjin-Tettey placed first, second, and fourth in the discus with Udeh throwing 140-3 to take the top spot; and Gavin Nelson, Northwestern Lehigh, leaped to an amazing 6-8 to win the high jump.
The District XI Championships are May 13-14 at Whitehall High School.
