Maddy Lane Wins Fourth Title as Hopkinton Sweeps NHIAA Division III Cross Country Championships

Hopkinton Sweeps Division III Championships at Derryfield Park

Maddy Lane crossed the finish line at Manchester’s Derryfield Park on Saturday in 18 minutes, 9.5 seconds, securing her fourth NHIAA Division III cross country title and pacing Hopkinton to its third consecutive team championship.

The senior, who is headed to Harvard to run NCAA Division I cross country next year, joined an exclusive group as just the fourth runner in NHIAA history to win four titles. She is the first to achieve the feat since Gretchen Wernig won five titles for Gilford between 1991 and 1995. Dover’s Cathy Schiro (1980–1984) and Hanover’s Cara Aley (1991–1994) are the only other athletes to reach that milestone.

Lane’s victory anchored a dominant performance by the Hopkinton girls’ team, which posted a score of 27 points to capture the program’s seventh title in the last nine years. She won the race by 1:40, followed by Profile eighth grader Sylvie Brown in second at 19:40 and Hopkinton junior Maisie Emerson in third at 19:46.

Honestly, I think coming into today I was a little emotional because I was really sad that it’s my last state meet. My goal was to go out and have fun with it. I tried to do it as a workout, run the first two miles controlled and rip the last mile. — Maddy Lane, Hopkinton senior

Hopkinton’s depth proved overwhelming for the rest of the field. Sophomores Elli Gregory finished 10th in 22:07 and Hannah Clarner took 14th in 22:34, while senior Rose Afflerbach placed 19th in 22:47. Freshmen Mabel Dustin and Ella Lundquist rounded out the squad in 26th and 29th place respectively, displacing top runners from rival schools.

“Today they came through as usual, with Maisie up there in the top three,” said Hopkinton head coach Rob Rothe, now in his 11th year as head coach. “Maddy went out comfortably hard for her. She’s definitely saving up a little bit, thinking ahead for the weeks to come, which is smart.”

Hawk Boys Secure Title in Tight Team Battle

The Hopkinton boys matched their teammates by claiming the Division III team crown, though in a closer contest that finished with 44 points. Junior Max Goupil battled in the front pack alongside Fall Mountain senior Elijah Bodanza and Newfound senior Collin Foster during the 5,000-meter race.

Bodanza, who won the 2024 title while running for Hillsboro-Deering, claimed first place with a time of 16:43.9. Foster finished second at 16:55, and Goupil took third in 17:05.

Hopkinton senior James Lavers and sophomore Liam Tripod reinforced the team score by finishing fifth and sixth with times of 17:28 and 17:33 respectively. Juniors Finnegan Kovar, Jax Marshall, Michael Crosby, and senior Jacques McCrillis filled out the rest of the championship roster.

“It wasn’t the best race individually, but I’m really proud of what our team did,” Goupil said. “Everyone’s really worked hard over the years. We’ve improved a lot. I want to thank our coaches.”

Looking Ahead to the Meet of Champions

Following Saturday’s action, top teams and individual qualifiers advance to the upcoming Meet of Champions. On the girls’ side, Hopkinton, Mascoma with 111 points, Campbell with 120 points, and Trinity with 130 points secured the top four team spots. Individual qualifiers included Hillsboro-Deering senior Sarah McGranaghan in 15th and Winnisquam sophomore Eloise Abbott in 18th.

In the boys’ standings, Portsmouth Christian led with 88 points, followed by Conant with 109 points and Profile with 190 points. Winnisquam junior Cullen Desrochers also advanced individually after placing 15th with a time of 18:15.

The upcoming championship meet is scheduled to take place at the Hopkinton Fairgrounds.