Four Big Lake runners have advanced to compete in the State Track and Field Championships this weekend by taking either first or second in their event at the Section 5AA track and field meet last week in Monticello.

At the start of the season, boys’ Coach Bob Blanchard said the distance runners would play a big part in the success of the team this year.

Those words were never more accurate when the team’s four top distance runners put on a show last week on the Monticello track.

The boys 4x800 relay ream of Jack Leuer, Owen Layton, Kade Layton and Christan Noble set a new school record and easily outran the field in a time of 8:04.89. The old school record of 8:09.84 had stood since 1997.

Leuer, a ninth-grader, set the pace in the opening leg in 2:01.002, giving the Hornets a five-second lead over Monticello. Owen Layton followed with a time of 2:01.755, extending the lead to 10 seconds. The gap widened to over 14 seconds when Kade Layton ran 2:01.453. Christian Noble ran the anchor leg in 2:00.677 to stretch the lead a bit more to a 15-second victory.

All four runners advance to the state meet in the relay.

But that’s not all they’ll be running at the state meet. Noble also won the individual 800 meters in 1:59.82, holding off Becker’s Tyson Ricker by a step.

Owen Layton took second in the 3200 meters in 9:33.16, breaking the old school record of 9:35.66 set by Nate Souther in 2015.

Kade Layton finished second in the 1600 meters in 4:38.28.

The Hornets had a few close calls in some of the other events. Carson Kunz just missed qualifying for state. he finished third in the high jump at 6’1”.

Spencer Vold also came up just short, taking third in the pole vault at 12’3”. He is now tied for fourth all-time for Big Lake in the event.

Big Lake had more athletes who finished in the top 10 spots.

Kyle Ginther placed fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 41’10.5”. He was fifth in the long jump at 20’3”.

Riley Thompson took fifth in the discus with a throw of 126’4”.

Tanon Jacobson was sixth in the 3200 meters in 10:33.30 and ninth in the 1600 in 4:52.47.

Spencer Vold finished sixth in the 800 in 2:08.99.

Amado Espinosa took seventh in the triple jump at 39’6.5”.

Christian Noble placed seventh in the pole vault at 11’6”.

Hayden Thieke was eighth in the long jump (19’3.5”) and ninth in the triple jump (38’8.25”).

David Guyse took eighth in the 1600 in 4:52.41.

Joe Murphy ran 24.17 to take ninth in the 200 meters, with CJ Mikely 10th in 24.34.

Wuoson Nehwah placed 10th in the 110 hurdles in 18.08 seconds.   

The girls also had some top 10 finishes.

Jade Flavin took fifth in the long jump at 16’2.25”.

Ninth-grader Ava Eastman placed eighth in the 200 meters in 27.90.

Erin Kjellberg took eighth in the 400 meters in 1:09.68.

Hannah Strom tied for eighth in the pole vault at 7’7”.  Alayna Boe cleared the same height but finished 11th.

Flavin finished 10th in the triple jump at 31’10.75”, with Grace Gardner right behind at 31’10”.

Samantha Burton placed 10th in the long jump at 15’3”.

Jaden Anderson finished 10th in the 1600 meters in 5:58.55.

Miranda Segner just missed qualifying for the finals in the high jump, clearing 4’8” to place in a tie for 10th.

The girls 4x200 relay team placed fifth.

Tayla Gassman, an eighth-grader, will represent Big Lake at the state meet. She won all four of her wheelchair events: 100 meters (31.68), 200 meters (1:05.75), discus (31’10”) and shot put (15 feet).

The state meet takes place June 9-11 at St. Michael-Albertville High School.