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It was a momentous day for some top local tracksters highlighted by a national title by Andover’s Moira Cronin. The junior has gone higher a few times but she won a pressure-packed jump-off to claim the championship at the New Balance Nationals yesterday in Greensboro, N.C. Her winning height was 5-8 3/4 to edge Chelsea Utley of Virginia, who cleared 5-8 1/2. Cronin won the jump-off by clearing 5-8 on her first try. “It was a terrible day for high jumping and Moira just came through. She was amazing,’’ said coach Peter Comeau. Methuen’s talented distance corps closed out their seasons with a bang, demolishing the five-year-old state record by 17 seconds in the infrequently run 4xmile with a 17:33.79 clocking. Haddonfield, N.J., won the race in 17:20.21. Bishop Guertin of Nashua, led by Windham’s Francis Hernandez, was fourth in the 17:29.35. Andrew Stamatopulos (UMass Lowell) ran a 4.25.2 opening leg, Jared Reddy (UMass Amherst) ran a big 4:20.7 leg then Ranger valedictorian Ben Pare (BC) ran a terrific 4:19.8. Junior Cam Kelley came through with a career best 4:27.3 to bring it home. “They have wanted this for two years,’’ said an overjoyed Methuen assistant Scott Ouellet.  “They knew that 17:50 was out there and they knew they could get it. When we learned they were in the seeded heat that gave them a shot of adrenaline. They knew they could run with those guys.’’ In the 100, Andover’s Christopher McConnell placed 14th in 10.82 while Andover’s 4x200 team of Pat Farnham, McConnell, Troy Cayon and Mark Vetere took fourth in 1:28.23 and Andover vaulter Mark Vetere broke his own school outdoor record with a 15-0 1/4 for 14th. Vetere, his brother Adam Vetere, Kerrick Stevens and Connor O’Neill placed 12th in the 4x400 in 3:18.08, slicing nearly a full second off their area record from earlier in the season. Haverhill’s Rebecca Stabile broke her own area mark with a 63.59 for 23rd in the 400 hurdles and she ran a season best 58.30 to place 22nd in the emerging elite 400. Emerging elite is the unseeded performers. Several locals shined in the emerging elite races. The Andover girls (Kayla Baldwin, Terra Organisciak, Vanessa Singleton, Eve Bishop) were third in the 4x200 in 1:42.30 and Andover’s boys 4x800 was runner-up in 7:57.25 and Eve Bishop was 13th in the 200 in a speedy 25.31, one of the top times ever in the area. North Andover’s Darryl Varney placed 10th in the mile in 4:21.89. Pentucket’s Alanna Poretta had an off day and was 19th in the girls mile in 5:24.30.

Andrew Osborne won the long jump (21-9 1/4), high jump (5-10) and ran on the winning 4x100 relay as Andover bested archrival Central Catholic 85-62. Christopher McConnell crushed his area-best this season in the 100 with a 10.7 for the Golden Warriors (5-0), who dealt the Raiders their first loss of the season.

ANDOVER — The order of the Andover 4x100 runners on the results sheet was inaccurate. Francis Nova made sure to make the correction. “No, McConnell ran fourth,’’ emphasized the Lawrence High senior. Who can blame him for wanting to get it right? After all, it’s not often somebody beats Andover great Christopher McConnell, the three-time indoor All-State 55 meter champion. McConnell got him in the 100 meters (10.97-11.00) but Nova’s brilliant anchor leg against McConnell gave the Lancers a thrilling 4x100 win (43.13-43.38). Nova was the MVP and Andover won the boys team title and the combined scoring crown at the 50th Collins-McIntyre Andover Boosters Invitational. It was quite a day for the Westfield State football/track recruit, who also soared 22-8 3/4 to capture the long jump, an event he’s only done four times in his life. Of the relay showdown, Nova said, “At the handoff, we were neck and neck. I love to run with him. It brings out the best in me. He drives me to push myself. I just want to win.’’ This won’t be the last time the relay teams meet. Andover still has the area’s season best time (42.97) while Cuesta and Nova led the Blue and White to the area record with a 42.73 last spring. Nova said winning is always nice, but the best part is sharing it with his teammates. It’s quite a foursome, including area all-time leader Francesco Cuesta, who won the 200 (22.29), 200 runner-up Jean Zorilla (22.81) and Cristian Reyes. Nova the novice looked like an old pro in the long jump, breaking Eric Diaz’s 6-year-old school record (22-6) and moving to 13th in the area’s all-time rankings. Mighty impressive for somebody who only did the event because the Lancers were shorthanded in the event early in the season. “I was surprised,’’ he said of the record-setter. “I didn’t know I could do it. My coach (former Andover star Mike Marcinonis) said just run and jump. I was just proud.’’ He had a 21-7 on his first jump, a 20-8 on the second then the record leap. Nova, who won the All-State 300 title in the winter, still wants to beat McConnell in the 100. “He’s beat me quite a few times,’’ he said with a laugh. “I was gaining little by little in the 100. Damn, I’m ticked he beat me.’’

Armando Bucciarelli won the long jump, triple jump and 110 hurdles while Zac Borrelli won the shot put and discus as Central Catholic topped Dracut 96-40.

Zach Borrelli won the shot put (49-0) and discus (158-7) as Central Catholic topped Methuen 100-36.