The Eagles’ 4×100-, 4×200- and 4×400-meter relay teams all set school records, with the 4×100 and 4×400 teams qualifying for the state meet on June 12 at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

The 4×100 relay team of Isaac Friese, Hunter Heil, Jackson Ocampo and Jamison Portner qualified with a time of 43.45.

“I think it’s really awesome for our team,” Friese said. “I don’t know how long it’s been since a New Ulm relay has made state, but it was a good race. Perfect handoffs and everything.”

The 4×400 relay team of Dain Barie, Michael Hames, George Gag and Sullivan Gusso qualified with a time of 3:24.06. The time was also the 17th-best 4×400 relay of the season in Minnesota.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm’s Jamison Portner crosses the finish line of the 4x100 relay during the Section 2AA Track and Field Championships Friday at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.

“Amazing,” Gusso said. “It feels great. We didn’t think we were going to be doing that great at the start of the season. We had a lot of unfortunate stuff happen just with weather and injury-wise, people weren’t doing that good. But the last couple of meets, we started shaving more and more time down, and then last meet we got the state-qualifying time, so we just had to prove we could do it here. And we did it.”

Barie, a senior, added that making the state meet had been a goal of his for a long time.

“In my high school career, I made it a goal to go to state,” he said. “And now here we are. I’m graduating tonight, then going to state on the 12th. There’s nothing really more I need in my high school career.”

Both state qualifying teams have clear goals as they look ahead to the state meet.

“I think our expectations are to beat our school record again and make finals for state,” Portner said.

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm’s Dain Barie (right) hands the baton off to Michael Hames during the 4x400 relay of the Section 2AA Track and Field Championships Friday at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.

Gusso added that he thought the 4×400 team could continue to improve at the state meet.

“I think we can catch one of these teams here,” he said. “We’re not that far behind. They’ve had more practice and training than we have, and I think with just a little more dedication, we can be there.”

The 4×400 team believes they can make it on the podium at state.

The 4×200 team of Portner, Ocampo, Gusso and Gag set the school record with a 1:31.54, just .51 short of state qualification themselves.

Also in the meet, Gag set a personal record in the 200, running a 22.58 to place fourth, while Barie placed fifth in the 400 with a personal-best 52.14.

On the girls side of the meet, Elizabeth Dake placed eighth in discus (97-07) and 10th in shot put (31-09.25), while Jesalyn Skoglund placed sixth in high jump (4-10).