When you’re a cross-country program as accomplished and proud as North Hunterdon’s, the whole point of big meets like Tuesday’s Skyland Conference championship is to win them.

The Lions came into the meet, run on Phillipsburg’s brutally demanding course, missing two top runners and contending with strong squads such as archrival Voorhees, ancient rival Ridge and upstart Pingry.

North didn’t have a traditional “number one” runner to push eventual champion Molly Domurat of Hunterdon Central, who won the race in a blistering time of 18 minutes and 12 seconds.

None of that mattered, as North did what North does – win.

The Lions captured the overall girls team title with 76 points to Pingry’s 86 and Voorhees’ 115.

“We were expecting to win,” said North Hunterdon sophomore Sophie Nash, the

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