TILTON – Both teams were leading heading into the final events. The Gilford girls’ and Inter-Lakes’ boys’ track and field teams had already waited a long time to find out who would be crowned Division III champions, but after a lengthy afternoon and evening of competition – it was extended even more due to a 30-minute thunderstorm delay – the Gilford girls and Inter-Lakes boys settled for runner-up plaques.
Both meets were tightly contested, with White Mountains winning the D-III girls’ title with 59 points, its first title since 2012 to snap Monadock’s streak of five straight championships. Gilford (50 points), Campbell (49.5), Inter-Lakes (48), Conant (47.5) and Kearsarge (46) rounded out the top-six teams.
Campbell won its first boys’ title since 2010, tallying 71 points to top Inter-Lakes (64), Belmont (50), Newport (43) and Fall Mountain (31.5). Newfound (30) and Hopkinton (28) rounded out the top-seven boys’ teams.
For Gilford coach Joe Wernig, a runner-up finish was not a disappointment, it was actually the girls’ best finish since the Eagles won four straight championships in 1993-96.
Senior Lauren Dean won the 400 meters in 1:01.04 and finished third in the 200, but Gilford’s strength was in the relays, claiming the 4×100 and 4×400 crowns and finishing third in the 4×800.
“We had some incredible performances,” Wernig said. “We got fourth place (as a team) last year and the girls knew they could do even more.”
Wernig highlighted performances by seniors, such as Kaitlyn Callahan, who stretched herself to run on two relays in addition to her own event to give Gilford a chance to score more points.
Callahan ran on the winning 4×400 (4:16) with sophomores Brianna Fraser and Sydni Lehr, with Dean anchoring the quartet, and on the 4×800 with senior Aria Stephan and freshmen Caroline Dean and Lindsey Sanderson.
Dean and sophomores Brianna Fraser, Natalie Fraser (fifth 400) and Laurel Gingrich (third 100) defended their title in the 4×100 (52.58 seconds).
“We had some girls step up,” Wernig said. “Caroline Dean stepped up in the 4×800 and had never run it before, but helped us get third place. Sydni Lehr hopped in on the 4×400 having never run it before and helped us get first place in that. Overall, it was great. The girls did an exceptional job.”
“I’m so proud of her,” said Lauren Dean, referring to sophomore Lehr stepping up when the team needed her to fill in the spot on the relay. “Even compared to last year, the number of underclassmen girls that have so much potential really adds to the team. Last year was a lot of individual success. This year we had a lot of team success.”
The Inter-Lakes boys were also bolstered by relays, especially the 4×400 of Ian Daly, Alex Losada, Owen Billin and Eli Dupigny that broke the Division III record that had stood since 1991.
The Lakers’ time of 3:29.37, broke the old mark by over two seconds.
“The 4×400 was unbelievable,” Inter-Lakes coach George Frost said. “They didn’t know they broke the record at first. They knew they had done well, but (breaking the record) was extra fun.”
Frost added, “It was very exciting all day long. It’s fun, when it’s close and exciting. Campbell, Belmont and us were neck-and-neck the whole day.”
Billin, Losada and Daly also ran on the second-place 4×800 with Joe DeTolla.
Billin won the triple jump in 41-2 and Daly won the 800 in 1:59.58 for Inter-Lakes’ other wins.
Drew Schriewer (second pole vault), Dupigny (second long jump; third 200) and Davis Jollimore (fourth long jump) were Inter-Lakes’ other individual scorers.
Elsewhere for the girls, Kearsarge’s Mya Dube defended her 1,600 title in 5:31, won the 3,200 in 11:23 and ran on the second-place 4×400 to lead the Cougars to sixth.
“I achieved my goals,” Dube said. “(The 4×400) was not expecting to come in second, but we went for it and we ran our season-best.”
Lili Baer (third 3,200; fourth 1,600), Avril Prak (fourth 400) and Caela Budd also ran on the 4×400 and Megan Roy (fourth shot put) rounded out the Cougars’ points.
