When former Northampton cross country runner Norah Reade went on her official visit to Vassar College, she got to experience something new, but also got a taste of home.

The current sophomore visited with former Northampton teammate Lily Shimpach, now a junior at Vassar, and went to class with her. Then, when she met the team, she saw a few more familiar faces. Vassar has built up a pipeline in recent years of Northampton alums, including Johnathan Dean (Vassar class of 2022), Tucker Quinlan (class of 2023), Simon LaClair (class of 2024) and Tim Jacques (class of 2024). 

“It’s very comforting but it’s also so different so it’s nice to be able to make this experience my own,” Reade said. “I think college training and the lifestyle is so different, but it is nice to share little memories and little inside jokes from Northampton with my teammates that are from there.”

And the pipeline hasn’t exactly stopped since Reade’s recruitment. Jacques now coaches the boys cross country team at Northampton, and 2023 Daily Hampshire Gazette Cross Country Athlete of the Year Maeve O’Neil was just up on a visit to Poughkeepsie last weekend. Reade and O’Neil got lunch.

Reade got the start to her own running career at Northampton when she was a freshman, inspired by her older sister Maggie, who also ran for all four years of high school. 

“So everybody expected great things,” Blue Devils coach Linda Rowbotham said. “And not only did she bring great things but she delivered even more.”

Reade impressed as a freshman, Rowbotham said, and then decided she wanted to run in college as a junior. Vassar coach James McCowan knew Rowbotham well and quizzed her about Reade during a meet at Stanley Park while Rowbotham was sitting in the timing trailer. Previous Northampton exports had done well and he was interested in adding another to the team.

“They use us as a little bit of a training camp,” Rowbotham said. “They know what we do here, and apparently it mirrors and fits well with their college program.”

Reade joined the team, and right away, she didn’t just continue the tradition of Northampton runners at Vassar, she contributed to the program’s best-ever season. The Brewers won the Liberty League for the first time and placed 23rd at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, their best finish in history.

Despite her youth, Reade and three other freshmen consistently scored among the team’s top-seven runners. 

“It was a great way to start a freshman year,” Reade said. “I think I surprised myself.”

As the season progressed and Vassar turned in good result after good result, the Brewers were feeling good about their chances to qualify for nationals. At regionals, Reade turned in a 30th-place finish — good for third on the team — but the Brewers didn’t finish in one of the automatic qualifier spots and had to rely on their good form from the regular season to qualify for nationals.

The national meet was the biggest and most competitive race Reade ever competed in, she said. Reade placed 192nd, fourth among Vassar runners, as the team capped a record-breaking season.

Reade is in action next at the Paul Short Run, held at Lehigh, on Oct. 5. As she settles into her sophomore year, she and the rest of the Brewers have their sights set on a return trip to nationals, and she’s got some old friends to help along the way.