By Jake Drouin
Manchester Memorial High School — Manchester, NH – June 9, 2026
New Hampshire’s best middle school athletes descended on Manchester Memorial High School on Tuesday for the 2026 NH Middle School Meet of Champions, and the meet delivered in every way that matters. Six meet records fell on a hot, sunny June afternoon. The competition started with the field events and ended with a record breaking high jump.
None of this happens without the people behind it – Meet Director Marty Kahler, Manchester Memorial Athletic Director Christine Telge, the meet officials, and Down East Sports Timing delivered a championship worthy of the athletes who earned their way here. The Epsom Central School Eagles are grateful for the stage.
Opening Act – Field Events
Before the first heat was ever called to the line, the meet was already underway. Outside the track oval, the Girls Shot Put and Boys Discus got things started, and at two long jump pits both the boys and girls long jump competitions jumped off. Inside the oval, Girls High Jump gained the focus from the stands as the first infield event. Five events, five flights of athletes, all going at once – the 2026 Middle School Meet of Champions was open for business.
On the infield, the Girls High Jump went first. Heronfield Academy’s Tessa Michelin cleared 5′ 1″ to win the title, just one inch shy of the meet record. Three Rivers School’s Emmie Holt and Cawley’s Olivia Gagnon both cleared 4′ 10″ for second and third.
In the Girls Long Jump, Pennichuck’s Savannah Houle produced one of the signature field event performances of the day, winning at 16′ 6.25″ – well above her seed mark of 15′ 0.75″. Hillside’s Lux Giuliano was second at 16′ 2.25″ and Sacred Heart’s Hailey Walsh jumped 16′ 1″ for third. Three athletes over sixteen feet!
At the Boys Long Jump pit, Calvin Dunn of Pennichuck jumped 19′ 11.25″ to claim first. What are they serving at Pennichuck’s cafeteria? Barrington’s Carter Doran was second at 19′ 2″ and Hampton Academy’s Colin Millburg jumped 18′ 7.75″ for third.
While the long jumpers were working through their attempts, the Girls Shot Put competition was taking shape. Nottingham’s Josie Bielat broke the girls shot put meet record with a throw of 29′ 11.25″, surpassing the previous mark of 29′ 9.50″ set by Noelle Gauthier of Amherst just one year earlier! Ross A. Lurgio’s Mila Stucchi was second at 28′ 10.75″ and Southside’s Madison Walkins was third at 28′ 10.25″.
Outside the track in the boys discus, Ellis School’s Noah Alcorn came agonizingly close to history. His winning throw of 149′ 1″ fell just ten inches short of the meet record of 149′ 11″ set by Max Scopel in 2022, but it won the event going away. Berlin’s Filip Plociennik was second at 139′ 4″ and Hampton Academy’s Alek Peralta-Chong was third at 128′ 7″.
Track Events Open Up
Girls and Boys 4×400 Relay
Thirty minutes after the field events started the track came alive and Ross A. Lurgio wasted absolutely no time. In the very first boys track event of the meet, their Boys 4×400 Relay quartet ran 3:50.89 to take down the meet record of 3:51.09 set by Sant Bani Middle School in 2024!
In the Girls 4×400, Timberlane claimed the title in 4:24.01 with Lebanon right behind at 4:25.32. Chesterfield was third at 4:36.77.
100 Meter Hurdles
The Girls 100 meter Hurdles delivered the biggest upset of the sprint events. Mia Tronosky of Cooperative Middle School entered as the top seed at 16.04, under the existing meet record, but the athlete who had something to say about it was a familiar name. Kingswood Regional’s Olivia Collopy, who had won the Lakes Region Championship in dominant fashion just one week earlier, stepped onto the biggest stage in New Hampshire middle school track and did it again, running 16.63 to claim the title. From Lakes Region Champion to Meet of Champions winner in seven days, Collopy had made her case as the top middle school girls hurdler in the state. Mountain View’s Alexandra Peterson was second at 17.32, and top seed Tronosky third at 17.94.
