Middlesex League Cross-Country: Week 5 Review
(4-minute read)
Resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete, wrote this article.
Arlington’s boys start fast. Photo by Tom Grant.
Lexington’s girls again showed that they are the class of the Middlesex League by handily beating Winchester, which is one of the best girls’ teams in the state. Lexington then went to a XC showcase in Virginia and finished seventh overall against top teams from all over the East Coast. They are one of the best girls’ teams Massachusetts has seen in a while.
Meanwhile, on the boys’ side, Arlington cemented that they are the team to beat in the Middlesex League, as they improved to 6-0 by just barely beating Reading (27-28). However, Lexington’s boys won the Wickham Park Invitational in CT, so their earlier loss to Arlington may not reflect how well they are running now.
This week brings the last dual meet of the season, followed by the league championships on Monday, October 26th. The Lexington boys vs the Belmont boys on Tuesday should be an intriguing matchup, as it features four of the six fastest runners in the league. Here is a brief rundown of races from the past week:
Eva Kirkwood (518) keeps the pace high. Photo by Michelle Kane.
Girls - Week 5
Arlington at Reading. See write-up here
Belmont at Woburn. Belmont won 16-45. Belmont bounced back in a big way after falling to Arlington last week. Three of their top four runners set PRs on this three-mile course, and Reece Bundy returned to her winning ways in a time of 20:08.
Melrose at Burlington. Burlington won 21-35. Burlington defended their home turf and were once again led by eighth-grader Hope Calandrelli (19:34). Burlington has a serious youth movement underway, as five of their top six runners are in eighth or ninth grade. Melrose deserves recognition for putting their top six runners ahead of Burlington’s fifth runner. However, as Burlington took the top four spots, it was not possible for Melrose to win.
Wakefield at Wilmington. Wakefield won 20-37. Wakefield made it three dual meet wins in a row. Star senior Quin Wilcox took advantage of a fast Wilmington course to record a season-best time of 18:53. Wakefield put four runners in the top five, putting the meet out of reach for Wilmington.
Winchester at Lexington. Lexington won 16-47. In a highly anticipated meet of two of the best teams in the state, Lexington put on an impressive display of both high-end talent and depth. Both teams had their best runners on the starting line, but junior Amelia Whorton - in her first season of cross-country - grabbed the victory, her first ever. Whorton also posted the second-fastest girls’ time ever on Lexington’s notoriously difficult course.
Watertown at Stoneham. Stoneham won 19-40. Despite missing their top runner, the Stoneham girls took five of the top six spots and cruised to an easy victory on their home course. Junior Kiera Murray came through first in a time of 21:59.
Middlesex League (ML) Girls’ Standings (L=Liberty Division, F=Freedom Division)
2026 Top Ten Girls’ 5k Times
Jane Conrad, Lexington - 17:27
Amelia Whorton, Lexington - 18:00
Julia Ramsey, Winchester - 18:38
Callie Glenn, Lexington - 18:45
Ella Tyson, Lexington - 18:46
Emma Kosnik, Lexington - 18:47
Quin Wilcox, Wakefield - 18:53
Erin Ehmann, Lexington - 19:05
Millie McDonald, Winchester - 19:12
Natalie Bielat, Lexington - 19:18
Boys - Week 5
Arlington at Reading. See write-up here
Belmont at Woburn. Belmont won 18-43. Belmont’s Will Olmsted got his second victory of the year, running a 16:20 on Woburn’s three-mile course. Olmsted finished just ahead of his teammate Noah Geiger, with Woburn’s David Harrington in third. Harrington finished in 16:28, once again running strong on his home course despite being outnumbered by opponents at the front of the race.
Melrose at Burlington. Burlington won 22-37. Burlington had their best race of the season yet, keeping their strong season going. Burlington’s top eight runners set PRs, including sophomore James Roy, who finished first in 16:20. Roy continues to impress, as he has now finished first in four dual meets.
Wakefield at Wilmington. Wakefield won 25-34. Wilmington’s star sophomore Cooper Hunt came seconds away from setting the school record, winning the meet in an eye-popping PR of 16:04. His teammate, Cooper Holleran, also set a PR (16:45) to finish second. However, Wakefield was unfazed by Wilmington’s top-end speed and took the next five spots to win the meet. Four of those runners also set PRs, showing that this was a fast matchup.
Winchester at Lexington. Lexington won 15-50. Despite a tough invitational the Saturday before, Lexington’s top three seniors were back on the starting line at home, ensuring it would be a difficult race for Winchester. Winchester’s top finisher, Noah Mannelli, put up a season’s best time, but even with that effort, Lexington still had the top eight finishers.
Watertown at Stoneham. Watertown won 17-38. After finishing second three times, sophomore Simon Abo finally got his first victory, finishing in 17:51. Watertown took five of the first six spots to put the meet out of reach.
Middlesex League (ML) Boys’ Standings (L=Liberty Division, F=Freedom Division)
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.
