Reading Track falls to Lexington
This article was written by resident Tom Grant, a parent of a student-athlete.
Maya Beaulieu prepares to throw the shot. Photo by Tom Grant.
(4-5 minute read)
Girls lose 96-40, Boys lose 77-59
Multiple Reading athletes qualify for the Division 3 state championships
Ryan Pulpi breaks the school record in the 100m (10.80)
Luke Rogerson qualifies for Nationals in the javelin
The Middlesex League regular season track championship was most likely decided on April 29th in Lexington, as the top teams in the league - Reading and Lexington - squared off. Lexington came out on top for both the girls and the boys, extending their early-season dominance.
Despite the disappointing outcome, both Reading teams had multiple personal bests, and many athletes hit qualifying standards for the Division 3 state championship. Even more impressive, senior captain Luke Rogerson qualified for Nationals in the javelin, and senior captain Ryan Pulpi broke his own school record in the 100m. However, Lexington was just too strong to overcome. The Reading teams will look to bounce back at the Division 3 State Relays Championship on May 3rd.
Reading Girls’ Track falls 96-40 to Lexington
Reading Girls’ Track scorers.
The Reading girls’ track team faced the best girls’ high school team in the state and nationally ranked athletes on the Lexington side. Still, the Rockets were not intimidated and brought their best. Reading took first in both the 400 and the 800, as senior Tessa Rock (1:02.61) and ninth grader Stella McLean (2:31.69) left the Minutemen in their dust. Rock’s time was a personal best - a feat she has now achieved for the third meet in a row - and qualified her for the Division 3 state championships.
In the field events, Kamryn Encarnacao took first in the long jump by almost two feet with a jump of 16-10.00, and Katherine Savio tied for first in the high jump by clearing 4-08.00. Isabelle Lightbody came in a close second in the triple jump with her season-best leap of 37-00.00, which qualified her for the Division 3 state championships. Another notable performance came from sophomore Maya Beaulieu, who finished second in the javelin with a personal best throw of 72-02.
The other qualifier for the Division 3 state championships from the Lexington meet was Kamryn Encarnacao in the 100 (12.66).
Runners who posted personal bests and scored for the Rockets are:
First place and personal best
Tessa Rock - 400 - 1:02.61
Second place and personal best
Maya Beaulieu - javelin - 72-02
Reading Boys’ Track loses 77-59 to Lexington
Finn Johnson-Houlihan and Max King (4) run the mile. Photo by Tom Grant.
Despite multiple personal bests in the field events, Reading’s boys’ track team could not overcome the state- and national-level competitors on the Lexington side. Indeed, Reading athletes put up seven personal bests across all field events, but only one was good enough to win. That win came in the javelin, where Reading swept the podium, led by senior captain Luke Rogerson’s PB throw of 192-01, junior Brody Ruggiero’s PB throw of 139-09, and Jared Wright’s toss of 120-02. Rogerson’s throw was the 2nd farthest throw in Massachusetts this year.
On the track, things were more even, as Lexington edged Reading by only two points. Across the shorter sprints and hurdle events, Reading racked up first places from senior captain Ryan Pulpi in the 100 (10.80) and 200 (21.98) and Jamison Bentley in the 400 hurdles (1:00.71). Bentley’s time qualified him for the Division 3 state championships. Pulpi’s time not only broke the school record in the 100m, but is the 6th fastest in all of Massachusetts so far this season. Even more impressively, his 200m time is the 3rd-fastest in MA.
Reading Boys’ Track scorers.
When it came to distance events, Lexington’s depth came to the fore. The Minutemen took 20 of the 27 available points across the 800, one mile, and two mile. While junior Finn Johnson-Houlihan took first in the one mile with a personal best time of 4:23.60, qualifying him for the Division 3 state championships and ranking him 8th in the state, the only other podium finishes in the distance events for the Rockets were third places by junior Max King (4:32.22) in the one mile and senior captain Cam Gigler in the 800 (2:02.58). Both times qualified for the Division 3 state championship.
Other runners who posted personal bests and scored for the Rockets are:
First place and personal best
Jamison Bentley - 400H - 1:00.71 (qualifies for Division 3 state championship)
Finn Johnson-Houlihan - 1 mile - 4:23.60 (qualifies for Division 3 state championship)
Ryan Pulpi - 100 - 10.80 (qualifies for Division 3 state championship)
Luke Rogerson - javelin - 192-01 (qualifies for Nationals)
Second place and personal best
Ryan Audley - second place 400H - 1:02.07
Michael Caraco - second place long jump - 21-03.00 (qualifies for Division 3 state championship)
Michael Caraco - second place triple jump - 42-01.25 (qualifies for Division 3 state championship)
Karmani Mirville - second place 110H - 15.85 (qualifies for Division 3 state championship)
Third place and personal best
Ryan Audley - third place triple jump - 41-04.00
Jamie Dudley - third place shot put - 43-09.25 (qualifies for Division 3 state championship)
Jamie Dudley - third place discus - 117-07
Max King - third place 1 mile - 4:32.22 (qualifies for Division 3 state championship)
Zalen Puff - third place 100 - 11.32
Zalen Puff - third place 200 - 23.09
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