(8-9 minute read)
Resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete, wrote this article.
Girls score 196 points; Boys score 69 points
Eva Kirkwood was a medalist for the girls, finishing 20th
Seven Reading boys received medals
Both Varsity squads are gearing up for the Divisional State Meet on 11/14
Varsity girls and Coach Connelly are hands in before the race. Photo by Tom Grant.
The 56th edition of the Middlesex League Cross-Country Championships was held at Woburn Country Club on Monday, October 26th, heralding the start of the cross-country postseason. Despite the race’s long tradition, there were two notable differences this year: the weather was warm, and the course was hard. After adjusting to temperatures in the 50s over the past couple of weeks, runners had to battle heat that rose into the 70s. The harder test, however, was likely the longer course. Historically, the course measured right around three miles, despite claiming to be a 5k. This year, the League finally extended the course to make it a true 5k. The warmth and the longer course made for a challenging day for all runners. However, the Rockets persevered.
Reading’s harriers acquitted themselves well across the Freshman, Junior Varsity, and Varsity races, with multiple medalists and top 20 performances, including one Middlesex League All-Conference performer. While each team might have preferred to finish one or two pegs higher in the final standings, both teams are in good position as they build towards the Divisional State Meet in just over two weeks.
The Divisional State Meet is 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!
Coach Mike Connelly delivers a final pep talk to Reading boys’ varsity. Photo by Tom Grant.
Freshman Race
The freshman races were 3k in length, with all the girls and boys running together. Reading’s top finisher on the girls’ side was Josephine McGilvray, who finished 19th in 14:25. With 71 competitors in the event, McGilvray put up a strong performance. Reading’s other two finishers were Fiona Bishop (42nd; 16:05) and Lillian Gant (43rd; 16:11).
On the boys’ side, Ryan Cintolo finished 6th in 10:28, earning a medal. He was Reading’s highest-placed finisher in any race during the Championships. Nicholas Princic (23rd; 11:17), Leonardo De Llano (32nd; 11:37), and PJ Vaillancourt (35th; 11:45) all had impressive runs to finish in the top half of the 100-person field. Kyle See (74th; 13:19), Westley Keating (81st; 13:39), Bowen Day (91st; 14:48), Adrian Gibson (93rd; 16:30), and JD Means (95th; 16:40) rounded out Reading’s freshman boys’ team.
Junior Varsity Race
Winchester and Lexington dominated the girls’ junior varsity race, making it a hard and fast race. However, seniors Gia Centrella (33rd; 25:15), Delaney Sousa (34th; 25:25), and Jordan Lee (35th; 25:26) stayed undaunted and finished their cross-country careers in a tight pack as Reading’s top finishers. Also competing for Reading were Kaylani Raimundo (68th; 28:36), Nastia Brechko (82nd; 29:53), Nicole Correia (91st; 30:47), Leah Malone (100th; 33:11), Mia Kocev (102nd; 33:44), Maya Beaulieu (104th; 34:15), and Lydia McDonald (107th; 36:38)
Ryan Cintolo en route to a 6th place finish in the freshman race. Photo by Michelle Kane.
As in recent years, Lexington controlled the boys' junior varsity race, claiming five of the top six spots. Lexington’s top finisher in the boys’ JV race won in 17:01, a time that would have placed him 21st in the varsity race. Despite the fast field and challenging course, junior Wesley McCarty put forth a great effort and ran 18:34 to finish 19th and earn a medal. Dimitri Speros was only a few spots behind in 23rd place after running a time of 18:53. Aaron Walker had a strong closing kick to just nip a Lexington runner on the finish line and cross in 26th in 19:01. Senior Quinn Kane was the fourth Rocket to finish, placing 34th in a season-best time of 19:12. Rounding out the Reading junior varsity team were Nicholas Castiglia (56th; 19:47), Eli Roscillo (58th; 19:47), Jake Ryle (68th; 20:01), Reid Morgan (77th; 20:23), Gavin Ganann (112th; 21:35), Quinn Doherty (129th; 22:15), Griffin Fournier (150th; 23:15), Caleb Brown (160th; 23:37), Noah Epstein (169th; 24:11), Kellen Masterson (170th; 24:13), and Austin Heinrich (182nd; 26:01)
Reading Girls Place 7th at Middlesex League Championships
The Reading girls’ cross-country team finally returned to full strength just as the ML Championships race approached. The result improved on last year’s 8th-place finish with 217 points, with the girls finishing in 7th with 196 points. “The girls’ team competed hard on a challenging, rolling 5k league-meet course yesterday. I was pleased with their efforts and proud of how they competed,” said Coach Mike Connelly.
