RMHS Boys’ Track: 2012 Middlesex League Champions; Defeat Woburn 45-41

In the closest league meet of their undefeated 2012 season, the Reading Boys Track Team battled for every point in Saturday’s contest against the Woburn Tanners.  Both teams came into the day 5-0, looking for the league title.  The Rockets took first place in the Shot Put, the 1000m, the 600m and, ultimately, the 4 x 400 relay – which together accounted for 20 of their 45 points.  Woburn placed first in the 2-mile, the High Jump, the 300m, the Mile, the 55m Hurdles and 55m Dash, accounting for 30 of their 41 points.  The difference was Reading’s ability to amass points by taking 2^nd and 3^rd place in almost all of the events that Woburn won; and, at least a 3^rd place in the events that they themselves won.  Reading led the meet through 7 of 9 events, when Woburn took their only lead of the day, 41-40, with only the relay remaining.  The Reading boys were prepared for the meet, and the season, to come down to that 4 x 400 relay and had been training hard for the situation.  Their hard work paid off and they beat a Woburn 4 x 400 team that last month won the Division 2 state relays, as well as the ML individual event championship relay – edging out Reading by 1 second both times.

The morning began with the 2-mile race, where Rocket seniors Billy Tucker and Nick Catalan finished 2^nd and 3^rd behind a Woburn 1^st place finish.  (Woburn 5 – Reading 4)

While the Shot Put and High Jump were still in progress in the infield, Rocket junior J.D. Greenfield (2:47.0) won the 1000m, ahead of Woburn’s Dylan Crowley (2:49.9), while Reading senior Ben Weinreb came in 3^rd. (Reading 10 – Woburn 8)

The 600 m race had a similar outcome with Reading senior Connor McCarthy (1:29.0) and junior Dylan Swaebe (1:30.8) capturing first and third place, on either side of a 1:29.9 2^nd place Woburn finish. (Reading 16 – Woburn 11)

With the field events now concluded, Reading had garnered another 11 points to Woburn’s 7, with 1^st and 2^nd place finishes in the Shot Put by juniors Peter Fodera and Brian Callahan and a 2^nd place in the High Jump by junior Ryan Maney. (Reading 27 – Woburn 18)

In another very close race, Woburn senior captain, Mike McAdams (38.8), pulled out a 1^st place finish in the 300m.  Reading sophomore Tristan Barros (39.0) finished in 2^nd and junior Robbie Federico (39.1) took 3^rd place. (Reading 31 – Woburn 23)

Woburn started closing the scoring gap when Kyle Sullivan (4:58.0) captured 1^st place in the Mile, two seconds ahead of  2^nd place finisher, Reading senior Kyle Lockwood (5:00.0). Rocket sophomore Justin Halley (5:03.5) battled for the 3^rd place finish just one second ahead of Woburn. (Reading 35 – Woburn 28)

Woburn won both the 55m Hurdles and 55m Dash in the final two closely-matched races prior to the 4 x 400 relay.  Tanner senior Valerio Silva (7.8) won the Hurdles, while Reading junior Ryan Maney (8.0) and senior Mike McGlathery (8.3) finished 2^nd and 3^rd.  In the 55m Dash, Woburn took 1^st and 2^nd (6.4, 6.7) just a head of Rocket senior Greg Altobello (6.7). (Woburn 41 – Reading 40)

The 4 x 400 Relay, the final event, would determine the winner of the meet and of the 2012 Middlesex League (Large School Division). Reading’s relay team of Connor McCarthy, Robbie Federico, Ryan Maney and J.D. Greenfield had met Woburn’s David Cooper, Dylan Crowley, Kyle Sullivan and Mike McAdams earlier this season, though not in a league dual meet.  Woburn had edged Reading by one second in the DII State Relays and the ML Individual Championship meet, both back in January.  This time, at the starting gun, Connor McCarthy took the lead for the Rockets and in a very close leg, handed the baton to Robbie Federico in first place. Federico exploded against Crowley and opened up a lead that the Tanners couldn’t make up. Ryan Maney and anchor J.D. Greenfield maintained the Rocket lead in their respective legs of the race, and ran them like Woburn was right on their heels. In the end the Reading Rockets defeated Woburn by 4.4 seconds and reclaimed the Middlesex League title.