The Northwestern Lehigh boys cross country team took first place in the Class 2A field last Friday, Aug. 28, at the Moravian Academy Lions Invitational.

Led by a fourth-place finish from Brandon Richards, the Tigers finished with 32 points to beat second-place Notre Dame (49) by a 17-point margin. Tamaqua (84) finished third in the boys 2A standings.

The Tiger girls team finished second in 2A led by Rosalia Nestor’s fourth-place individual finish. Pen Argyl won the girls team race with 21 points with Notre Dame (70) third.

Northwestern’s Noah Griffith finished 19th in the boys race, followed by teammates Isaac Grubb (22nd), Adin Breidinger (27th) and Quentin Gutierrez (41st) to round out the top five. Michael Richards (43rd) and Brady Furman (66th) were also part of the Tiger varsity team at the invitational.

Emily Kistler was the first Northwestern girls runner to cross the finish line, finishing 31st in the girls race with teammates Lillian Scanlon (41st), Charlotte David (42nd) and Katie Furman (43rd) making up the rest of the team score. Alaina Shurr (57th) and Emily Fornwalt (94th) were also part of the Tiger girls varsity team at the meet.

Freedom’s Hannah Brodhead won the girls race in 19:39 with Easton’s Lyla Knoble (19:53) taking second place. Abington Heights won the girls 3A team title and Faith Christian finished first in a field of just two Class A teams.

West Scranton’s Seamus Wallace took first place in the boys race, finishing in 16:16 with Nazareth’s Luke Lotierzo (16:46) in second place. Phillipsburg won the boys 3A team title and Holy Cross took first place out of four Class A teams.

In the Moravian Invitational girls middle school race, three Northwestern runners finished in the top five with Briar Killar taking first place, Adalyn Heintzelman third and Lyla Heeps fourth.