BRIGHTON – It always comes down to the relays.

Reading boys indoor track and field faced a 1.5-point deficit to Walpole heading into the 4×400 meter relay event at the MIAA Div. 3 indoor track and field state championships at the track at New Balance. The Rockets and Timberwolves had a group in the top heat, so it was likely to come down to whoever placed higher in the final race.

The Rockets got the benefit, as the relay team won the heat with a time of 3:27.41 and claimed the state championship as a result.

“We talked before every meet about being prepared to compete at the relays, that it is going to come down to the relays,” Rockets coach Daniel Princic said. “Knowing that those guys are going to be ready and that we can trust them to stick around and finish as fast as they can is huge.”

The Rockets maintained a lead for the majority of the evening, with Ryan Pulpi winning the 55 dash and 300 dash while Andrew Princic earned a second-place finish in the two-mile run. However, Walpole hung with Reading, and a second-place finish in the 4×800 meter relay put the Timberwolves ever so slightly ahead with one race to go.

That’s where the 4×400-meter relay team showed its heroics, topping the field to acquire the necessary points to claim the state title.

“Our guys ran so well, making a great gap,” Pulpi said of the relay team. “Every point is going to help the boys’ win. Everyone participated greatly, and it was fun to watch.”

Walpole finished second with 46.5 points, while Greater Lowell finished third with 41.

Milton’s girls team had less stress than the Rockets, leading throughout the meet. A Melrose victory in the 4×800 meter relay made things interesting heading into the 4×400 meter relay, but neither program was in the seeded heat and scored enough to claim a victory.

“The girls did what we expected them to do,” Milton coach George Daly said. “We won four out of 13 events and then outside of winning scored 9.5 points, which we absolutely needed to win.”

Milton’s wins were diverse, as Annaliese Aguilar won the 55 hurdles, Grace Danielson won the 1,000-meter run, Ella Turner won the high jump and the 4×200 meter relay won as well.

Aguilar said the depth on the team shows the commitment the program has to winning.

“We have a lot of really talented coaches,” Aguilar said. “That’s really benefitted us. We’re allowed to explore each event, see what works for us and then continue to grow.”

Melrose finished second with 50 points, while Bedford was third with 42 points.

The Wildcats had finished second at the state championships in 2025 and Daly said this was a motivating factor for this year’s meet.

“It’s too bad there’s nowhere else to go,” Daly said. “Now we are going to try to hold onto this for a couple of years.”