“Championship depth and a stunning 300-meter performance highlight a landmark season for Reading Memorial High School“
Reading Memorial High School’s indoor track season reached a historic peak as the Rockets captured the MIAA Division III championship, powered by broad team scoring and a record-breaking sprint from senior standout Ryan Pulpi. The title, earned through cumulative points across nearly every event, was capped by Ryan’s Massachusetts state record in the 300-meter race, a performance that underscored both individual excellence and team depth.
The Division III championship hinged on consistency, with points awarded to the top eight finishers in each event. Reading athletes contributed across sprints, middle- and long-distance races, relays, and field events, allowing the team to separate itself from the field. The comprehensive scoring approach proved decisive, reflecting a roster capable of producing results in virtually every discipline.
At the center of the meet was Ryan’s 300-meter run at the New Balance Track Center in Brighton, where he clocked 33.39 seconds to break the existing state record of 33.94 set just a year earlier. The improvement—nearly six-tenths of a second—stood out in a sprint where gains are often measured in hundredths.
Ryan said “it was definitely a shock to see, such a big drop in time,” noting he had expected only a marginal improvement heading into the race.
Ryan specializes in sprint events ranging from the 55 meters to the 400, competing in both indoor and outdoor seasons. Indoor track, run on a 200-meter banked oval with elevated curves, can favor speed, while outdoor competition shifts to a flat 400-meter track without a 300-meter event. He indicated no strong preference between the two formats, focusing instead on versatility across distances.
The championship lineup featured a wide array of events, including the 55-meter and 300-meter sprints, distance races from the 600 through the two-mile, relays such as the 4×200 and 4×400, and field events like the high jump and long jump. That balance, Ryan said, allowed Reading to score steadily and avoid relying on any single performance.
Beyond track, Ryan is also a Reading High School football player, drawing a contrast between the sports’ atmospheres. Football brings physicality and large crowds, while track is more individual and understated, yet both have shaped his high school experience without a clear favorite emerging.
With graduation in May, Ryan will continue his athletic and academic career at UMass Amherst, where he plans to compete in track while majoring in biology. He has expressed interest in a future in the medical field, potentially as a physician assistant, building on coursework that included anatomy studies using a digital cadaver table.
As Reading celebrates its Division III crown and a new name in the state record books, attention now turns to the next chapter—both for a program that demonstrated uncommon depth and for a senior sprinter preparing to take his talents to the collegiate level.
