Submitted photo From left to right, New Ulm's Michael Hames, George Gag, Hunter Heil and Jamison Portner pose with their fourth-place medals after the Class AA State Track and Field 4x200m Relay Championships Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

ST. MICHAEL — After placing seventh in the preliminary boys 4×200 relay race on Friday, New Ulm wasn’t satisfied with that finish, despite breaking its own school record with the run.

On Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville High School, the team of Hunter Heil, Michael Hames, Jamison Portner and George Gag broke the school record again, running a 1:29.02 to place fourth in the Class AA State Track and Field Championships.

“Coming off the state visit last year in the 4×100, we knew we had what it took to come back this year,” Heil said. “The drive and the fire we had really helped us out.”

The team broke the school record in each of its last three runs, going back to the section track meet on May 30.

“It feels really good,” Hames said. “I feel like we worked really hard all season. It just feels really good.”

Gag said

“I think it was really the fact that none of us have anything to lose here,” he said. “We came here, we wanted to do well, but we have two seniors, and I think they just wanted to come out here and give it their best. Me and Hunter too, we just wanted to give it our best, and I think that helped us achieve our best races.”

New Ulm finished the race at the top of a group of four teams that all finished within a half second of each other, with Gag taking the final half lap.

“Just getting the baton at the end there, it’s about giving it your best effort and not really worrying about what’s around you,” Gag said. “You’ve just got to give it your best effort really, that’s it. Run your own race.”

The team finished ahead of fellow Section 2A qualifiers Belle Plaine and Mankato East, both of whom finished ahead of new Ulm in the section and preliminary runs.

“To beat Belle Plaine and Mankato East, to beat them feels really nice,” Hames said.

Portner added that the team used the extra motivation from reaching the finals to push ahead of those teams.

“I think the difference was we had more power and drive to place on the podium to beat those other teams.”

New Ulm head coach Brian Lundgren said the team exceeded all expectations throughout the season.

“As a coaching staff, we are extremely proud and extremely happy,” he said. “They represented the community and the school very well. High-character kids. The scary good part is, I’ve got George Gag coming back, Hunter Heil, Jace Lohman, who was the alternate on the team and also very important, those guys are all coming back. This experience will help them even more.”

Gag also medaled individually in the 400m on the day, running a personal-best 49.28 to place seventh.

“I think what helped me out was the runners around me,” Gag said. “I try to pace around the people around me, and that helped me to get out quick and PR, because everyone around here is fast. That really helped me.

“At the end of the race, George Nelson, he’s from Providence Academy and he finished first, he said at the end of the race that there’s no time to slouch off. People think you’re going to slouch off in the offseason, but I think that will help me to work to get better for next season too.”