(4-minute read)
Resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete, wrote this article.
The Middlesex League Cross-Country Championships take place on Monday, October 26th at Woburn Golf Club, starting at 2:30 pm. The race includes a freshman 3k, a JV 5k, and a Varsity 5k race. The top ten freshmen receive a ribbon, the top 30 JV runners receive a ribbon, the top 20 varsity runners receive a medal, and the next 20 varsity runners receive a ribbon. Only the top seven runners from each school will be entered into the Varsity race.
Girls Preview
Reading fights back in the last mile in a race against Belmont on September 29. Pictured (left-to-right): Julia Connelly, Allie Juffre, Stella Harrington, Harper Davis. Photo by Raymond Vaillancourt.
After a strong start to the season, the Rockets have dealt with injuries to some senior leaders. However, Bridget Branson and Allie Juffre were able to run on Tuesday against Winchester, creating some optimism heading into Monday’s League Championships.
“The goal is to finish in the top half of the League,” said Coach Mike Connelly. Given how well Reading’s top two runners, Eva Kirkwood and Emilly Nicholls, performed against Winchester, plus the veteran depth on the Reading squad, this goal seems within reach.
The top team and favorite is Lexington. With national-level aspirations, they will likely use this race as a stepping stone to Nike Cross Nationals Northeast in November. Winchester looks safe in second place in the league and may even hold back a bit as it prepares for Divisionals on November 14th. The intrigue begins with Arlington, Burlington, and Wakefield. Seniors lead Arlington and Wakefield, both of which have had strong seasons. Meanwhile, Burlington is a young team that improved significantly as the season unfolded. Melrose is slightly behind those teams, but could be in the mix for the top six. Reading will aim to keep Melrose out of the top half of the league, now that key runners are back to health.
Sophomore Eva Kirkwood pushes to the finish in the September 22 meet against Woburn. Photo by Tom Grant.
According to Coach Connelly, “With a solid performance Monday, I think we can build towards qualifying for the Meet of Champions. This has been the focus all year, so the next three weeks look important to achieve this goal. It would be the first time in well over a decade.”
Middlesex League 2026 Top Ten Girls’ 5k Times
Jane Conrad, Lexington - 17:27
Amelia Whorton, Lexington - 18:00
Julia Ramsey, Winchester - 18:37
Callie Glenn, Lexington - 18:45
Ella Tyson, Lexington - 18:46
Emma Kosnik, Lexington - 18:47
Millie McDonald, Winchester - 18:47
Quin Wilcox, Wakefield - 18:53
Erin Ehmann, Lexington - 19:05
Nora Chan, Arlington - 19:14
Boys Preview
The Reading boys started the season well, but between various ailments on the varsity squad and some inclement weather, the middle of the season did not go as planned. However, things started to come together for the boys at last week’s Winchester meet. Now, as the boys enter the League Championship, Coach Mike Connelly has set a high bar. “The goal for the boys is to win the league meet. This can happen if these guys are at their best and running well.”
Eli Roscillo and Wesley McCarty work together uphill against Lexington on October 6, 2026. Photo by Raymond Vaillancourt.
Against Arlington, co-captain Finn Johnson-Houlihan was in fine form, finishing just seconds off the Reading course record. In the next meet against Arlington, Reading’s top five finished within 12 seconds of each other, tightening up their pack. If the Rockets can bring both top-end speed and a fast and tight pack, Coach Connelly is optimistic: “With everyone running to their potential, I strongly believe we can beat the top teams…we need to close down the gaps and win key individual matchups.”
Using each team’s top seven 5k times for the season, Arlington and Reading project to tie for the League Championship winner. This makes sense, given that two teams were separated by one point in their dual meet. However, Lexington looks dangerous, with the league’s top two runners and one of last year’s best runners recently returned to racing. Finally, Belmont has a strong top three that can run with any team on any day. The ultimate winner should be one of those four teams.
It will be a close and exciting race on Monday. Good luck to all the competitors!
Reading’s lead pack working to challenge Winchester on October 20. Pictured (left to right): Colin Carroll, Colin Herlihy, Curran Healy, Declan Grant, Max King. Photo by Ray Vaillancourt.
2026 Top Ten Boys’ 5k Times
Trevor Stevens, Lexington - 15:46
Patrick Noonan, Lexington - 15:50
Finn Johnson-Houlihan, Reading - 15:54
Owen Merrill, Arlington - 16:01
Noah Geiger, Belmont - 16:03
Ishaan Kanagaraj, Belmont - 16:04
Cooper Hunt, Wilmington - 16:04
Zachary Weinberg, Arlington - 16:08
Eli Hanover, Arlington - 16:10
Declan Grant, Reading - 16:17
Interested in seeing more high school sports coverage in The Reading Observer? We’re looking to expand our coverage with the help of parents, coaches, and community members who want to contribute. If you’re interested in collaborating, reach out to Taylor Gregory at TGregory@TheReadingObserver.com.