Resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete, wrote this article.
Colin Carroll finished second in the junior boys’ race
Eva Kirkwood finished third in the sophomore girls’ race
Ten runners earned medals
Reading’s cross-country teams traveled down to Wrentham on Saturday, November 7th, for the MSTCA Frank Mooney Coaches XC Invitational. This invitational is the final tune-up before the Divisional State Meet on November 14th. The invitational featured girls’ and boys’ races for each grade level, with a 3k race for the freshmen and 5k races for everyone else. The senior race is unique in that all grades are allowed to run it.
Despite rainy conditions, Reading’s runners performed well across the board, with medalists in seven of the eight races. In addition, six runners placed in the top ten in their race, and two - Colin Carroll (junior) and Eva Kirkwood (sophomore) - had podium finishes.
“The team had a lot of positive things happen at the state coaches meet this past weekend, with strong performances from many in our top 7, including Colin Herlihy, Colin Carroll, and Eva Kirkwood,” said Coach Mike Connelly. “I am hoping that experience carries into the state divisional meet on Saturday.”
The Reading girls’ cross-country team gathers after competing at the Frank Mooney Coaches Invitational. Photo by Kate Crosby.
Reading’s next race is the Divisional State Meet on Saturday, November 14th, at Willard Park in Devens, MA. Both the Reading girls and boys are in Division 1C. The meet begins at 11:00 am, with the girls running at 2:00 pm and the boys at 2:45 pm. Please come cheer on the Rockets!
Freshman Race
Reading’s top finisher on the girls’ side was Emilly Nicholls, who finished 9th out of 74 runners in 12:31, a personal best for Nicholls over 3k. Also running were Julia Connelly (28th; 13:39) and Josephine McGilvray (41st; 14:34).
On the boys’ side, Ryan Cintolo finished 10th in 10:25, a personal best at 3k. This performance came amongst a massive field of 214 freshman runners, making it all the more impressive. Also finishing in the top half of the field were PJ Vaillancourt (59th; 11:35), Leonardo De Llano (71st; 11:45), and Nicholas Princic (94th; 12:04). Kyle See (157th; 13:00) and Westley Keating (195th; 14:03) rounded out the freshman boys’ squad.
Sophomore Race
Eva Kirkwood continued her stellar inaugural cross-country season by finishing in third place in the sophomore girls’ race, beating 84 other competitors. Kirkwood finished 30 seconds ahead of the fourth-place finisher and was just three seconds behind the second-place finisher. Ali Silbovitz (63rd; 24:57) was Reading’s other sophomore competitor.
For the sophomore boys, Dimitri Speros saved his best for this race, finishing 37th in 18:03, a new PR. Ben Kaberle (44th; 18:18), Eli Roscillo (81st; 19:06), and Nicholas Castiglia (83rd; 19:08) also finished in the top half of this 204-person field.
Junior Race
No junior girls participated in the Coaches’ Invitational this year. However, the boys were well represented with three juniors: Colin Carroll, Curran Healy, and Aaron Walker. Caroll finished in second place out of 135 finishers in 16:30, just a few seconds off his PR. Carroll was the top finisher of all Reading Rockets at the invitational and matched his best finish this year. Healy was close behind Carroll, finishing fourth in 16:48. Walker finished 48th in 18:27, well within the top half of finishers.
The Reading boys’ cross-country team poses together after the Frank Mooney Coaches Invitational. Photo by Michelle Kane.
Senior Race
Reading’s senior girls came out in force at the Coaches’ Invitational, fielding a full seven-member team. The seniors delivered a strong performance, with two season-best performances and one PR. Bridget Branson led the way for the seniors, finishing 33rd. With a season-best time of 21:44, Branson continues to improve as the team moves into the most crucial part of the season. Stella Harrington (51st; 22:52) and Allie Juffre (53rd; 22:56) were mere seconds apart as the next two finishers for Reading. Jordan Lee (57th; 23:09) was fourth for the Reading squad, posting a new personal best by almost 20 seconds. Grace Hayes (61st; 23:28), Delaney Sousa (63rd; 23:31), and Gia Centrella (82nd; 24:19) rounded out Reading’s senior squad.
On the boys’ side, five seniors represented Reading. Colin Herlihy led the way, finishing fourth in 16:32. This is Herlihy’s sixth top-ten finish this season, and his fourth top-four finish. Max King was next for the Rockets, crossing the line in 13th place in 16:55. Quinn Kane (101st; 18:55) was third on the team and ran under 19 minutes for the first time this year. Luke Bishop (157th; 20:21) and Griffin Fournier (181st; 21:45) made up the rest of the boys’ senior team.
Reading runners who earned medals (top 40 finish):
Colin Carroll - 2nd place in Junior Boys
Eva Kirkwood - 3rd place in Sophomore Girls
Curran Healy - 4th place in Junior Boys
Colin Herlihy - 4th place in Senior Boys
Emilly Nicholls - 9th place in Freshman Girls
Ryan Cintolo - 10th place in Freshman Boys
Max King - 13th place in Senior Boys
Julia Connelly - 28th place in Freshman Girls
Bridget Branson - 33rd place in Senior Girls
Dimitri Speros - 37th place in Sophomore Boys
Reading runners who set a new PR:
Ryan Cintolo - 10:25 (3k)
PJ Vaillancourt - 11:35 (3k)
Emilly Nicholls - 12:31 (3k)
Kyle See - 13:00 (3k)
Julia Connelly - 13:39 (3k)
Jordan Lee - 23:09 (5k)
Dimitri Speros - 18:03
Nicholas Castiglia - 19:08
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.