Afterwards, eyes turned to the Boys 100 meter Hurdles which had six athletes with sub 15 second seed times, well under the existing meet record of 15.12. Calvin Dunn of Pennichuck, the only sub 15 seed to place in the top 3, finished 1st with a time of 15.28. Dover’s Oliver White was right on his heels in 15.30 in one of the closest finishes of the day. Lane Mosher of Sanborn took third at 15.62. Ultimately, the meet record was never threatened.
100 Meter Dash
Keene’s Christina Bergeron was the dominant force in the Girls 100 meter Dash, winning in 13.02. Portsmouth Christian’s Sylvie Wamberg finished second at 13.16 and Ross A. Lurgio’s Madison Taylor was third at 13.29.
Hampton Academy’s Colin Millburg controlled the Boys 100 meter Dash from prelims to finals, running 11.43 in the heats and closing out the title in 11.55. Fall Mountain’s Blaze Tarbell was second at 11.79 and Chester Academy’s Bruce Scott claimed third at 11.99.
1600 Meter Run
Lebanon Jr High’s distance duo of Brooke Nelson and Jill Campbell went one-two in the girls 1600 and both smashed the meet record in the process. Nelson won in 5:08.43 and Campbell crossed right behind at 5:08.96, less than a second separating them, and both well under the previous meet record of 5:12.13 set by Harper Peters of Heronfield Academy in 2025! Oyster River’s Bea Howey-Clark was third at 5:21.13. Lebanon’s performance in that event was something else entirely.
Epsom Central School’s Violet Ferry, the only 5th grader competing in the distance events, learned a hard lesson in her first experience with a double waterfall start, cutting in too early and receiving a disqualification. It was a tough way to start her day, but for a 5th grader who earned her way to a Meet of Champions, the experience itself is the investment. Don’t be surprised if Ferry is back on this track in 2027 with unfinished business.
After the girls broke their meet record, Teddy White entered the track. The Richmond Middle School distance runner came to Manchester Memorial with history in mind, and he delivered one of the great individual performances on the day. White ran 4:35.42 in the boys 1600 meter run, shattering the meet record of 4:37.09 that Jared Khalil of Sanborn Regional had held since 2019! Profile MS’s Thatcher Brown was a strong second at 4:46.13. Ross A. Lurgio’s Hobie Matulis was third at 4:54.95.
Two new meet records were set in this one event with plenty of events still to go.
4×100 Relay
South Meadow School claimed the girls 4×100 title in 53.02, with Hillside second at 53.58 and Rochester third at 53.61. Three teams separated by less than six-tenths of a second.
The ECS Girls 4×100 relay team of Caitlin Brown, Julia Preve, Mieke Baker, and Abigail Hanson ran a team best of 57.02, dropping a full second off their entry time on the championship stage.
In the boys 4×100, Laconia took the title in 48.12, with Pennichuck second at 48.40 and Rundlett third at 48.55.
Field Events Flip
Outside the track, the field events were making their mid-meet transition, the Boys Shot Put and Girls Discus taking over from their counterparts.
South Meadow’s Locke Olesky won the boys shot put with a commanding 43′ 8.75″, ahead of Pennichuck’s Sike Ray-Coleman at 43′ 2.5″ and Pennichuck’s Xavier Maldonado at 41′ 0″. Pennichuck going second and third in the shot was one of the quietly impressive team moments of the day.
Also outside the track in the Girls Discus, McLaughlin’s Sydney Brooks won convincingly at 94′ 4″, well clear of Plymouth’s Ayla Ahearn in second at 83′ 10″ and Newfound’s Irianna Robert in third at 80′ 5″.
400 Meter Dash
Hood Middle School’s Meghan Mullaney was the class of the girls 400 meter dash, winning in 1:00.01. Rochester’s Layla Reilly was a strong second at 1:00.75 and Hollis Brookline’s Emma Shirley ran third at 1:01.87.
ECS 6th grader Abigail Hanson ran a personal best of 1:08.93, improving on her seed of 1:09.77 in her first Meet of Champions appearance.
Newport’s Alex Couitt controlled the boys 400 from start to finish, winning in 53.38. Pennichuck’s Daunte Sisay was second at 55.24 and Amherst’s Sawyer Rodon ran third at 57.54.
