Seven coaches seems like a large number for a high school sports program. But with a Hopkinton High School spring track and field roster totaling more than 200 athletes — including about 135 boys — the staff is relying on the team’s seniors to step up and keep the team working together.

So far, boys coach Brian Prescott said he has been pleased with his captains’ collective response.

“The thing that has impressed me the most has been the teamwork and collaboration of a very large group of athletes,” Prescott said. “It can be overwhelming. But the fact that we have been able to stay on schedule and get the training that we need is due to the fact that we are lucky with the leadership we have and the willingness to work from the whole team.”

The Hillers have four captains: twins Drew and Will Bialobrzeski, Ben Scott and Russell Perryman.

“They have been really helpful,” Prescott said. “Plus, we have a litany of other seniors and juniors and our sophomore class, which has the largest number of kids by grade. A lot of them have started to emerge as leaders on the team.”

The captains are likely going to be big point scorers for Hopkinton as well. The Bialobrzeski brothers are multi-event athletes who figure to be competing among the best in the league in the relays, hurdles and throwing events. Scott is a distance runner who will focus on the 2-mile, the mile and occasionally the 800 meters. Perryman is among the top javelin throwers in both the Tri-Valley League and the state as a whole.

“I think our captains will be really important for us,” Prescott said.

Hopkinton has numerous other athletes who Prescott said should be major point scorers this spring, as the Hillers look to follow up on a TVL title and a runner-up finish at the Division 2 state meet in 2023.

Sam Dadagian will compete in the 100, 200, 400 and relay events for HHS. Logan Sullivan comes into the spring after capturing the league title for the high jump during the indoor season. Second in the TVL high jump during the winter was Sullivan’s teammate, Connor Cho. Hopkinton also features Damon Carboni in the discus and Matt Bernardin, who has been working off-site at the pole vault in the hopes of competing at a high level in that event.

Prescott said his team’s depth will be aided by the sophomores, many of whom are going to be earning spots as part of one of Hopkinton’s relay teams or snagging crucial second and third-place finishes during dual meets.

The Hillers headed into the 2024 season with two sets of goals, external and internal. The external goal is to win the TVL championship again and once again compete at the state level after placing second a season ago. The internal goal might be even more important, Prescott said: to make sure everyone has a positive experience being part of such a large team.

“I don’t want people to feel like they have gotten lost in the shuffle,” he said. “We want everyone to have a meaningful experience, and that the younger athletes want to come back next year.”