Over her first three seasons, Maddie Consuelos has been one of the top runners on her team and in the Colonial League.

This year she’s added a new strength to her game as the Northwestern girls cross country team tries to defend the league title it won last year and return to the state championships.

The Tigers had one of their first big tests of the season Saturday at the 30th Annual Centaur Invitational at DeSales University. Consuelos employed a strategy she’s been working on the entire offseason and it helped her take fourth place overall at 20:40.2.

“I was really happy with how I ran,” said the Tiger senior. “I knew I had to have a good start, but I had to let some people go. My coach was really proud because I am now a second-half runner. My third mile was way faster than my first or second.

“Last year I would go out hard and by the third mile I would not be as fast. I’m still going out hard, I just kind of keep more in reserve.”

The Tiger girls team took fourth place at the meet, despite competing without two of its five runners.

Sophomore Kailyn Jones was the only other Northwestern runner in the top 20, finishing in 19th place, followed by Allison Costa (25th), Molly McGorry (27th) and Roselyn Bernhard (39th) to round out the top five. Kristen Brown (63rd) and Madison Santana (77th) also ran in the varsity race for the Tigers.

Pine Grove senior Christina DiFalco won the girls race in 19:46, while Exeter won the girls team title.

Northwestern has won six of the last seven Colonial League titles and is certainly the early-season favorite to capture its second in a row this season.

One thing the Tigers will focus on is the district meet, where only the top team will earn advance to states. In years past, the top two teams qualified.

Last weekend was a good test for the team against some top competition, without veteran runners Alyssa Zack and Sarah Supplee, both seniors, the Tigers still finished in the top five as a team against quality competition.

Pine Grove senior Christina DiFalco won the girls race in 19:46.8, while Exeter won the girls team title with 56 points, followed by Owen J. Roberts (70), Villa Joseph Marie (88) and the Tigers (107). Southern Lehigh came in fifth at 141.

In the boys race, Northwestern’s Joseph Pleban led the Tigers with a 49th-place finish.

The Tigers took 11th place out of 17 teams in the boys race. Behind Pleban were Randal Zack (52nd), Kane Flickinger (59th), Cole Chukoskie (70th) and Matthew Boushell to round out the scoring five. Josia Allred (83rd) and Joseph Chukoskie (88th) were not far behind their teammates.

Owen J. Roberts took the boys team title behind the first place finish of Linus Blatz (16:550).