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Bombers’ Hibell, Jim Thorpe’s Gillespie excel at CL event

CENTER VALLEY - Palmerton’s Connor Hibell has been here before.

Wednesday’s Colonial League Championships at DeSales University offered both familiar faces and fresh storylines, as area runners from Palmerton, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Northwestern and Northern Lehigh delivered standout performances in their final tune-up before next week’s District 11 meet.

The DeSales course is known for its rolling hills and punishing rhythm — and for Hibell, it’s become a proving ground. The senior and two-time defending league champion knew the challenge that awaited him in Southern Lehigh’s Miles Etters, and the two delivered yet another spirited duel.

Etters, who placed fourth last season (17:09), captured the boys title in 16 minutes, 50.81 seconds. Hibell, last year’s winner in 16:43, finished second in 17:06.24

“It’s multiple factors,” said Hibell of what makes Etters so tough to run against. “One, he’s more used to the course because Southern Lehigh is right next to DeSales, so he runs it sometimes. Sometimes running with him feels like an unwinnable battle. I know I beat him at my home course, but that’s because he was preparing for another invite.”

The two have been familiar rivals throughout the fall, and Hibell said racing against Etters brings out his best.

“It definitely motivates me,” he said. “You can see it in my mile splits — I try to stay up with him as much as I can. My first mile might be a little faster because of it, but I want to stay in that pack early, especially before the trail, just to keep it manageable for the hills.”

Though he fell just short of a third-straight league crown, Hibell remained encouraged heading into next week’s District 11 Championships, which will also be held at DeSales.

Hibell is already a two-time defending District 11 champion, and will look to add a third title while chasing his first state medal in Hershey.

“My times were a lot better last year, unfortunately, but I’m still running well,” he said. “You can’t expect every season to be the same — the goal is to keep improving where it counts. I’d like to get under 17 ... I just have to save a little more for the last stretch through the cornfield.”

A special return

The next-best area finisher — and perhaps the most uplifting story of the day — came from Jim Thorpe freshman Logan Gillespie, who placed fifth overall (20:27.40) in the girls race.

In just her third meet of the season, Gillespie’s result underscored her perseverance and willpower as much as her talent.

“I’m really happy,” she said. “I missed the whole start of the year, so being able to come back is pretty awesome.”

Gillespie had competed in just two meets prior to Wednesday after missing significant time due to illness. Her goal at DeSales was simple — make the most of the opportunity.

“It’s really nice just to think that I’m even racing, let alone placing,” she said. “I just tried to stick around 10th place, and as I kept going, I kept thinking, ‘It’s almost over — just pick one more person off, one more person.’”

Her progression this fall has been remarkable.

“My first meet, I was just hoping to break 24,” Gillespie said. “Now to be breaking 21, it’s pretty awesome.”

Next week, she’ll return to DeSales for the District 11 meet with her sights set on a new milestone.

“I just want to make it to states,” she said. “Being a freshman and making it to states would be awesome. It helps a lot to know what to expect now — I can come back next week with a better mentality.”

She smiled before adding simply: “I’m just happy to be running.”

Dynamic duo

Lehighton’s Elijah Pagotto and Quinn Heimbach weren’t far behind Hibell — or each other.

Pagotto placed seventh (17:44.52), while Heimbach finished eighth (17:46.66).

Pagotto, who was fifth last season (17:31), again found himself among the front pack.

“I knew Quinn was going to be right there,” said Pagotto. “Even the first 400, he was ahead of me some, and I’m like, ‘Oh, he’s going to be pushing it.’ That’s definitely motivation. I don’t think I would have gone as fast if he wasn’t there.”

Heimbach agreed.

“It helped a lot,” he said. “On the hills back in the woods, I was like, ‘Oh man, I don’t want to do this,’ but then I saw him in front of me and just pushed with him. That really helped me.”

Heimbach’s time marked a massive improvement from his 18:26 on the same course earlier in the season.