Sophomore Emma Wheeler defended her title in the triple jump with a leap of 30 feet, 1½ inches and finished third in the 100 hurdles, fourth in the 300 hurdles, fourth in the long jump to lead Inter-Lakes to fourth place.
Greta Achenbach (third triple jump), Alison Haight (fourth high jump and pole vault), Mollie Durand (fourth javelin; fifth long jump), Mackenzie Brunt (fifth shot put) and Georgiana Ducsai (sixth discus) also scored for Inter-Lakes.
Host Winnisquam finished eighth with 31 points, 27 of them from sophomore Gabby Isabelle. Isabelle won the shot put in 33-8½, finished second in the 100, second in the long jump and sixth in the 200.
Shannon Goodwin (fourth discus) also scored for Winnisquam.
Belmont (22 points) finished 10th behind Alice Riley (second 1,600; fourth 3,200) and Sana Syed (third 300 hurdles; fourth 100 hurdles).
Jasmine Peterson won javelin in 121-9 and Oceanne Skoog finished second in the shot put for Newfound, which tied for 11th with Bow at 18 points.
Freshman Kristina Pizzi (third 400) and the third-place 4×100 (Jenny Ess, Emma Van Ham, Anna Lafreniere and Pizzi) led Bow, which also scored in the 4×400 (fourth) and 4×800 (fifth).
Hopkinton (15th, 14 points) was led by Sydney Stockwell (third 800) and the third-place 4×400 of Stockwell, Megan Ellsworth, Maxine Asmussen and Maura Zankel.
Laconia (tied for 18th) was led by Skyler Tautkus (fourth 200; sixth 100) and Bishop Brady’s Anna Grafton (sixth 1,600) scored the only point for the Giants (tied for 24th).
The Belmont boys were hoping to match or improve on last year’s second-place finish, but still had wins from senior Hunter Dupuis in the 100 (11.61) and 200 (22.87).
Dupuis also ran on the winning 4×100 (45.33) with Marc Forgione, Lucas Mathieu and Ben Hillsgrove and runner-up 4×400 with Nolan Gagnon, Nick Randos (fourth 800) and Zach Ennis (fourth 1,600).
Connor Jackson (fourth 3,200) also scored for Belmont.
“I would say I’m extremely exhausted, but that’s a good thing,” said Dupuis, whose time in the 200 was a personal record. “It means I’ve put 100 percent effort into my races. I was extremely happy with how my races went.”
Ethan Pruett (second discus; third shot put), Reid Wilkins (fourth high jump) and Mason Dalphonse (fourth shot put) and the third-place 4×100 (Justin Shokal, Matt Libby, Aidon Anderson and Cam Anderson) led sixth-place Newfound (30).
Hopkinton finished seventh with 28 points thanks to wins from Kevin McGrath in the high jump (6-6) and long jump (20-10).
“I got my best (marks) in both of my events so I was pretty happy with that, even though I didn’t feel my best,” said McGrath, who successfully defended his high jump crown.
Simon Doneski (second 3,200) also scored for the Hawks.
Kearsarge (eighth, 26) was led by Gavyn Magistro (third 100), Hunter Burns (third 800) and Ben Corbyn (fourth 110 hurdles; fifth high jump).
Bow (tied for 13th, 19) was led by Kirpal Demian (third 1,600; third 3,200) and Tyler Bennett (fourth pole vault; sixth javelin).
Gilford (15th, 16.5) was led by Connor Leggett (third 300 hurdles), Korey Weston (third javelin; fifth long jump) and Michael Wernig (tied fifth discus).
Winnisquam (20th, 7.5) was led by the fourth-place 4×800 of Riley Mann, Kyle Mann, Dylan Robert and Ricky Fournier and Hillsboro-Deering (20th, 4) was led by Ben Ketterer (fourth 100).
The top-three athletes in each event in each division automatically qualified for next Saturday’s Meet of Champions at Merrimack.