CENTER VALLEY - It’s clear that competition drives them.

Win or lose, the Palmerton girls and boys track and field teams bring out their best against the best.

They got a test against one of the Colonial League’s best in Southern Lehigh on Tuesday.

While the Spartans boys and girls stayed unbeaten, the Bombers put their best foot forward, and showed they are going to be primed to peak at the right time.

“I just like competing. I always like competing against whoever we’re going up against,” said Palmerton’s Matt Machalik, who won the 100 with a time of 10.9. “Everyone here is really athletic, and I just like being able to test myself against everyone else.”

Doing it against Southern Lehigh is a good place to start. The Spartans flexed their muscles to remain unbeaten in boys and girls competition and improve to 9-0 with sweeps of both Palmerton and Salisbury.

Southern Lehigh’s boys handed the Bombers their first loss of the season, 87.5-62.5, and posted a 102-48 win in the girls meet.

The Spartans won 10 of 18 events in the boys meet, and recorded 14 victories in the girls competition.

Palmerton’s boys secured a 95-45 win over Salisbury, while the girls secured a 125-16 victory over the Falcons.

The Bombers showed their strength in a number of events, and were particularly impressive in the throws. Ryan Burkett led a sweep of the top three spots in the discus, winning the event with a throw of 151-0, while Zack Anthony and Logan Anthony were second and third, respectively.

“We love it. It’s awesome,” Burkett said of the team’s success in the throwing events. “We don’t think of it as beating the other people; I think of it as everyone’s working together, no matter what team you’re on. We all push each other to go forward.” Burkett entered the week with the Colonial League’s best mark in the discus with a throw of 158-10.

“I’m happy with my throw today,” said Burkett. “For me, it’s not really about the distance right now. I would definitely like to keep hitting a PR, but it’s good to hit that later in the season. Hopefully I can save that for the postseason.”

The Bombers had two in the top three in both the javelin and shot put.

Burkett was also second in the javelin, while Alex Konze placed third. In the shot put, Logan Anthony posted a winning mark of 45-0.25, while Zack Anthony placed second.

“In the beginning of the season, I was throwing high 30s, 38 (feet) maybe,” said Logan Anthony. “My coach (Kris Hoffner) has been a big influence on me. He’s really helped me with my technique and all of that. He really helps me a lot.”

Anthony is currently fourth in the league in the shot put with a mark of 46-0.25.

“I would say lifting has also really helped me with my progression, because it’s big on power,” said Anthony. “I think that’s definitely helped, and I just try to make sure I take critiques and advice I get from people and applying it. That’s really helpful.”

That success also extended to the girls, where Jessica Heydt won the shot put with a mark of 34-0. Heydt had the second-best mark in the league this season with a 33-11.

“It’s definitely nice because it’s a season PR, and it’s close to an all-time PR (34-9),” said Heydt. “So I’m definitely excited about that. I do wish that I could have thrown a little bit farther today ... and I think that I definitely can. But I’m definitely hopeful, now that the weather is nice, that these next couple of weeks will be good for me.”

The depth the Bombers showed in the boys throwing events was present on the girls side, as Cate Morgan placed third in the shot put, while Heydt was second in the discus and Gretchen Schaible finished third in the event. Schaible was also second in the javelin.

“I’m definitely excited for the younger girls to see what they can get marks for,” said Heydt, a senior. “As an upperclassmen, I hope that I can leave the program in good hands, and I have a lot of faith in them, especially Cate Morgan (a sophomore). She’s going to do amazing. And I just think she needs to grow the confidence in herself, and I’m hoping that I can help uplift her.”

Palmerton welcomed back Nataly Walters from an ankle injury. The junior showed the talent and toughness that helped her win a pair of state titles a year ago.

Walters won the long jump with a leap of 17-11.25, and finished her day by placing first in the triple jump with a mark of 37-5.25.

“Going into long jump, I wasn’t too nervous about my ankle, because I was going to jump off the other foot,” said Walters. “So a right foot jumper, switching to the left foot, it’s really weird, because the whole run-up is different. You start with the opposite foot, penultimate with the opposite foot, take off with the opposite foot. So I had no clue what it was going to be. I didn’t know if it was going to be a good jump or a bad jump, would I get height or would I land right.

“All I remember is taking off, landing in the sand with no pain. It was fine.”

Maybe better than fine.

Walters improved her league-best marks in the long jump (17-6) and triple jump (37-3), events she won state titles in a year ago. Her best mark in the long jump and triple jump Tuesday came on her first attempt. She made one attempt in the triple jump, and two in the long jump.

She started her day by placing second in the 100.

“It was my first meet back, I haven’t really sprinted in about two-and-a-half weeks,” said Walters. “It wasn’t just, ‘No competition but I could still practice.’ I was out. No running. I couldn’t lift, but I still went to the gym, and I substituted inverse curl, Keiser calf machine, ab workouts; I made use of what I had. So even though I couldn’t really use my right leg, I was doing band exercises, strengthening just to try to keep the muscle that I had, because I knew if I sat out for two-and-a-half or three weeks, that I would lose strength, that I would lose what I had worked so hard for.”

It’s that drive and desire that has helped these Bombers reach great heights.

And it’s what pushes someone like Machalik - a senior competing in track and field for the first time - to embrace the challenges he faces at every meet.

“I love doing it,” said Machalik, who will be continuing his football career at Lehigh University next fall. “You get to do it with your friends, which is awesome. I enjoy every minute of it, and I’m glad that I’m doing it and we’re doing well. I’m trying to keep that up.