Lexington won the Championships in dominating fashion, while Winchester was a distant second. Arlington was impressive in finishing third. Wakefield eked out fourth place, just four points ahead of Burlington. Belmont slotted in sixth ahead of the Rockets, with Wilmington, Stoneham, and Woburn rounding out the top ten.
Eva Kirkwood battles for position. Photo by Tom Grant.
As she has all season, sophomore Eva Kirkwood led the Rockets, finishing 20th in 20:54. “Eva Kirkwood continues to run really strong for the team, as she impressively finished in the top 20 to earn a medal against high-caliber competition,” commented Coach Connelly. Emilly Nicholls was the next Rocket to cross the finish line, taking 30th place in 21:50 and earning a ribbon for her top 40 finish. Senior co-captains Stella Harrington (49th; 23:02) and Bridget Branson (54th; 23:21) were Reading’s third and fourth runners, while Julia Connelly (56th; 23:40), Allie Juffre (60th; 24:12), and Grace Hayes (69th; 25:37) rounded out the top seven.
“As a team, we had hopes to finish a little higher. However, the team pushed through some tough conditions and competed hard for a solid 7th place finish,” said Coach Connelly. “Senior captains Stella Harrington and Bridget Branson ran well in the middle for Reading, and ninth graders Emilly Nicholls and Julia Connelly continue to show a lot of potential.”
The Rockets will be thankful to see Lexington and Winchester racing in different divisions from them at the Divisional State Meet on November 14th. These next two weeks give the girls plenty of time to tighten up their pack, push for a top-seven finish, and land a ticket to the Meet of Champions.
Below are the places and times for the top seven Rockets:
Middlesex League Championships Results - Girls
Eva Kirkwood - 20th; 20:54
Emily Nicholls - 30th; 21:50
Stella Harrington - 49th; 23:02
Bridget Branson - 54th; 23:21
Julia Connelly - 56th; 23:40
Allie Juffre - 60th; 24:12
Grace Hayes - 69th; 25:38
Reading Boys Place 3rd at Middlesex League Championships
Finn Johnson-Houlihan (975) and Declan Grant (971) work together. Photo by Casey Johnson-Houlihan.
The boys entered the ML Championships with some momentum after a fast dual-meet victory over Winchester. Despite a much warmer day and a more challenging course than against Winchester, the boys looked to keep their momentum going and possibly pull an upset victory over Arlington (undefeated in the regular season) and Lexington (returning champions).
Arlington took the lead first after the gun, but Lexington’s top runners, Trevor Stevens and Patrick Noonan, took control, leaving a chasing pack behind them. Reading’s varsity started more conservatively, waiting for the right moment to increase the pace. As the race moved into the second mile, Reading began picking off runners and moving up the ranks, including passing some of Arlington’s fast starters. By the third mile, Reading’s team was starting to catch some Lexington runners, too, but Lexington’s top three were out of reach by then. Reading ended up putting all five of its scoring runners in the top 20 and scored 69 points; however, it was not enough to catch Lexington (32 points) or Arlington (65 points).
Reading boys medalists. Photo by Casey Johnson-Houlihan.
“The boys’ team competed hard on the lengthened 5k course at Woburn Country Club, and we impressively had five runners finish in the top 18 and medal in the event. Although we were a little disappointed with the third-place finish, the race was highlighted by a really strong performance by Declan Grant, who impressively ran a personal-best time of 16:10 to finish 7th overall,” said Coach Mike Connelly. Grant’s showing earned him a place on the ML-12 All-Conference team. Coach Connelly added: “I was pleased with the efforts of seniors Finn Johnson-Houlihan, who finished 13th, and Colin Herlihy, who finished 15th, as well as juniors Colin Carroll and Curran Healy, who finished 16th and 18th, respectively.”
As the team prepares for the Divisional State Meet on Nov. 14th, Coach Connelly is optimistic, saying, “We hope to have the strongest race of our season and perform well.” Reading is one of the favorites going in, along with Oliver Ames and Catholic Memorial. Billerica also has the state’s two fastest runners and is not to be counted out. It should be a close and entertaining race.
Below are the places and times for the top Rocket finishers:
Middlesex League Championships Results - Boys
Declan Grant - 7th; 16:10 (PR)
Finn Johnson-Houlihan - 13th; 16:34
Colin Herlihy - 15th; 16:45
Colin Carroll - 16th; 16:45
Curran Healy - 18th; 16:53
Ben Kaberle - 44th; 18:27
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.