Reading Cross-Country Remains Undefeated with Victories over Woburn
(4-minute read)
Resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete, wrote this article.
Senior Bridget Branson gets ready to make her move and finish third overall. Photo by Tom Grant.
Girls win 16-47; Boys win 17-45
Reading girls take the top three spots
Superior team depth delivers a victory for the boys
Home course PRs continue to fall
In the second meet of the season, both the Reading’s girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams defended their home course by defeating Woburn. The girls again demonstrated a strong combination of top-end performance and smart racing. The boys, meanwhile, overcame the absence of several varsity runners to still easily beat Woburn.
This meet featured the program’s first-ever “Race Against Parkinson’s Disease”. Runners from Reading and Woburn wore splashes of silver, the color associated with Parkinson’s awareness and fundraising groups. The harriers were adorned with various silver shirts, armbands, headbands, face paint, and even hair coloring. The boys’ and girls’ captains made thoughtful remarks before and after the race, offering education about Parkinson’s Disease and its impact.
Next up is an away meet at Belmont on Tuesday, September 29th. Belmont poses a much stiffer test for the Rockets, so come out and support the team if you can.
Reading Girls Beat Woburn 16-47
Reading’s captains address the crowd regarding Parkinson’s disease. Pictured (left-to-right): Maria La Francesca, Bridget Branson, and Stella Harrington. Photo by Tom Grant.
The Reading girls’ cross-country team moved to 2-0 on the season with an impressive victory over Woburn. The meet mirrored last week’s result, as two newcomers set the pace while a pack of experienced runners locked down the win. “I was very proud of how the girls competed today. It was once again another team effort to get the victory against Woburn,” said Coach Mike Connelly.
It was a special day for sophomore Eva Kirkwood, who won a cross-country race for the first time. Kirkwood was a strong contributor to the track team in the spring and is bringing that same success to Reading’s Town Forest. Ninth-grader Emily Nicholls followed close behind, repeating as the Rockets’ second finisher.
After Kirkwood and Nicholls, the team’s combination of talent and drive sealed their second straight win. “Captain Bridget Branson ran another amazing race to make a strong move in the last mile to secure third place,” said Coach Connelly. “Allison Juffre, Stella Harrington, Julia Connelly, and Jordan Lee once again competed strong as a pack to secure the victory as all of them finished in the top 8.” However, the kudos don’t stop with the top seven. Coach Connelly was encouraged by everyone’s efforts, noting “there were several personal best times” across the girls’ team.
Pictured (left-to-right): Reading’s Allie Juffre, Julia Connelly, Jordan Lee, and Stella Harrington run as a pack against Woburn. Photo by Tom Grant.
Below are the times for the top seven Rockets, plus anyone who set a PR:
Eva Kirkwood - 21:33
Emily Nicholls - 21:57
Bridget Branson - 22:04
Allison Juffre - 22:37
Stella Harrington - 23:07
Julia Connelly - 23:14 (PR)
Jordan Lee - 23:28 (PR)
Other PRs: Josephine McGilvray (25:39) and Kaylani Raimundo (28:17)
Reading Boys Beat Woburn 17-45
Due to a combination of scheduled rest and runners recovering from injury and illness, the Reading boys were shorthanded coming into the Woburn meet. However, the Rockets’ depth shone through. The boys took six of the top seven finishing spots, and four of Reading’s top seven set personal bests.
Pictured (left-to-right): Colin Herlihy, Colin Carroll, Woburn’s David Harrington, Curran Healy. Photo by Raymond Vaillancourt.
“The boys once again ran a strong race and competed hard as a pack. The Rockets were led by juniors Curran Healy and Colin Carroll and senior Colin Herlihy, all of whom impressively ran sub-17 on the 3.1 mile course,” said Coach Mike Connelly. Indeed, Healy and Carroll each posted personal bests, and Herlihy ran his fastest time on Reading’s home course. This was Healy’s second individual win in a dual meet and represented a 37-second improvement over his previous best time at home.
After Woburn’s David Harrington took the fourth overall spot, Reading Rockets were the next three to cross the finish line. “Ben Kaberle also ran a very strong race to run a personal best and break 18 minutes,” noted Coach Connelly. Kaberle, a sophomore, was fifth overall in 17:47, taking seven seconds off his PR. Juniors Wesley McCarty and Isaac Olivier-Mason finished sixth and seventh, respectively, and sophomore Dimitri Speros, in his first-ever varsity race, rounded out Reading’s top seven, finishing ninth overall with a huge PR of 18:33.
Reading’s runners put up multiple PRs across the team, with many ninth and tenth-graders running under 19 and 20 minutes for the first time. Below are the times for the top seven Rockets, plus anyone who set a PR:
Reading’s leading pack at mile one. Pictured (left-to-right): Colin Carroll, Curran Healy, and Colin Herlihy. Photo by Tom Grant.
Curran Healy - 16:42 (PR)
Colin Carroll - 16:44 (PR)
Colin Herlihy - 16:47
Ben Kaberle - 17:47 (PR)
Wesley McCarty - 18:11
Isaac Olivier-Mason - 18:19
Dimitri Speros - 18:33 (PR)
Other PRs: Ryan Cintolo (18:50), Eli Roscillo (19:02), Nick Castiglia (19:43), Nicholas Princic (20:20), Leonardo De Llano (20:41), PJ Vaillancourt (21:49), Noah Epstein (25:20), Westley Keating (25:20), Austin Heinrich (25:32), Kellen Masterson (25:37), Kyle See (25:45), Bowen Day (28:11)
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.