New Trier Sets World Record For Number Of Twins, Multiples

WINNETKA, IL — New Trier High School celebrated achieving a pair of Guinness World Records this week. The sophomore class was certified to have the most twins and the most multiples in a single academic year at a single school, breaking a record set by many of the same students in middle school. There are 44 sets of twins and one set of triplets in New Trier's class of 2020. The group includes 19 pairs of girls and 11 of boys. Only three are identical twins, all of which are girls, according to the school.

"It's not an earth-shattering accomplishment," said twins Luke and Ryan Novosel, "but it's pretty cool to have a twin who always has your back and be surrounded by others like us at school."

The national average has risen to about 30 twins per 1,000 births, according to CDC data. Meanwhile, New Trier has a student population of just over 1,000 and produced a single class with 91 twins.

Studies have suggested several factors play a role in twinning, including the age of the mother, education, wealth and access to fertility treatments.

There's quite a bit of variation among members of the group, according to the school. Two sets of fraternal twins were born on different days, while some were born up to three months early others were born late.

One pair has a difference in height of 7 inches. One pair of girls were born weighing more than 15 lbs. but a set of boys born prematurely each weighed less than 2 lbs.

Two families have two sets of twins – one of which also has three sets of twin cousins.

The school said 70 percent of the twins were born in Chicago or Evanston.

A spokesperson for the Guinness Book of World Records said the record was verified on May 17, 2017. The school said took about 18 months to receive news of the verification.

“It’s kind of amazing that we can achieve something by just being born at the right time and going to the right school,” one New Trier student told WMAQ-TV .

Nancy Novosel, of Wilmette, collected documentation and birth certificates to establish the record. Her sons had been part of a group that already held the record and expected to break it when they joined the larger high school class.

Those students established the existing record back in 5th grade, with 24 sets of twins in one class at Highcrest Middle School, one of New Trier's feeder schools.

Our 24 sets of 5th grade twins back in 2013 - seems like only yesterday! #Wilmette39 #gohawks39 #GuinessWorldRecords pic.twitter.com/J0yfbbUim7
— Wilmette District 39 (@Wilmette39) February 7, 2018