ST. PAUL-In the last seven years, the Pequot Lakes Patriots have established themselves as one of the powerhouse programs in Class 1A girls track.
From 2011-16, the Patriots won six state championships in individual events or relays and twice finished third in the team standings.
Saturday, the Patriots continued to add to their medals cache as they won two relay titles and finished 6.5 points behind champion Minneapolis Edison.
The Patriots won the 4x200 relay which consisted of Mirjana Ganley, Kristin Skog, Grace McGuire and Chloe Bermel. They ended the meet by winning the 4x400 which included McGuire, Skog, Olivia Lane and Bermel.
McGuire was the third runner on the 4x200 victory, the first time Pequot has ever won a state title in that event. The Patriots have won each of the other three relays at least once.
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"I just knew I had to get that handoff right from Kristin, just take off and duck down and get through that wind and get it to Chloe right away," McGuire said.
It was only the third time the four members of the 4x200 had run the event together.
"We put this 4x2 together at the subsection," McGuire said. "I never ran it before this year."
In the 4x400, the Patriots were pushed by runner-up Stewartville which finished 21/100ths of a second behind. Stewartville anchor Maia Peterson pushed Bermel to the finish line.
"I knew she was going to come on," Bermel said. "It was exciting to finish with two firsts with these girls."
In the 400 dash, Bermel was the defending champion and finished third. Last year, she competed in three individual state finals.
"I felt like I ran as hard as I could," Bermel said. "I left it all out there. That's all I can do in my last 400 in high school. Knowing I had the (relays) left that's been my main focus. I already won the 400 once. Now I'm here for my team."
The Patriots were the defending 4x800 champions but finished 15th Saturday after falling way back early and not being able to make up the deficit.
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Other area individuals achieving all-state status (top nine) included Pierz's seventh-place 4x200 relay of Breanna Kurtz, Leah Fuhrman, Avy Lease and Chelsie Kurtz); Pequot's Addie Hubbard in the 300 hurdles (seventh); Pierz's Beth-el Algarin (fourth) and Wadena-Deer Creek's Ellie Miron (ninth) in shot put; and Hubbard in triple jump (fifth).
Algarin placed third last year but has a shot to make it three state trips in a row in 2018.
"I have a pulled back muscle right now," Algarin said. "I haven't been able to practice the last two weeks at all so I'm kind of just throwing and trying to ignore the pain."
Final Girls Team Scores: 1-Minneapolis Edison 48, 2-Pequot Lakes 41.50, 3-Belle Plaine 40, 4-Byron 38, 5-Jordan 35
Saturday Finals:
4x800 relay: 1-Minnehaha Academy 9:41.27, 15-Pequot Lakes (Jennah Hall, Kristin Skog, Cassidy Chaney, Grace McGuire)
4x200 relay: 1-Pequot Lakes (Mirjana Ganley, Kristin Skog, McGuire, Chloe Bermel) 1:44.23; 7-Pierz (Breanna Kurtz, Leah Fuhrman, Avy Lease, Chelsie Kurtz) 1:46.93
400 dash: 1-Kya Phillips (Cristo Rey Jesuit) 56.40, 3-Bermel 58.41
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300 hurdles: 1-Tyarra English-Pau (Watertown-Mayer) 44.38, 7-Addie Hubbard (Pequot Lakes) 47.83
4x400 relay: 1-Pequot Lakes (McGuire, Skog, Olivia Lane, Bermel) 3:57.44
Shot put: 1-Emma Gilbert (International Falls) 42-7.75, 4-Beth-el Algarin (Pierz) 40-9.75, 9-Ellie Miron (WDC) 38-1.75
Triple jump: 1-Jenna Kes (Jordan) 40-2.75, 5-Hubbard (PL) 36-8, 14-Kylie Monson (C-I) 35-0
