Reading Cross-Country Opens the Season with Victories over Burlington; Girls win 27-30, Boys win 15-50
This article was written by resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete.
A combination of young talent and savvy race strategy delivered a victory for the girls
Reading boys scored a sweep
Multiple runners set PRs on a perfect day for running
Reading runners Ali Silbovitz (left) and Grace Hayes (right) running in the first meet of the year. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
Reading finally got their cross-country season underway on Tuesday in the Town Forest under perfect racing conditions. Though the girls’ race was closer than the boys’, both teams defeated Burlington and set the tone for a strong season to come.
Next up is another home meet against Woburn on Tuesday, September 22nd. Come root on the Rockets as they look to stay undefeated!
Reading Girls Beat Burlington 27-30
Under clear blue skies, the Reading girls’ cross-country team opened up their season with a hard-fought victory over Burlington. The win put on display all aspects of the promise this team has for the season ahead. “I was very proud of how the girls’ team competed today. It was a total team effort to come up with the 27 points to secure the victory. The girls ran smart and competed hard,” said Coach Mike Connelly.
Two newcomers to cross-country led the way for Reading. Sophomore Eva Kirkwood and freshman Emily Nicholls took home second and third overall and, according to Coach Connelly, “did a nice job breaking up [Burlington’s] top two runners.” Just behind them, senior captain Bridget Branson pulled off a great display of tactical pacing. Branson shadowed Burlington’s third runner for over two miles. Then, with the finish line in sight — in the words of Coach Connelly — “Bridget Branson made a great move in the last mile to secure the 5th-place spot, which was key for the victory.”
Bridget Branson kicks past a Burlington runner. Photo by Michelle Kane.
However, Burlington’s third and fourth runners finished in 6th and 7th place overall, leaving them needing only an eighth- or ninth-place finish from their fifth runner to secure the victory. Once again, Reading’s combination of young talent and experienced racers was up to the challenge. Reading took the next four spots, pushing Burlington out of contention. “I was very impressed with Allie Juffre, Stella Harrington, Julia Connelly, and Jordan Lee, who were able to finish consecutively and beat Burlington’s 5th runner to secure the win. It was a great way to start the season to be involved in such a fun competitive meet.”
Below are the times for the top seven Rockets, plus anyone who set a PR:
Eva Kirkwood - 21:19 (PR)
Emily Nicholls - 21:22 (PR)
Bridget Branson - 22:08
Allison Juffre - 23:03
Stella Harrington - 23:40
Julia Connelly - 23:51 (PR)
Jordan Lee - 24:18
Other PRs: Josephine McGilvray (26:02), Kaylani Raimundo (29:18), Lillian Gant (31:50), Fiona Bishop (33:18)
Reading Boys Beat Burlington 15-50
The Reading boys’ cross-country team must hope that Tuesday’s race was a metaphor for the whole season. Things could not have gone better for the Rockets — the weather was perfect, the boys swept the top ten spots, and there were no season-ending injuries. “The boys’ team started the 2026 season on a good note, with solid pack running and working through the race together,” said Coach Mike Connelly.
Instead of each runner pursuing his own best time, the team stuck together to kick off the season with a strong collective effort. “I was pleased to see our top seven all run 18 minutes and under to start the season,” said Coach Connelly. For comparison, last season the team did not achieve that mark until the last day of September. Senior captains Finn Johnson-Houlihan, Max King, and Andrew Princic set the tone and the pace for the team. While they crossed the finish line first, their times showed that each of them saved some firepower for later in the season. Rounding out the top seven were senior Colin Herlihy, and juniors Colin Carroll, Declan Grant, and Curran Healy, all of whom ran the same time.
Reading’s top seven on their way to a sweep of Burlington. Pictured left-to-right: Andrew Princic, Finn Johnson-Houlihan, Colin Carroll, Declan Grant, Max King, Curran Healy, and Colin Herlihy. Photo by Raymond Vaillancourt.
Reading showed its depth as 16 runners finished the 5k course in under 20 minutes. This group was led by junior Isaac Olivier-Mason (17:59), sophomore Ben Kaberle (18:02), and junior Wesley McCarty (18:24).
Below are the times for the top seven Rockets, plus anyone who set a PR:
Max King - 17:47
Finn Johnson-Houlihan - 17:48
Andrew Princic - 17:48
Colin Herlihy - 17:49
Colin Carroll - 17:49
Curran Healy - 17:50
Declan Grant - 17:50
Other PRs: Dimitri Speros (19:06), Eli Roscillo (19:08), Ryan Cintolo (19:10), Nick Castiglia (19:44), Nicholas Princic (20:21), Leonardo De Llano (21:01), PJ Vaillancourt (24:16), Quinn Doherty (24:55), Austin Heinrich (25:56), Noah Epstein (26:37), Westley Keating (26:40), Kellen Masterson (26:43), Kyle See (26:49), Adrian Gibson (31:48)
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.
