The NHIAA Division III track and field championship is just two days away and the Kearsarge girls’ team is already coming with a championship trophy under its belt. Junior Molly Ellison won the 800 meters in 2:23.55, and freshman Maelle Jacques won the 1,600 (5:27) and the high jump (4 feet, 11 inches) as the Cougars ended the regular season with a title at the 20-team Wilderness Championship hosted by Winnisquam Regional High School on Saturday.

A final tune-up before this week’s championship meets, the Wilderness Championship featured Division II and D-III teams from central and northern New Hampshire.

Kearsarge tallied 73 points, topping D-II Kennett (66), hosts Winnisquam (65), Belmont (64) and Newfound (64) in a tightly-contested top five.

Gilford won six of the 18 events to easily win the boys’ title with 111 points. Plymouth (58), Kennett (52), Bishop Brady (48) and Winnisquam (48) rounded out the top five, with Belmont (36) and Kearsarge (18) finishing eighth and 11th, respectively.

Franklin and the Bishop Brady girls competed, but did not score.

Ellie Wimer (second 100 hurdles, second 300 hurdles), Amelia Lefebvre (second shot put), Juliet Faria (third 200, fifth 100) and Ainsley Frenkiewich (third long jump, fourth triple jump, sixth 200) were the other scorers for the Kearsarge girls.

Winnisquam also had individual champions as well, with Becc Kulengosky winning the shot put (32-2.75) and Victoria Kelly taking first in the 100 hurdles (17.57 seconds). Kulengosky also finished sixth in the discus, while Kelly was third in the javelin and fourth in the 300 hurdles.

Skye Tibbetts (second long jump), Jordan Boelig (second pole vault), Mary Osmer (fourth discus, fourth javelin), Vanessa Power (sixth pole vault), Brianna Harlow (sixth 1,600), and the fourth-place 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays rounded out Winnisquam’s scoring.

Belmont was led by Adeline Takantjas with victory in the triple jump (32-9.75) and third-place finishes in the 100 and 300 hurdles, and by Emma Winslow’s victory in the long jump (16-2.5) and third-place finish in the 100. Ava Lacasse (second 200, sixth triple jump), Hannah Young (fifth 200), Jaelyn Nialetz (sixth 400), the 4x100 (second) and 4x400 (third) also contributed points to the Raiders.

On the boys’ side, Bishop Brady’s Josh Gentchos won the 100-meter dash in 11.17 seconds and ran on the winning 4x100 relay (44.94 seconds) with Chris Messmore, Alan Yap and Jack Beauchesne. Gentchos also finished second in the 200 and fifth in the long jump, while Nate Steigmeyer (second 300 hurdles), Beauchesne (fourth 100 and 200) and the 4x800 relay (fifth) also scored points for the Giants.

Winnisquam’s Aidan Donahue won the high jump (6-1) and Carter Fredette won the shot put (38-10), while Brendan Goodwin (third 400, fifth pole vault), Henry Osmer (third 400), and the relays (third-place 4x400 and 4x800, fifth-place 4x100) also added points.

Kearsarge’s Daniel Dalbec won the 3,200 (10:29) for the final area champion, with Jason Dyment (fourth 800) and the 4x100 (fourth) accounting for the rest of the Cougars’ points.

Colby Vetter (third 100, third 200), Brady Filteau (third discus), David Tripp (fourth 110 hurdles, sixth 300 hurdles), Hunter Erlick (fourth javelin), Damien Sanborn (sixth 100), Brady Jewell (sixth triple jump), the 4x100 (third) and 4x400 (sixth) scored for Belmont.

All of the area teams that competed on Saturday will also compete in Wednesday’s Division III championship at Sanborn Regional High School. The Division I championship will be on Thursday at Salem High School and the Division II championship will be on Friday at Oyster River High School.

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