Records are meant to be broken.

And last Tuesday’s cross country meet at Lehighton provided the perfect platform for area runners in both the boys and girls races to rewrite the record books.

The top five girls and top three boys bettered the previous course record as the Indians hosted an eight team Colonial League meet.

Northwestern’s Rosalia Nestor crossed the line in 20:22 to win and set a new mark in the girls race, while Palmerton’s Connor Hibell finished in 16:49 to place first and establish a record-setting time in the boys race.

“There’s always room for improvement, but I’m pretty proud of my first performance,” said Nestor.

It was a day of firsts for each team, with Lehighton new to the Colonial League this year and runners taking on the Indians’ course for the first time.

They got acclimated quickly. Nestor led teammate Sophia Cornell (21:34), Lehighton’s Claudia Pagotto (21:38) and Brielle Frable (21:44), and Northern Lehigh’s Emma Heil (22:03) in a top five that broke the previous course record of 22:11 set by Blue Mountain’s Lucy Scheidel in 2023.

“Overall, this season has been pretty strong,” said Nestor, a freshman who was ninth at the Foundation Invite in Hershey over the weekend. “I definitely perform my best when I have competition, because then I can think more, instead of just, ‘I got to go. I have to get a gap.’”

Nestor and Cornell, the Times News Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year last season, led the Tiger girls to a 6-1 mark, with the loss coming to Southern Lehigh.

“I definitely think our team is very connected and very strong,” said Nestor. “We really encourage each other to keep going. We all have our own paces, but we push each other at meets and at practices, and that’s where we really bond.”

“And being in the Colonial League, it’s really different, because I don’t really know who I’m racing as well. So it’s nice to meet everyone that’s new and see where I am against them.”

Northwestern’s Xander Giandomenico and Greyson Wellings were fourth and fifth, respectively, on Tuesday.

“Today wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. I’m trying to get closer to those top guys,” said Giandomenico, whose Tigers went 5-2. “But overall, it was pretty good. Myself and Greyson did really good working off each other the whole race. I think being a senior gives us a lot of pressure. We want to do our best, and this is our last year to do so. Each race we just try to get better and better. I think we can beat some of the guys that were up there, so we just have to keep working toward that.”

The cooler weather offered ideal conditions for the stellar times Tuesday. The backdrop and setting of the course also might have helped for some of the runners. “The thing that I liked about this course was probably the views,” said Nestor. “You were in the bus and then you realize you’re here and it’s straight mountains. A lot of times it’s buildings, schools, parking lots. It’s nice to finally see the cross country aspect of it.”

The Tigers were back in action this past Tuesday as both teams went 3-1 at a multi-team Colonial League meet.

Nestor finished second for the Tigers in the girls meet, which Xander Giandomenico finished in the top five for the boys.

Northwestern competed in the PIAA Foundation Invitational on Sept. 21 in Hershey.

The Tiger girls team finished 10th in the Class 2A race, while the Northwestern boys team took 23rd place at the event.

Nestor led the Tigers with a ninth-place finish in the girls race, followed by teammates Cornell (41st), Megan Fornwalt (87th), Kellcey Pedron (88th) and Devon Heinly (100th). Ava Smedstad (102nd) and Amber Carl (133rd) also competed in Hershey.

In the boys race, Giandomenico led the way in 47th place, followed by Wellings (128th), Noah Griffith (141st), Jonathan Fornauf (148th) and Luke Thrash (172nd) rounding out the top five. Bryce Thrash (174th) also competed at the meet.

Tuesday, Sept. 24

Lehighton, Catty, Jim Thorpe, Salisbury, Palmerton, Southern Lehigh-Northwestern

BOYS

Lehighton 25, Northwestern 32

N’western 15, Catasauqua 50

Northwestern 21, Jim Thorpe 40

Northwestern 20, Palmerton 43

Northwestern 15, Salisbury 50

So. Lehigh 23, Northwestern 37

N’western 15, No. Lehigh 50

Individual results

(top-five plus other locals in top-20)

1. Connor Hibell (P) 16:49, 2. Elijah Pagotto (L) 17:30, 3. Miles Etters (SL) 17:37, 4. Xander Giandomenico (NW) 18:15, 5. Greyson Wellings (NW) 18:16, 6. Kyle Kuznicki (L) 18:52, 9. Bowden Chicarelli (JT) 18:59, 12. Gabe Wirth (JT) 19:14, 13. Varick Peiffer (L) 19:21, 15. Noah Griffin (NW) 19:29, 18. Sebastian Warner (L) 19:40, 19. Kai Salles (L) 19:43, 20. Aiden Eckhart (L) 19:47.

GIRLS

N’western 15, Catasauqua 50

Northwestern 18, Jim Thorpe 45

Northwestern 21, Lehighton 38

Northwestern 15, Palmerton 50

Northwestern 15, Salisbury 50

S. Lehigh 25, Northwestern 35

N’western 15, No. Lehigh 50

Individual Results

(top-five plus other locals in top-20)

1. Rosalia Nestor (NW) 20:22, 2. Sophia Cornell (NW) 21:34, 3. Claudia Pagotto (L) 21:38, 4. Brielle Frable (L) 21:44, 5. Emma Heil (NL) 22:03, 12. Emily Gad (NL) 23:06, 13. Stacy Bos (JT) 23:12, 14. Devon Heinly (NW) 23:14, 16. Megan Fornwalt (NW), 18. Kellcey Pedron (NW) 24:03, 19. Anna Hawk (L) 24:10.

Tuesday, Oct. 1

Northwestern-Notre Dame GP-Saucon Valley-Southern Lehigh-Palisades

BOYS

N’western 15, Palisades 49

No. Dame 21, N’western 35

N’western 19, Saucon Valley 42

N’western 18, Moravian Ac. 43

Individual Results (top-3 plus other locals in top-25)

1. Miles Etters (SL) 16:01, 2. Emmett Rieland (ND) 16:03, 3. Gregory Rubino (SL) 16:05, 5. Xander Giandomenico (NW) 16:13.08, 8. Greyson Wellings (NW) 16:33, 16. Noah Griffith (NW) 17:14, 17. Brady Furman (NW) 17:15, 23. Jonathan Fornauf (NW) 17:38.

GIRLS

Northwestern 15, Palisades 50

Notre Dame 21, N’western 39

N’western 20, Saucon Valley 37

N’western 15, Moravian Ac.50

Individual Results (top-3 plus other locals in top-25)

1. Virginia Kraus (SV) 16:54, 2. Rosalia Nestor (NW) 18:22, 3. Ella Schweitzer (ND) 19:04, 8. Sophia Cornell (NW) 19:41, 19. Megan Fornwalt (NW) 21:03, 21. Devon Heinly (NW) 21:16, 22. Kellcey Pedron (NW) 21:19.