The Lexington High School Girls’ varsity cross country (XC) team will have to make a consequential decision this November: whether to compete in the Massachusetts Division I state championships — where if they win, they will be the most decorated XC team Massachusetts has ever seen — or the Nike Cross Regionals (NXR) race, where if they place in the top two, they will head to nationals in Portland, Oregon.
The two championship races, coincidentally, fall on the same day this year, which has catalyzed a season-long conversation involving both coaches and the seven runners on the team.
“At this point, we have no definitive decision on what we’re doing. We’re going to have to see how the season goes and whether the girls stay healthy and are in contention for nationals before we make a decision,” LHS Girls’ XC Head Coach Rebecca Trachsel said. Last year, the girls’ XC team placed sixth at NXR.
“Every day starting now until championship season, [the coaches and varsity runners] will be making those decisions together,” she added.
Some runners, who all participate in XC, indoor track, and outdoor track, appear to be leaning towards opting out of the accolades that will come with winning states — which the team is currently favored to do — for a chance to prove themselves on a national stage.
Junior Captain Ella Tyson, who leads alongside seniors Alycia Charest and Callie Glenn, said, “Going to NXR and taking that chance will be equally significant [as winning our sixth state title], as I don’t think many public school teams have done that in Massachusetts. Both races are very important to us, but we’ve already spent a lot of time working towards winning state titles. Now that we know what we’re capable of, we want to see what else we can do.”
Junior star athlete Janie Conrad, who leads the pack with a 17:18 5K, started running in 6th grade at Diamond Middle School. Once she realized that she loved the sport, she joined the Waltham Track Club, which further honed her skills in preparation for high school-level running. Now, she’s the fastest runner on the girls’ XC team.
“I want to focus on being the most competitive I can be and trying to beat as many people as I can each race,” Conrad said. “I was third at both divisionals and states last year, behind two seniors. So, coming back and winning this year is a big goal of mine.”
Conrad says that she’d prefer to compete at NXR over states, noting that the girls’ XC team is poised to win states next year due to its “depth.” This would allow the team to secure its spot as the most decorated XC team in Massachusetts history.
“Our top 10 runners don’t race at every single meet, because our JV runners are good enough to win those dual meets anyway. We have about 15 new freshmen this season, and a lot of juniors. So I do think we could win states next year too.”
The girls’ varsity running program at LHS has been on a historic run since fall 2024, when the team unexpectedly finished in second place at the Massachusetts Division I State XC Championship. “We were on no one’s radar that year,” Trachsel said. “We quietly did our work and put our heads down, and slowly put the pieces together. That was our first stepping stone towards really starting to grow.”
Lexington has historically had a decent running program, with some sporadic victories, including a 2016 state title. 2024 was the turning point, when their success became consistent. Since then, they have won four more state titles across XC and track and field.
The team has grown over time, yet it seems like skilled runners are not migrating to Lexington to secure a spot on the team — instead, current LHS students have been attracted to the team’s success and wanted to take part in it. Athletes from other sports have joined XC, including two new varsity runners who quit soccer to join XC. It seems to be a coincidence that many high-caliber athletes have joined the team concurrently.
Tyson told the Observer that her team’s success can be attributed to the camaraderie between varsity and junior varsity that has been cultivated within the community. “We try to focus on the team as a whole, especially in terms of bonding. We’ll always have team dinners together, and varsity and JV are always together up until postseason. Everyone knows each other’s names, and we’re all friends,” she said.
Trachsel said that she has instilled a “team over the individual athlete” mindset in her runners, which has increased the cohesiveness of the group. “The athletes buy into that [mantra],” Trachsel said. “That’s what makes us so strong every season — because we always have that mentality when we come back and start again.”
She added that the girls’ XC team is close with the boys’ XC team. Practice is held at the same time and place, so they spend a lot of time together, and support and encourage each other.
The 2026 XC season started on August 24. Practice is held six days per week, for three hours a day. The team is composed of about 37 athletes, with 5K times ranging from 17 minutes to 27 minutes, so the training plan varies greatly. The entire team has two “hard efforts” each week, Trachsel says. This includes either one workout and one race, or two workouts. In between, runners build mileage and recover.
Athletes run up to 60 miles per week at most, if they have built the strength and endurance foundation for it. However, most runners stay in the 40-50 range.
In addition to coaching at LHS, Trachsel runs an Instagram account (@runningwmusic) with over 30 thousand followers. Her videos focus on running, as well as her personal life, with recent content covering her personal race day routine and pre-run breakfasts. Trachsel says she launched the account in search of a running community.
“I try to seek connection through people who feel the same way I do about the sport. My account grew organically over time, and I ended up reaching quite a few people who share similar feelings about running and life,” she said. “Running can be intense for middle-aged women who are still trying to be competitive and do hard things. Seeing someone else who’s out running is relatable.”
Her online community has expanded to the point that it has begun to bleed into her everyday life. Sometimes, at races, strangers will approach Trachsel and mention her account.
To expand this community further, Trachsel launched a podcast titled “Still Running” for middle-aged female runners with a friend in July. Since then, they’ve released three episodes, on which they’ve invited guest speakers to discuss topics such as supplements, wearable fitness trackers, motherhood, and perimenopause.
As a former Division I college runner and 2 hours 58 minutes-marathon finisher, Trachsel is an avid runner herself. She currently competes for the Whirlaway Track Club and has finished 39 marathons over the years.