Saturday marked a fitting end for one of Northwestern's best cross country careers in school history.

Tyler Stelmack finished off a three-year high school campaign that included a league title and three trips to states.

Saturday, at the PIAA Championship Meet on Hershey's Parkview course, Stelmack came just two places away from earning his second state medal. He finished 27th overall in 17:02 in the last cross country race of his high school career.

"I was happy with it," said Stelmack. "It is bittersweet. I'm not sad that I didn't medal. I'm sad that it's over now."

Stelmack led the boys team to a 10th-place finish at states, while junior Haley Yost led the girls team to ninth place as she earned an individual medal with a 25th-place finish.

Stelmack, who has been battling a vocal cord dysfunction that hinders his breathing during races, ends a career that includes three district medals and the 2010 Colonial League title.

But this season was more about team goals. Stelmack led the boys to their best season ever. The Tigers won a district title and finished second in the league.

"He was pretty much running for himself [in 2011]," said Northwestern head coach Chris Stitzel. "This year he knew he had a team. He wanted to do well just for the team's sake."

Stelmack enjoyed this year as much as any.

"I wasn't really worrying about me any more this year," Stelmack said. "I was focusing on the entire time. I didn't care about my place. I just wanted to get my team where we wanted to be."

The boys state meet team included Stelmack, junior Ryan Cerrone (98th, 17:51), sophomore Brayden Heller (149th, 18:14), senior Joey Duffy (161st, 18:28), senior Patrick Strobel (167th, 18:28), freshman Jarrett White (173rd, 18:37) and senior Mitchell Evans (185th, 18:47).

Yost, who finished 144th in Class AAA as a sophomore, improved on her time and place from last season, when she ran a 20:52.

Yost did Hershey's Parkview course in 19:59 Saturday for 25th place and her first state medal.

"I wanted to come out and get top 10 or top 15," Yost said. "That last 100 I was completely shot. I got passed in the last 100 and ended up at 25th. It was a little disappointing, but at the same time I knew I gave it all I had today."

Yost learned a lot by getting to Hershey as a sophomore and it benefitted her in this year's race.

"It definitely helps," she said. "You don't get the nervous energy as much. You know what you're expecting. You know everyone is going out as fast as they can so you have to try to stay conservative that first mile."

Behind Yost were sophomore Carly Pierce (45th, 20:27), sophomore Rachele Cerrone (46th, 20:27), freshman Zoe Strickland (185th, 22:31) and seniors Erin Ondush (183rd, 22:31), Katrina Hartman (186th, 22:33) and Lauren Alden (198th, 23:04).

The meet marked the first time in school history that both the Tiger boys and girls team qualified for states in the same year.

"That was our goal for the year," said Stitzel. "We knew what we had coming back. It was just great to have both teams [in Hershey]. I'm so happy with the way they ran. It's something to build on for the future."