Reading Cross-Country Falls to Lexington
(5-6 minute read)
Resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete, wrote this article.
Girls lose 15-50; Boys lose 15-49
Reading girls fought hard, but Lexington showed it is ranked #1 for a reason
Reading boys were shorthanded, but did not back down
Both teams are looking ahead to the second half of the season
Reading runners from back to front: Lillian Gant (number obscured), Delaney Souza (120), Gia Centrella (104), Ali Silbovitz (115), Harper Davis (107), Stella Harrington (109), Julia Connelly (105), Emily Nicholls (117), Eva Kirkwood (112). Photo by Tom Grant.
The Reading Rockets toed the line on Tuesday, October 6th, against a talented and motivated Lexington cross-country squad. Racing on their home course, the Lexington runners made it clear from the start that they were on a mission. It is possible the Minutemen have had this dual meet circled on their calendar all season, as it gave them a chance to: 1) get revenge against Reading; and 2) break some course records. The Lexington boys had not beaten Reading in a dual meet since 2022, and for their talented senior class, this was their last chance. Meanwhile, Lexington’s top runners are some of the best in the state and surely wanted to etch their names in the record book.
Lexington delivered on both goals: star Janie Conrad broke the girls’ record by over a minute, and Trevor Stevens set a new boys’ record by a mere two seconds, taking down the record set in 2024 by Reading’s Timmy Connolly. With the Reading girls missing two senior leaders, and many of the Reading boys resting ahead of an invitational this weekend, the Rockets struggled to keep up.
Next up is the Bob Glennon Twilight XC invitational the weekend of October 10th and 11th. This invitational marks the halfway point of the season, as it will be the fifth race out of ten races this season for the Rockets (11 if they make the Meet of Champions). At this point in the season, Coach Mike Connelly said “both teams need to refocus and prepare to have strong finishes.” Reading will be running on Sunday the 11th in the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior Varsity, and Varsity races. The races start at 6:00 pm and run until 9:00 pm, so if you plan to be in Falmouth on Sunday evening, come cheer on the Rockets!
Reading Girls Lose to Lexington 15-50
Eva Kirkwood kicks it into the finish. Photo by Raymond Vaillancourt.
The Reading cross-country team faced the best girls team in the state on Tuesday. Lexington’s team is fast and deep, and they held nothing back. Coach Mike Connelly gave credit where credit was due: “Lexington girls were very impressive today. They ran incredibly well on their home course.” Lexington took the top eight spots, with five of those runners setting personal bests. Lexington’s top finisher, Janie Conrad, broke the girls’ record by over a minute, and Lexington’s second and third runners had the 3rd- and 4th-fastest times ever for girls on the course.
Undaunted, two Reading runners posted personal bests despite Lexington’s demanding course. “I was pleased with how the team competed and ran hard on a challenging, hilly Lexington course,” said Coach Connelly. Eva Kirkwood (20:46; ninth place) led the way for Reading. “Eva continued to run well up front and ran a personal best time today,” the coach said. Ninth-grader Emily Nicholls continued her consistent season as Reading’s second runner, finishing 12th in 21:50. The Rockets were without seniors Bridget Branson and Allie Juffre, but a ninth grader, Julia Connelly, stepped up with her best race of the year, finishing 13th in 23:13. Stella Harrington (23:26, 14th), Grace Hayes (24:10, 15th), Harper Davis (25:28, 16th), and Josephine McGilvray (25:44, 17th) rounded out Reading’s top seven.
It would have been easy to just mail it in today, but Coach Connelly commented that it was a “very impressive race and I was proud of the team.”
Emily Nicholls finishes strong. Photo by Raymond Vaillancourt.
Below are the times for the top seven Rockets, plus anyone who set a PR:
Eva Kirkwood - 20:46 (PR)
Emily Nicholls - 21:50
Julia Connelly - 23:13 (PR)
Stella Harrington - 23:26
Grace Hayes - 24:10
Harper Davis - 25:28
Josephine McGilvray - 25:44
Other PRs: Lillian Gant (28:54) and Fiona Bishop (29:53)
Reading Boys Lose to Lexington 15-49
From the start, it was clear the Lexington boys wanted to make a statement. Across the starting line stood all of Lexington’s best seniors, even though they are signed up for a big invitational race this coming Saturday. From this group of seniors, one broke the course record, another ran the fourth-fastest time ever, and two more ran their fastest races of the season.
Eli Roscillo and Wesley McCarty work together uphill. Photo by Raymond Vaillancourt.
Unfortunately for Reading, they would have to race this talented Lexington team without their full squad present. Many varsity runners sat out ahead of this weekend’s Twilight Invitational. “The boys’ team - despite many top runners resting - ran hard today and competed,” said Coach Mike Connelly. Notable among the Rockets was junior Curran Healy, who led all Reading finishers. “Curran Healy impressively ran 17:12 on the challenging, hilly course,” noted Coach Connelly. Healy has been the team’s most consistent performer this season, competing in every meet and even winning the home meet against Woburn on September 22nd.
After Healy, Reading’s Wesley McCarty (12th place, 18:34) posted his best finish of the season, proving the hills were not too much for him to overcome. McCarty was followed by two sophomores, Ben Kaberle (13th, 18:53) and Eli Roscillo (14th, 19:10). Junior Aaron Walker (15th, 19:10) was right on Roscillo’s heels and finished with the same time. For Roscillo and Walker, this was their first time finishing as part of the team’s top five scoring runners. Finishing shortly after those two were sophomore Dimitri Speros (16th, 19:17) and freshman Ryan Cintolo (17th, 19:17) to round out the top seven. Cintolo is the first freshman to crack the top seven for Reading this season.
Griffin Fournier and PJ Vaillancourt keep up the pace. Photo by Raymond Vaillancourt.
Below are the times for the top seven Rockets, plus anyone who set a PR:
Curran Healy - 17:12
Wesley McCarty - 18:34
Ben Kaberle - 18:53
Eli Roscillo - 19:10
Aaron Walker - 19:10
Dimitri Speros - 19:17
Ryan Cintolo - 19:17
Other PRs: Noah Epstein (25:15), Kyle See (25:44), and Bowen Day (27:45)
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.