200 Meter Dash
Portsmouth Christian’s Sylvie Wamberg turned the tables on Bergeron in the girls 200, winning in 27.12 with Timberlane’s Charlotte Strickler right behind at 27.14 in a near dead heat for the title. Bergeron crossed third at 27.27, completing a remarkable individual day in the sprints.
ECS 8th grader Caitlin Brown ran a personal best of 29.22, and ECS 6th grader Julia Preve followed with a personal best of 29.74, both athletes delivering their best races of the season on the championship stage.
Hampton Academy’s Colin Millburg completed the sprint double in the boys 200, crossing in 23.51. Barrington’s Carter Doran was second at 24.27 and Tarbell added a third consecutive sprint podium appearance in third at 24.76. Millburg had himself a day taking two sprint titles, a third place finish in long jump, and anchoring Hampton Academy’s 4×100 team to a 6th place finish.
800 Meter Run
Mullaney came back in the girls 800 and completed one of the more impressive individual days of the meet, adding the 800 meter title to her earlier 400 win with a time of 2:25.92. Reilly was second at 2:26.76, completing her own strong double after her 400 runner-up finish. Hudson Memorial’s Saleena Ramboer ran third at 2:27.01.
ECS 5th grader Violet Ferry, a late addition to the 800m, completed her day of competition finishing in 2:57.61, a new personal best.
World Academy’s Jake Sheperd won the boys 800 in 2:15.64. Hood Middle School’s Jackson Stymest was second at 2:17.15 and Litchfield’s Mason Gardner third at 2:17.24.
Closing Acts
4×200 Relay
Sacred Heart closed out the girls relay events in style, running 1:53.14 to win the Girls 4×200 and break the meet record of 1:55.66 set by Dover in 2023 in the process! Oyster River was second at 1:56.27. South Meadow School was third at 1:59.24.
In the Boys 4×200, Gilmanton edged South Meadow School and Dover in a photo finish, winning in 1:45.70 to South Meadow’s 1:45.84 and Dover’s 1:45.88. That one came down to the wire.
With the last relay exchanged and the track going quiet, all eyes turned to the infield. One event remained and one athlete had the record books in his sight.
The Meet Ends With History
The boys high jump took over the infield after the girls. St. Joseph Regional’s Domenic Gianpetruzi came in seeded at the existing co-held record height of 5’8″ and, with the rest of the meet now wrapped up around him, he cleared the bar at 6′ 0″ to end the 2026 NH Middle School Meet of Champions with a meet record! Four full inches above the previous mark that had been co-held since 2023. Woodbury’s Mason Jordan was outstanding in second at 5’8″, matching the old record. Alton Central’s Rocco Campanile, Laconia’s Ian Kristoffersen, and Barrington’s Carter Doran all cleared 5’4″ to round out the top five.
Gianpetruzi’s clearance was the last official moment of the meet and it was the right way to end a day that had already seen five records fall.
Meet Records
Boys 4×400 Relay – Ross A. Lurgio, 3:50.89 (previous: 3:51.09, Sant Bani MS, 2024)
Girls 4×200 Relay – Sacred Heart School, 1:53.14 (previous: 1:55.66, Dover, 2023)
Girls 1600 Meter Run – Brooke Nelson, Lebanon Jr High, 5:08.43 (previous: 5:12.13, Harper Peters, Heronfield Academy, 2025)
Boys 1600 Meter Run – Teddy White, Richmond MS, 4:35.42 (previous: 4:37.09, Jared Khalil, Sanborn Regional, 2019)
Girls Shot Put – Josie Bielat, Nottingham School, 29′ 11.25″ (previous: 29’9.50″, Noelle Gauthier, Amherst MS, 2025)
Boys High Jump – Domenic Gianpetruzi, St. Joseph Regional, 6′ 0″ (previous: 5’8″, co-held by Rory Keegan, Oyster River, 2025 and Charlie Holmes, Hillside, 2023)
Congratulations to every athlete, coach, and program that competed at the 2026 NH Middle School Meet of Champions.
