Two Leagues One Championship Stage EPC & Colonial Deliver Big-Time Performances at Whitehall
By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | May 7, 2026 | Photo courtesy Justin Focus
WHITEHALL — The stakes felt bigger. The atmosphere felt louder. And by the time the final relays crossed the line Wednesday night, the EPC and Colonial League Championships had fully delivered on the hype.
For two days, Whitehall High School became the home of one of the region’s premier showcases in track and field as the EPC and Colonial League combined forces under one venue for a packed championship event loaded with elite competition, breakout performances, relay battles, and postseason-level intensity.
Despite the size of the meet and Wednesday’s rain-filled conditions, the event flowed smoothly from start to finish, with strong organization and scheduling helping keep athletes, coaches, and spectators moving efficiently throughout both days.
The championships also featured support from the Lehigh Valley Health Network athletic training staff, who remained active throughout the meet helping athletes prepare, recover, and stay ready to compete across the demanding two-day schedule.
And once the competition began, the performances spoke for themselves.
EPC Girls: Easton Area Captures Team Crown
Easton Area pieced together one of the most complete performances of the meet to secure the EPC girls championship with 126 points, scoring across nearly every event category.
The Red Rovers claimed the 4x100 relay title and shattered the EPC meet record in the 4x800 relay, running 9:17.80. Easton also received major field-event production from Sophie Braido, who won the pole vault at 11-6, while Charlize Smith captured the discus title.
EPC Girls Team Podium
- Easton Area — 126
- Emmaus — 85
- East Stroudsburg South — 75
- Parkland — 74
Individually, few athletes had a bigger meet than Julia Grant of Stroudsburg, who swept the 200 and 400 meters, including a meet-record 56.17 in the 400.
Liberty sophomore Elizabeth McClarin added another huge statement to her season, winning both the 800 and the 1600, resetting the meet record in the 1600 with a blazing 4:57.29.
Emmaus distance star Madelyn McCartney answered with a record-breaking performance of her own in the 3200, clocking 10:46.47 to rewrite the EPC meet standard.
East Stroudsburg South also made major noise behind hurdler Kimora Woods, who won the 100 hurdles, while Louis E. Dieruff’s Aniya Holder captured the 300 hurdles title.
Colonial Girls: Notre Dame Green Pond Edges Southern Lehigh
The Colonial League girls title race stayed tight throughout the meet, but Notre Dame Green Pond used relay depth and field-event dominance to edge Southern Lehigh for the championship.
Notre Dame totaled 127 points, narrowly ahead of Southern Lehigh’s 123.
Colonial Girls Team Podium
- Notre Dame Green Pond — 127
- Southern Lehigh — 123
- Northwestern Lehigh — 87
- Wilson Area — 74.5
Notre Dame’s relay teams proved critical, winning both the 4x400 and 4x800, while the Crusaders swept the top three spots in the high jump behind Ella Schweitzer, Julianne Skibinski, and Violet Dewalt.
Southern Lehigh countered with major sprint production from Chloe Posavek, who won the 400 and added runner-up finishes in both the 100 and 200.
Catasauqua senior Hailey Jenkins further cemented her place in Colonial League history, becoming a four-time Colonial League champion in the 100 meters while also winning the 200-meter title.
Northwestern sophomore Rosalia Nestor won the 1600 and finished runner-up in the 800, while Jim Thorpe freshman Logan Gillespie continued her breakout season by winning the Colonial girls 3200.
EPC Boys: Parkland Flexes Championship Depth
The Parkland boys turned the EPC championships into a showcase of depth and speed.
The Trojans rolled to the EPC team title with 156 points, winning three relays and scoring heavily in sprints, hurdles, middle distance, and jumps.
EPC Boys Team Podium
- Parkland — 156
- Emmaus — 106.5
- Stroudsburg — 71.5
- Nazareth Area — 62.5
Parkland’s Radnor Rowlands delivered one of the biggest moments of the meet, winning the 200 meters in a meet-record 21.66 after narrowly finishing second in the 100.
The Trojans also dominated the hurdle events with David Scherb winning the 110 hurdles and teammate Nmelichukwu Onwuzo taking the 300 hurdles title after finishing runner-up in the 110s.
Parkland added relay wins in the:
- 4x100
- 4x400
- 4x800
Nazareth’s Jacob Casey captured the 1600, while Parkland’s Colin McGuigan answered by winning the 3200 in another loaded distance field.
Emmaus continued to stack points behind sprinter Nicholi Marsh, standout quarter-miler Rien George, and shot put champion Robert Edwards, who launched a winning throw of 55-1.
Colonial Boys: Southern Lehigh Wins the Battle Up Top
The Colonial League boys standings remained crowded throughout both days, but Southern Lehigh’s versatility eventually pushed the Spartans to the top.
Southern finished with 104 points, outlasting a tightly packed field that saw several teams remain in contention into the final events.
Colonial Boys Team Podium
- Southern Lehigh — 104
- Northwestern Lehigh — 71
- Wilson Area — 70.5
- Notre Dame Green Pond — 64
Notre Dame Green Pond star Alex Clark put together one of the meet’s most dominant sprint performances, sweeping the 100 and 200, including a meet-record 21.77 in the 200.
Wilson Area distance standout Jeffrey Sunderlin delivered a distance double, winning both the 1600 and 3200.
Southern Lehigh closed the meet in emphatic fashion as its boys 4x400 relay broke the Colonial League meet record with a time of 3:24.23.
The Colonial field events also produced major performances:
- Josiah Lafond (Catasauqua) won the 110 hurdles
- Gaddiel Bidohuertas (Saucon Valley) captured the 300 hurdles
- Landen Klimek (Northern Lehigh) won discus
- Jacob Hillis (Bangor) dominated the javelin
- Joshua Scherer (Notre Dame Green Pond) won shot put
Postseason Energy Already Here
From record-setting races to loaded relay finals and dramatic team battles, the EPC and Colonial League Championships felt far bigger than a typical league meet.
The atmosphere carried postseason energy from the opening events Tuesday through the rain-soaked finish Wednesday night.
And if this week was any indication, the district and state championship meets ahead are going to be loaded.
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