“I was shocked,” he said. “I thought I ran like an 18-something, and then I saw 17. I was like, ‘What?’ My teammates, my coaches, and my family have all helped push me. It helps both of us.”

Heimbach said he hopes the pair can share another moment together at next week’s district meet – and join Pagotto at states this season.

“I definitely have a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I really want to make it to states, and this race showed me I can do that. Hopefully, me and Quinn can run next to each other again next week.”

Northwestern building momentum

While Lehighton’s duo paced the area’s front-runners, Northwestern Lehigh continued to showcase its steady rise on both sides.

The Tigers placed fifth in the boys race (138 points), and were led by junior Noah Griffith, who finished 19th in 18:46.61.

“I expected a little more out of myself, but there’s always next week to finish strong,” Griffith said. “We lost two seniors in front of me, so I’ve had to take their role this season, and I think I did pretty decent in that.”

Griffith credited the program’s chemistry for the team’s success.

“I’m happy with the teammates I have and the coaches,” he said. “They help me a lot. It’s just a good environment to be in.”

He’s also worked to refine his approach.

“I’ve been trying to work on my form in the offseason and build my mileage,” he said. “This is a tough course — a lot of hills — so I tried to use the downhills when I could and get out fast to be in a good spot.”

The Northwestern girls finished seventh overall, paced by Rosalia Nestor, who placed sixth in 20:27.80. Nestor, who was third last season (20:07), continued to lead the way for a young, improving lineup.

“I knew we weren’t one of the top teams, but I felt we were right there,” said Northwestern coach Chris Stitzel. “We’re usually that fourth or fifth team on the boys side, right behind those top three programs. We had a good year — 22 wins for the guys and 20 for the girls — which exceeded my expectations.”

Stitzel said the girls’ performance was especially rewarding given their youth.

“We had four girls that never ran varsity before, and two who never ran cross country,” he said. “It took a little while to get used to that three-mile distance, but with Rosy up front and the younger girls gaining experience, it was a great year.”

“She’s been running with a lot more confidence this year,” Stitzel added. “Last year she missed states by one spot. We’ve talked about putting that behind her. She’s been training with the guys half the year and really putting in the work.”

Despite being limited by a knee issue that’s kept him from his usual on-course mobility, Stitzel praised his runners for their work ethic.

“They’ve stuck it out all season,” he said. “From July to now, we’ve put a lot of miles in, and they’ve given their commitment to the program. It’s a great group of kids that works hard for you, and that’s all you can ask.”

Steady progress

In the girls race, Lehighton junior Claudia Pagotto placed 10th overall (21:04.80) — an improvement from her 11th-place finish (21:05) last season.

“I’m really happy,” she said. “I think I got a PR, which made me really happy — especially for this course. Finishing 10th overall at leagues, I’m really proud of that.”

Pagotto, who advanced to states last season, viewed Wednesday’s race as a valuable tune-up for next week’s district meet.

“My thought process was this is like a trial race for next week,” she said. “See how hard you can go, test out different parts of the course, maybe change up my breathing in certain spots — just so I can do my best next week.”

Her goal was simple — and she achieved it.

“Today, I was trying to accomplish top 10, and my strategy was to pick it up more at the end and just push myself,” Pagotto said. “I’ve improved a bunch from last year, and that just makes me so happy.”

Pagotto credited the competition around her for helping her grow.

“The girls around me push me like crazy,” she said. “I use them as little goals — try to pick this person off or stay with that person throughout the race. Experience helps a lot. I’ve been here, I’ve been to districts and states, so I know what it takes. Next week, I’m just going to put all my guts into it and push as hard as I can.”

Race recap

Wilson won the boys team title with 59 points, edging Southern Lehigh (61) and Notre Dame-Green Pond (61). Northwestern (138) placed fifth, followed by Lehighton (138) and Palmerton (192).