“There are a lot of fast athletes on the track. Track speed is definitely different from the football field. It’s very different. That’s what has stood out to me the most. I like doing the 400 relay (which entered the week with a best of 43.20, the same as Southern Lehigh atop the league), we’re trying to do something special with that group and I think we can definitely accomplish something special. That’s really the main goal. I’m excited. I love doing it, and I enjoy every minute of it. It’s my last sport in high school, so I’m just taking everything in.”

THE RECORDS

... Palmerton’s boys are now 8-1, while the girls are 5-4.

WINNERS

... The Bombers also got victories from Connor Hibell in the 3200 (10:22.4), Trent Ader in the high jump (6-1) and Emilio Gonzalez in the triple jump (40-6.25) in the boys meet. Emma Snyder won the high jump for the girls, clearing 5-0. Hibell came into the meet with the third-best time in the league in the 3200 with a time of 10:35.10. Ader’s previous mark in the high jump was tied for fifth at 5-7.

BOYS

Southern Lehigh 87.5, Palmerton 62.5

Palmerton 95, Salisbury 45

100 – 1. Matt Machalik (P) 10.9, 2. Noah Tapler (SL), 3. Cade Sawyer (SL); 200 – 1. Noah Tapler (SL) 23.0, 2. Cade Sawyer (SL), 3. Ty Sander (P); 400 – 1. Sean Steckert (SL) 53.7, 2. Stanley Wempe (SL), 3. Bryce Marino (P); 800 – 1. Peter Jones (SL) 2:07.5, 2. Gregory Rubino (SL), 3. Sean Steckert (SL); 1600 – 1. Gregory Rubino (SL) 4:32.8, 2. Connor Hibell (P), 3. Miles Etters (SL); 3200 – 1. Connor Hibell (P) 10:22.4, 2. Miles Etters (SL), 3. Gregory Rubino (SL); 110H – 1. Jack Inglis (SL) 14.4, 2. Bryson Walters (P), 3. Jairo Suarez (SL); 300H – 1. Jack Inglis (SL) 39.5, 2. Bryson Walters (P), 3. Heriberto Hernandez (S); 400 relay – 1. Southern Lehigh 42.6; 1600 relay - 1. Southern Lehigh 4:10.2; 3200 relay – 1. Salisbury 10:04.7; Long jump – 1. Jack Inglis (SL) 21-8.5, 2. Jake Rutkowitz (P), 3. Calvin Gehman (SL); Triple jump – 1. Emilio Gonzalez (P) 40-6.25, 2. Calvin Gehman (SL), 3. Steven Lozada (S); High jump – 1. Trent Ader (P) 6-1, 2. Joshua Hudak (S), 3. Calvin Gehman (SL); Discus – 1. Ryan Burkett (P) 151-0, 2. Zack Anthony (P), 3. Logan Anthony (P); Javelin – 1. Grady Oravec (SL) 134-7, 2. Ryan Burkett (P), 3. Alex Konze (P); Shot put – 1. Logan Anthony (P) 45-0.25, 2. Zack Anthony (P), 3. Carter Gilberson (SL); Pole vault

– 1. Steven Lozada (S) 10-9, 2. Jackson Stein (P), 3. Aaron Lyon (SL).

GIRLS

Southern Lehigh 102, Palmerton 48

Palmerton 125, Salisbury 16

100 – 1. Alexandra Lea (SL) 12.5, 2. Nataly Walters (P), 3. Chloe Posavek (SL); 200 – 1. Chloe Posavek (SL) 26.7, 2. Erin Gombert (P), 3. Reese Higgins (SL); 400 – 1. Alexandra Lea (SL) 58.3, 2. Cora Wentz (P), 3. Elizabeth Yazdanyar (SL); 800 – 1. Emily Stock (SL) 2:29.60, 2. Neva Bogert (SL), 3. Cora Wentz (P); 1600 – 1. Emily Stock (SL) 5:34.3, 2. Zoe Vezenov, 3. Emily Batten (S); 3200 – 1. Tessa DiCesare (SL) 13:10.1, 2. Elizabeth Kane (SL), 3. Jacalyn DeSimone (SL); 100H – 1. Faith Schiffer (SL) 14.4, 2. Meghan Conron (SL), 3. Morgan Pera (SL); 300H – 1. Faith Schiffer (SL) 46.8, 2. Ruby Walters (P), 3. Morgan Pera (SL); 400 relay – 1. Southern Lehigh 50.1; 1600 relay - 1. Southern Lehigh 4:35.5; 3200 relay – 1. Southern Lehigh 10:58.8; Long jump – 1. Nataly Walters (P) 17-11.25, 2. Raquelle Riggins (SL), 3. Gracelyn Dickinson (SL); Triple jump – 1. Nataly Walters (P) 37-5.25, 2. Gabby Lucas (P), 3. Raquelle Riggins (SL); High jump – 1. Emma Snyder (P) 5-0, 2. Elena Johnson (SL), 3. Kamarrah Saslo (P); Discus – 1. Gabriella Pena (SL) 100-2. 2. Jessica Heydt (P), 3. Gretchen Schaible (P); Javelin – 1. Raquelle Riggins (SL) 97-7, 2. Gretchen Schaible (P), 3. Brianna DeNave (SL); Shot put – 1. Jessica Heydt (P) 34-0, 2. Raquelle Riggins (SL), 3. Cate Morgan (P); Pole vault

– 1. Ella Sarnitsky (SL) 9-9. 2. Gracelyn Dickinson (SL), 3. Farrah Smith (SL).