Seth Read started running cross country in middle school but when he reached Dexter High School he decided to give soccer a try. It wasn’t a mistake, it just didn’t feel right – something was pulling him back to cross country.
So he returned to the starting line his sophomore year and has been running in perfect stride ever since. Sometimes, it takes a left turn to discover the right turn and cross country has been just right for the now 17-year-old Dexter senior.
“After soccer in the fall I trained with the guys for the track season and performed well,” Read said. “Our distance coach, Drew Collette, recruited me for cross country, and I joined mainly because I liked the vibe of the team. I had a lot of friends there and felt that was where my biggest success was going to come.”
Success has come at a very quick pace for Read – in whatever he’s doing.
But let’s start at the starting line for Read and his talented Dexter cross country teammates. The Dreadnaughts are one of the best teams in the state and have a legitimate shot at winning the state title at Michigan International Speedway on Nov. 2. It’s the ultimate finish line for this talented group of mostly seniors.
“Our team goal has been, and will remain the same – win the state meet,” says Read. “We just need to keep everyone motivated day in and day out to go get that state title.”
And they need to do the little things that lead to big things.
“I need to make sure I am getting enough sleep and eating right,” Read says. “Those are things that are often overlooked, and it is hard to improve when you are not diligent on those matters.”
Read says there is a great vibe on this year’s team and everyone is running in the same direction on course and hanging out off course.
“We are a fun-loving group of guys that know how to work,” Read says. “We are all great friends and hang out outside of running often. However, when the workout days, long runs, and races come, we know how to get after it.”
And Read and his teammates have clearly been getting after it. Dexter ran first at the Ann Arbor Early Bird Invitational and second to Saline in the first SEC Jamboree at the start of the season. They were third at the Jackson Invite, second at the Holly Festival of Races, first at the DeWitt Invitational and third at the Portage Invitational.
Dexter runs Thursday in the SEC Championships at Hudson Mills and the Regional is Friday, Oct. 25 at DeWitt. All leading up to MIS.
Read has had a very strong senior season for the Dreadnaughts. He has three top-10 finishes in seven meets including sixth at the recent DeWitt Invitational. He ran a PR time of 16:07.8 at the Portage Invite on Oct. 5.
“Most of the team has been working hard, and it has shown,” says Read, whose personal goals include getting down to 15:40 for the 5k and making the All-State team. “People are getting PR’s across the whole team, and it’s been fun. I haven’t been able to run as fast as I want to yet, but I feel strong and am in good shape for later in the season when it really counts.”
Read has been training hard for when it “really counts.” He runs about 50-55 miles a week with two workouts and a long run.
“I always take Sunday off from running,” he says. “I keep myself motivated with a goal wall in my room and planning for workouts during the day. I know that if I want to get better and achieve my goals I have to put in the daily effort, and in the end, that’s what keeps me going.”
Brigham Young University also keeps him going because that’s where he wants to be going when he crosses the finish line of high school. BYU has one of the best cross country programs in the country and are currently ranked second in the nation in D-1.
“I want to go to BYU and study physics and business,” says Seth, the son of David and Barbara Read. “I really want to make it onto their track and cross country teams, but that will take a lot of hard work and a little luck. I have spoken to their coach and know what relative times I have to hit. I am really excited for track this spring and I have big plans for that, too.”
Read has kept quite busy outside of cross country and track at DHS. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Science Bowl and Lettuce Club. He also has been involved in scouting for many years, earning Eagle Scout in June 2017 when he was just 15 years old. He also does community service at his church.
And he’s very proud – as he should be – of his academic achievements. He recently learned that he made Academic All-State from the state track meet last spring and also was awarded the National Merit Scholarship Program Letter of Commendation along with three other cross country runners at DHS.
