Published November 21, 2019
GARDNER — As she pushed up the last straightaway on the Gardner Golf Course last Saturday, North Reading cross country senior captain Lindsay MacLellan was in 15th place in the Division 2 All State Championship.
In her last high school cross country race, an All-State medal was on the line. She put her head down and pushed as hard as she could past other tiring competitors as she listened to the cheers of her large support group on the sidelines. When she crossed the finish line, MacLellan was able to do something that had never been done before for a North Reading runner: she took 10th place overall and was the first top-10 finisher at the All State level in school history.
“A very fitting conclusion to her impressive high school cross country narrative,” said proud Hornet head coach Ryan Spinney. “Lindsay will leave North Reading as the best cross country runner in our school history, an accolade she absolutely deserves.”
LINDSAY MACLELLAN left it all on the course again, this time at Gardner Golf Course on Saturday at the Div. 2 All State Championship. MacLellan, pictured here breaking the Harold Parker course record earlier in the season, left her mark as the best cross country runner in NRHS history as she had the program’s top All State finish of all time, getting 10th in 19:54. (John Friberg File Photo)
MacLellan’s time on the course was 19:54 and she was in a finishing line frenzy as she was one of four finishers all within one second from 8th place to 11th place.
“These ladies are the ultimate class of the sport in our state. To do well in a meet like this, requires every last bit of energy and effort you can muster. Linds’ left it all out there and fought hard every step along the way,” said Spinney. “She wouldn’t have finished any other way.”
The overall individual champion was Weston’s Carmel Fitzgibbon in a time of 18:31. The team champion in the Girls Division 2 race was Lenox Memorial with a grand team total of 98 points.
As the book closes on the North Reading Cross Country season, a new season is on the horizon, with indoor track beginning on Dec. 2. Thank you to all who supported the Hornet XC team this fall!
