Weston boys, North Reading girls use depth to dominate Division 5 Relays

Boston Globe

18-05-2025

It wasn't always easy — the team dealt with injuries prior to the meet, and dropped a baton in the distance medley relay — but Weston ran away from the competition. With contributions across the roster, the Wildcats (67 points) rolled past Old Rochester (52 points) and meet host North Reading (51 points) to take home the program's third consecutive MSTCA Division 5 Relays title.
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'I'm really proud of how we overcame adversity today,' said Weston coach John Monz. 'It was by no means a perfect day, but they overcame that, and they had some really fast times on the track. They competed hard all day long.'
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Whether competing in short- or long-distance events, Weston made its mark on the track. Jacob Kasanov, Nick Barbieri, Amil Poyau, and Noah Lago won the 4x100 in personal-best 42.89, and William Cahill, Aarav Mehta, Tavares, and Barbieri took the 4x800 in 8:18.42 (another PR), winning by 10 seconds.
There were also contributions from the field. Pole-vaulter Jacob Inbar tied atop the standings (10 feet, 11.75 inches) with North Reading's Nick Johnson, while Oscar Torres's PR of (45-7) was enough to place first in the triple jump. The team also showed its depth with its 'B' squad scoring 6 points — more than six other competitors.
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The North Readings girls teamed up for their 10th straight Division 5 Relays title.
EVAN WALSH
You've heard of a two-peat, three-peat, maybe a four-peat … how about a 10-peat? That's what the North Reading girls' program achieved on its home turf.
Competitive in all events, the Hornets scored 83 points to clinch their 10th consecutive relay championship (spanning different divisions). Dennis-Yarmouth was runner-up with 65 points, and Triton (48 points) finished third.
'We've got a stellar culture here. Every team thinks they have the greatest coaches, so I don't even want to throw that word out there, but we do,' said North Reading coach Sotirios Pintzopoulos. 'We don't have that many gaps: We scored in the jumps, we scored in the throws. We're very balanced, for sure.'
That balance was hard to miss. Julia Scammon, Madison Forbush, Callie MacLellan, and Giuliana Ligor secured a first-place finish in the sprint medley relay (PR 4:15.42). North Reading also placed atop the 4x100 shuttle hurdles (PR 1:02.36) with performances from Katie Zimmerman, Hayden MacLellan, Callie MacLellan, and Ligor.
Hosting the meet comes with its own set of challenges — the group's bus ride routine, crucial to getting prepared for competition, was interrupted, for instance; and Pintzopoulos was balancing coaching with event management — but in the end, North Reading proved the age-old adage that there's no place like home.
'It's more fun. A lot more people are supporting you. You have your teammates anyway, but you're here on your home turf, you practice here every day. You're more comfortable here,' said Callie MacLellan.