Notre Dame-Green Pond (59) captured the girls title, edging Southern Lehigh (61). Wilson (101) and Saucon Valley (119) followed, while Jim Thorpe (156) rounded out the top five.

Northern Lehigh’s Emma Heil led the Bulldogs with a 13th-place finish (21:33.30).

COLONIAL LEAGUE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

At DeSales University

GIRLS

Team scores and legend

1. Notre Dame-Green Pond (NDGP) 59; 2. Southern Lehigh (SL) 61; 3. Wilson Area (WA) 101; 4. Saucon Valley (SV) 119; 5. Jim Thorpe (JT) 156; 6. Pen Argyl (PA) 164; 7. Northwestern Lehigh (NWL) 176; 8. Northern Lehigh (NL) 211; 9. Palisades (PAL) 263; 10. Lehighton (LEH) 265; 11. Bangor (BAN) 269; 12. Moravian Academy (MA) 288.

Individual results

(top five plus other locals in the top 50)

1. Virginia Kraus, SV, 17:51.10; 2. Juliana Bonham, WA, 19:48.60; 3. Samantha Karwacki, NDGP, 20:09.10; 4. Caelee Lenhart, SL, 20:16.50; 5. Logan Gillespie, JT, 20:27.40; 6. Rosalia Nestor, NWL, 20:27.80; 10. Claudia Pagotto, LEH, 21:04.80; 13. Emma Heil, NL, 21:33.30; 22. Kayleigh Halenar, JT, 22:29.30; 26. Katie Furman, NWL, 22:49.40; 28. Emily Gad, NL, 23:15.00; 30. Anna Hawk, LEH, 23:18.50; 32. Stacy Bos, JT, 23:26.10; 43. Ava Smedstad, NWL, 24:26.20; 45. Savannah Biechy, NL, 24:32.40; 49. Emma Rex, PALM, 24:41.90; 50. Lillian Fox, PALM, 24:42.50.

BOYS

Team scores and legend

1. Wilson Area (WA) 59; 2. Southern Lehigh (SL) 61; 3. Notre Dame-Green Pond (NDGP) 61; 4. Saucon Valley (SV) 131; 5. Northwestern Lehigh (NWL) 138; 6. Lehighton (LEH) 138; 7. Palmerton (PALM) 192; 8. Palisades (PAL) 196; 9. Moravian Academy (MA) 283; 10. Catasauqua (CAT) 305; 11. Bangor (BAN) 311; 12. Northern Lehigh (NL) 313; 13. Salisbury (SAL) 362.

Individual results

(top five plus other locals in the top 50)

1. Miles Etters, SL, 16:50.81; 2. Connor Hibell, PALM, 17:06.24; 3. Emmett Rieland, NDGP, 17:15.43; 4. Jeffrey Sunderlin, WA, 17:32.12; 5. Theodore Wechtler, SV, 17:37.07; 7. Elijah Pagotto, LEH, 17:44.52; 8. Quinn Heimbach, LEH, 17:46.66; 19. Noah Griffith, NWL, 18:46.61; 23. Sebastian Warner, LEH, 18:54.26; 27. Brady Furman, NWL, 18:59.46; 31. Jonathan Fornauf, NWL, 19:11.06; 34. Michael Richards, NWL, 19:16.13; 37. Kieran Baker, NWL, 19:26.94; 39. Edward Benedict, NL, 19:41.45; 42. Quentin Gutierrez-Kehm, NWL, 19:49.24; 45. Logan Spotts, NWL, 20:01.57; 46. Chase Ader, PALM, 20:06.66; 47. Ezra Green, PALM, 20:06.66.

Palmerton’s Connor Hibell placed second at the Colonial League meet, crossing the line in 17:06. NANCY SCHOLZ/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
Jim Thorpe’s Stacy Bos placed 32nd in 23:26 on Wednesday. NANCY SCHOLZ/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
Northern Lehigh’s Natalie Moffitt finished 61st with a time of 25:48 at the Colonial League meet. NANCY SCHOLZ/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS