File photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm’s George Gag hands the baton off to Sullivan Gusso during the boys 4x400-meter relay race at Gustavus Adolphus College on May 30. The two will compete as part of the Eagles 4x400 relay team next week at St. Michael-Albertville High School in the Class AA State Track and Field Tournament.

ST. MICHAEL — Several area track and field teams had success in sending their relay teams to state this year.

New Ulm, River Valley, Sibley East and Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet all were able to send relay teams to state, with seven total relay teams ready to race at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

For New Ulm, two relay teams — the boys 4×100 and the 4×400 — set school records on their way to state qualification.

The 4×100 team of Isaac Friese, Hunter Heil, Jackson Ocampo and Jamison Portner ran a time of 43.45, while the 4×400 team of Dain Barie, Michael Hames, George Gag and Sullivan Gusso ran the race in 3:24.06. While the two teams did set school records, neither won the section race and must continue to improve if they want to place at the state meet.

Preliminary events start at 3:30 p.m. on June 10 for Class A, while Class AA preliminary races begin at 9 a.m. on June 11. The relay events begin at 10:30 a.m. for Class AA.

River Valley also set a program record with the 4×400 boys relay team (7:41 p.m. prelim on June 10), with Noah Christensen, Luka Fernandez, Lucas Hensch and Matt Groebner running a time of 3:29.59. That team did place first in the section and has the goal of placing in the top nine in the preliminaries to advance to the finals. Also from River Valley, The 4×800 boys team (4 p.m. finals on June 11) of Luka Fernandez, Matthew Fernandez, Christensen and Groebner qualified with their season-record time of 8:22.77, and the 4×800 girls team (3:30 p.m. finals on June 11) of Emmie McCone, Lydia Dauer, Marissa Pabst and Katie Thram qualified after placing second with a season-best time of 10:06.48.

From Sibley East, the 4×800 boys team (4 p.m. finals on June 11) of Julio Alejandro, Gage Horstman, Mausten Krueger and Gavin Pomplun won the section meet with a season-best time of 8:22.31, while the LCWM/N 4×400 boys team (7:41 p.m. prelim on June 10) of Henry Oscarson, Isaac Rodman, Aidan Moeller and Charlie Gengler qualified and have a season-best time of 3:32.6.

Plenty of non-relay athletes qualified for state as well from the area as well. Gengler qualified in the 800 (6:16 p.m. prelim on June 10), while Madelia’s Josiah DeMaris qualified for the boys 3,200 (7:11 p.m. finals on June 10). LCWM/N’s Levi Freyberg was the section champion in boys pole vault (3:30 p.m. prelim on June 10), while Sibley East’s Aidan McCue advanced to state in the boys triple jump (3:30 p.m. prelim on June 10). LCWM/N’s Drew Turgeon advanced in boys discus (4:45 p.m. prelim on June 10) and shot put (3:30 p.m. prelim on June 10).

River Valley’s Marley Hewitt earned a state trip in the girls 400 (5:19 p.m. prelim on June 10) after setting a school record at 59.73 in the section meet, while Minnesota Valley Lutheran/New Ulm Cathedral’s Kamryn Davey qualified in the girls triple jump (3:30 p.m. prelim on June 10) and holds the school record with a jump of 34 feet, 10 inches and also advanced in the 100-meter hurdles. Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrops Annie Wersal qualified in girls discus (4:45 p.m. on June 10).