The Bedford girls track team holds up the Division II championship plaque Sunday. For more photos, go to the Photo Album.
HANOVER – Emily Blanhik knew what to expect from her Bedford High School girls track team.
The Bulldogs gave their coach even more.
Bedford scored in all but one event Sunday and cruised to its first Division II indoor track title, recording 75 points to finish 36 points ahead of second-place Milford at Dartmouth College in Hanover.
Monadnock and Hanover tied for third with 36 points and Souhegan came in fifth with 32.
“I feel like all year, they set themselves up so that this might happen,” Blahnik said. “Week by week, they got better and better. They did what I knew they could do all on the same day. They’re competitors.”
Nowhere was that more evident than in the final two events of the day – the 4×400- and the 4×200-meter relays. Going into the events, the Bulldogs had already mathematically wrapped up the title, but they still managed to finish second and fifth, respectively.
Bedford's Hannah Zeltner runs during the 1,500.
Bedford got a big day from Hannah Zeltner, who after finishing second in the 3,000 came back to win the 1,500 with a time of 4:58.33. Zeltner was the top seed going into the 3,000 and felt a bit disappointed after coming up short to Milford’s Courtney Hawkins, who won in a time of 10:21.42.
“I think I started too fast because I wanted to make space in between us,” Zeltner said. “Then (Hawkins) picked it up and ran an amazing race. She’s tough and she really hangs on, and she has a really good sprint, so when she gets past you, it’s hard to stay on.
“I was upset in the 3,000. After that, I wasn’t feeling too good. I felt pretty tired, but I had a feeling everyone else was tired. I wanted to redeem myself.”
The Bulldogs also got a first-place finish from Jenny Mara, who won the high jump by tying a division record by clearing 5-4. Teammate Anika Hibbard finished second, clearing 5-2, giving Bedford some points it hadn’t expected.
Johanna Celli took second in the 55 and also came in third in the 300, while Brenna Williams took third in the long jump and Morgan Linehan fifth in both the 1,000 and 1,500. Kristen Larosa came in sixth in the 1,500 and Bedford was also fourth in the 4×800.
Hawkins led Milford with her win in the 3,000, along with a third-place finish in the 1,500 and a fourth-place finish in the 1,000. Jessica Krafft finished fourth in the 300 and Hannah Ladeau was fifth in the 600.
Rachel White placed fourth in the long jump and Cecelia Muller and Hannah Soucy tied for fifth in the high jump. The Spartans also placed in all three relays, taking four in the 4×400, fifth in the 4×800 and sixth in the 4×200.
Souhegan’s Isabella Stuopis won the shot put with a throw of 39-0, as she finished her senior indoor season undefeated in the shot put. Sarah Hurd came in fourth in the high jump and Csilla Va’mos took fourth in the 3,000.
The Sabers placed second in the 4×800 and also came in third in the 4×200.
Hollis Brookline recorded 28 points to finish seventh overall. Emma Newton led the Cavaliers by coming in third in the 1,000 and fourth in the 1,500, while Meghan Philbot was second in the 1,000.