KINGSTON – The Hawks knew that a title defense was possible, but it would take doubling, tripling, even quadrupling in events for them to get there. Hopkinton executed its plan to perfection.

Sophomore Maddy Lane defended her titles in both the 1,600 (5 minutes, 5.95 seconds) and 3,200 meters (10:53.7), senior Shaylee Murdough won the 800 (2:22) and finished third in the 1,600, and the pair contributed to both the champion 4x800 and runner-up 4x400 relays as Hopkinton’s distance runners carried the Hawks to another Division III track and field title on Sunday at Sanborn Regional High School.

Hopkinton scored 84 points, holding off Belmont (67), who was led by junior Ava Lacasse’s four state titles in the 100 (12.32 seconds), 200 (25.72), 4x100 (52.07) and 4x400 (4:14.63). Senior Adeline Takantjas won the triple jump (34 feet, 8.5 inches), and finished second in both the 100 and 300 hurdles to also score big points for Belmont.

Sunapee (37), Newport (36), Somersworth (35) and Gilford (32) were a distance third through sixth, respectively.

The Hawks kicked things off with a victory in the first race held on the track, with junior Sofia Upton, senior Reese Bove, Lane and Murdough finishing with a commanding victory in the 4x800. The same quartet, which broke the D-III record with a 9:41.73 at the Monadnock Twilight Meet not even two weeks earlier, clocked a 10:19.23, about 23 seconds faster than the next best team.

With the D-III and D-II meets running concurrently at the same venue, it meant more time in between events and therefore more recovery time for Hopkinton’s runners, although time management in a brand new championship format presented challenges.

“It was kind of more stressful because of the combined divisions,” Murdough said. “We knew we could do it, we just had to fully execute. A lot of us were in multiple events so that definitely tired us, but we knew we could do it because of our training, because of our coaches. We just had to put the pieces together.”

Hopkinton picked up 20 more points in the 1,600, a few events later, with Lane defending her title by a 12-second margin, and Murdough (third), freshman Maisie Emerson (fourth) and senior Reese Bove (eighth) giving the Hawks a large presence at near the front of the pack.

Murdough (2:22) and Bove (2:27) went 1-2 in the 800 to pick up 18 more points, and Lane won the 3,200 by just under 39 seconds with Emerson (fifth 3,200) also chipping in some additional scoring.

Bove, Lane and Murdough still had enough left in the tank to finish second in the 4x400 (4:17.56), the final event of the day, challenging Belmont (4:14.63) for the win despite having already mathematically locked up the championship.

“This group of girls have been focused on this day from the first day of practice to how they performed today,” said Hopkinton coach George Sabol, who is co-head coach along with Peter Najem. “When we started to plan for their events, we knew that there would be extra time for recovery since the two divisions were running on the same day. We put it in their hands on choosing their events where we could maximize points and they delivered.”

All told, Hopkinton’s distance runners accounted for 68 of the Hawks’ 84 points, a physically and logistically challenging feat, but Hopkinton scored points elsewhere as well.

Junior Aisling Madden also ran on the 4x400, and finished third in the 400 and fifth in the 100. Junior Zoe Bishop finished second in the discus.

“The team dynamic is just great,” Bove said. “We were able to stay positive and stay focused throughout the entire time, and we were able to execute what we were able to do today.”

Freshman Mia Ellis (sixth 100 hurdles) also ran on Belmont’s 4x100 with Lacasse, Takantjas and sophomore Sadie Sturgeon; and on the 4x400 with Lacasse, Takantjas and senior Jaelyn Nialetz.

Junior Ainsley Frenkiewich won the pole vault at 8-6 and finished second in the long jump to lead seventh-place Kearsarge (29). Juliet Faria (third 100, fifth 200) and Riley Raynes (fifth 400, sixth 100) also scored for the Cougars.

Aleah Ryan was third in the triple jump, sixth in the high jump and ran on the fourth-place 4x100 with Sarah Allen, Charlotte Lott and Payton Bryson to lead 17th-place Bishop Brady (11).

Kaiden Robb (sixth 400), the sixth-place 4x100 (Emily Tripple, Alexandria Myers, Zariah Moore and Robb) and sixth-place 4x400 (Myers, Tripple, Shayla Jordan and Robb) scored for Winnisquam (23rd).

Boys

Kearsarge senior Daniel Dalbec won the 1,600 in 4:23.84 for the other local title in the D-III boys’ meet.

Pelham (96), Monadnock (70), Mascoma (49) and Trinity (48.4) were the top four teams.

Dalbec led Kearsarge to 12th (12.4 points) with his victory and a fifth-place result in the 800. Ben Clough (fourth pole vault) and Jacob Dunn (tied fourth high jump) also scored for the Cougars.

Brendan Goodwin was fourth in the 800 and ran the final leg of his team’s fourth-place 4x400 with Colby Blackburn, Taber Haggett and Nolan Abbott to lead Winnisquam (15th). The fifth-place 4x100 (Ari Booth, Blackburn, Haggett and Victor Pham) and Dayton Brigante (tied sixth pole vault) also scored for the Bears.

Hopkinton was led by its runner-up 4x800 of Max Goupil (sixth 1,600), Will Shepard, Michael Crosby and Roman Finlayson, and Hunter Eckner-Naylor (sixth javelin). Brady Filteau (third shot put, fourth discus) scored for Belmont, who tied with the Hawks for 17th.

Braden Savoy (sixth 110 hurdles, sixth triple jump) scored for Hillsboro-Deering (tied 25th).