(6-7 minute read)
Resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete, wrote this article.
Julia Connelly (521) and Bridget Branson (501) push past a group of Winchester runners. Photo by Tom Grant.
On the girls' side, the dual meets resulted in an interesting contrast between youth and experience, as seniors Nora Chan (Arlington), Julia Ramsey (Winchester), and Quin Wilcox (Wakefield) finished strong seasons with home-course wins, while the Burlington, Lexington, and Wilmington dual meets were won by eighth- and ninth-graders.
Meanwhile, on the boys’ side, Arlington finished its dual meets undefeated with a record of 7-0. Lexington, however, finished strong against Belmont, with two runners breaking the previous course record. In addition, one of Lexington’s top runners from last year made his season debut with a strong time.
The league championships are on Monday, October 26th at Woburn Golf Club, beginning at 2:30 pm. Come cheer on your favorite runners!
Girls - Week 6
Reading at Winchester. See write-up here
Lexington at Belmont. Lexington won 16-44. Lexington left its top runners at home, but the team is so deep that it did not matter. Ninth-grader Lucia Cassano (19:27) won her first cross-country race as a high-schooler.
Burlington at Stoneham. Burlington won 18-39. Burlington capped off a strong dual meet season with a win at Stoneham. Hope Calandrelli (19:48) claimed her fourth dual meet victory.
Melrose at Wakefield. Melrose won 27-29. Melrose eked out a win to finish second in the Freedom Division. Wakefield’s Quin Wilcox won her fourth dual meet, cruising in at 20:12. However, Melrose put its top five ahead of Wakefield’s fourth runner by a mere nine seconds. Indeed, only 19 seconds separated the fifth finisher from the ninth finisher. Melrose outplaced Wakefield just enough to win the meet.
Wilmington at Watertown. Wilmington won 20-37. After finishing second or third in five straight meets, Wilmington eighth-grader Samantha Skelskie finally broke through, winning her first high school meet in a PR of 20:15.
Woburn at Arlington. Arlington won 16-43. Senior Nora Chan won her last race on her home course in a season-best 19:14, marking her fifth dual meet victory of the season and entering the top 10 for Middlesex League 5k times this season.
Girls’ standings in the Middlesex League.
Reading’s lead pack makes their move. Pictured (left to right): Colin Carroll, Colin Herlihy, Curran Healy, Declan Grant, Max King. Photo by Ray Vaillancourt.
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 - Week 6
Reading at Winchester. See write-up here
Lexington at Belmont. Lexington won 24-35. Lexington’s Patrick Noonan went out with a bang in his last dual meet of the season by setting the course record (by a lot) on Belmont’s three-mile track at 15:12. Teammate Trevor Stevens was not far behind at 15:16. While Belmont put three runners together right after these two, led by a PR from William Olmsted (15:42), Lexington’s depth took over from there as the Minutemen took the next seven spots. Lexington also saw the return of Rhys Behling, who was a key contributor last year.
Burlington at Stoneham. Burlington won 17-42. Burlington sealed their Freedom Division title with a win at Stoneham. James Roy of Burlington (18:03) claimed his fifth dual meet victory.
Melrose at Wakefield. Wakefield won 28-29. Like the girls’ meet, this race was about as close as it could be. John Myers of Melrose finished first in 18:01, closely followed by teammate Levi Barnes. Wakefield took third and fourth, followed by a Melrose runner in fifth. At this point, Melrose needed their fourth runner to finish eighth or better to guarantee a win. However, in dramatic fashion, Wakefield’s third-through-sixth runners all squeezed ahead of Melrose’s fourth runner. Wakefield’s fourth-through-sixth runners beat Melrose’s fourth runner by mere seconds, ensuring a dramatic home victory for Wakefield.
Wilmington at Watertown. Wilmington won 18-45. Wilmington’s Cooper Hunt won his fifth dual meet of the season, and his teammate Cooper Holleran held off Watertown’s Simon Abo by six seconds to take second. Wilmington then put the rest of their top seven in just ahead of Watertown’s second runner to seal the win.
Woburn at Arlington. Arlington won 19-44. Arlington finished undefeated and claimed the Liberty Division title on their home course. Owen Merrill of Arlington crossed the line first, his fifth dual meet win of the season, and Arlington took thirteen of the next fourteen spots to close out the win.
Boys’ standings in the Middlesex League.
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.