There were no medals for Northwestern after the PIAA Cross Country Championships. But there was plenty for the Tigers to be proud of.

Sophomore Madeline Consuelos placed 36th (20:24) and junior Molly Tarvin 62nd (20:51) in the Class 2A girls’ race, while juniors Robert Leiser took 48th (17:34) and Phillip Castrine 78th (17:53) in the AA boys’ race.

Competing at the state meet without a team for the first time since 2010, Consuelos and Tarvin left with extra motivation to return with a full squad next year.

“I think we definitely grew as a team,” Consuelos said of a season that saw the Northwestern girls suffer their first loss since 2010. “I think we forgot what losing feels like, and I think as a group, we all needed that. It made us stronger.”

“It was a reality check,” said Tarvin. “There’s competitors out there we have to work hard to beat. And we have to work harder.”

Northwestern’s unprecedented run is something not lost on head coach Chris Stitzel, one he hopes to rekindle with most of the team’s core returning next season.

“Just to get [to the state championship meet] is a privilege,” he said. “You can’t take it for granted anymore. These runners are getting better and better each year. They’re not going to roll over; we’re going to have to earn it.

“The good thing with the girls is that I have my top four girls back. And then I’m hoping we’ll have a couple of middle school girls that will be in the mix, and then our seventh and eighth girls should step up. So, I think we’ll be fine for next year. We’ll go at it again and see what happens.They’ve had a great season.”

Consuelos (27th) and Tarvin (63rd) turned in performances similar to a year ago.

But Leiser’s run marked a significant improvement from last season’s 152nd place finish.

“I did a little bit better,” Leiser said of a year ago, when his time was 18:21. “I was just hoping to improve on last year, maybe try to get top 50, and that’s where I ended up. So it was good. I could have maybe run a smarter race, but it happens.”

Castrine was making his first trip to states.

“It was a good experience, one I’ll never forget,” he said afterward. “It was a good time racing and a great day for it. The course is great; it challenges all aspects of your running.”

Though it was his first time competing at the state meet, Castrine was familiar with the atmosphere.

“I came out last year and helped [Leiser] warm up,” Castrine said. “I got the experience but didn’t actually run. But this year I was fortunate enough to come and run and it was a good experience.”

And it was a showing Stitzel was more than proud of.

“I told them, whatever they do, there’s no pressure on them today,” Stitzel said. “I told them just to go out there and do what you do; believe in your training and everything you did all year. This is why you train.

“Overall, we had a great year with both teams. Just to get out here, it’s an honor to be out here, running against the best in the state. It’s good experience for them. It just caps things off. Another great season that we had overall with both teams.”