Abington Heights placed three runners in the top eight of a 124-runner field Aug. 28 to open the season with the girls varsity team championship of the Moravian Academy Lions Cross Country Invitational in Bethlehem.
The meet drew 16 full teams plus individuals from other schools.
Morgan Kresge led the Lady Comets, finishing fifth in 20:07, and teammate Marley Gilboy was next, six seconds later.
Calli Gilboy took eighth in 20:45 for the 3.1-mile course.
Addison Mummert and Giada Lovecchio placed 15th and 17th, finishing in 21:30 and 21:34, respectively, to complete the five-runner team score.
Layla Caraballo was 37th in 22:37.
Abington Heights won the Class 3A Division with a score of 40. Phillipsburg, N.J., was second of nine teams with 49 points, and Easton was third with 56.
Every Abington Heights varsity runner finished in the top half of their races, and the rest of the school’s cross country program shined as well.
The Abington Heights boys were third of nine teams in Class 3A.
Phillipsburg won with 60 points, and Nazareth edged Abington Heights 75-78 for second.
The varsity race drew 152 runners and 18 full teams.
Joe Grad led the Comets, placing 14th in 17:24.
Other Abington Heights finishers were: Nickolai Sutton, 24th, 18:14; Owen Scharle, 28th, 18:22; Noa Thomas, 30th, 18:23; Mario Marsala, 45th, 18:37; Will Arp, 60th, 19:12; Paul Rowlands, 71st in 19:40.
McKenna Williams and Fiona Grady finished 1-2 in the JV girls race. Williams won by 21 seconds in 23:02.
Dylan Spatz won the JV boys race by 29 seconds in 18:11.
Lili Rottereel was second in the middle school girls race with a time of 10:39 for 1.8 miles.
