MANKATO &045; To say the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva boys’ track and field program took a step forward this year would be an understatement.

It was more like a triple jump.

The Panthers came within 11 points of the Section 2A championship, finishing third in Saturday’s section meet at Mankato West.

Blue Earth Area won with 49.5 points, followed by WEM with 44. NRHEG and Fairmont had 39.

Sonny Berg was the Panthers’ lone state qualifier, finishing second in the 110-meter high hurdles in 15.63 seconds.

Just missing state were Dustin Schriever, who was third in the 200 in 23.3, and Brian Bos, third in the 800 in a school-record 2:04.24. Berg was third in the 300 hurdles in 42.93.

Two other school records fell in the relays. Berg, Schriever, Geoff Stieglbauer and Blake Kerkhoff were third in the 4×100 in 45.4 while Bos, Tim Rysavy, Matt Reiter and John Coffield took third in the 4×800 in 8:33.72.

The Panthers’ other points came in the 4×400, where Kerkhoff, Rysavy, Tom Bartness and Coffield took sixth.

The NRHEG girls finished 10th with 23 points. Fairmont won with 66.

Kalisha Anthony cleared 9-7 1/2 in the pole vault, placing second and advancing to state for the fourth year in a row.

Alison Anderson was third in the 100 in 12.85, under the state-qualifying time of 12.95, but it was wind-aided. Anderson was fourth in the 200, Anthony fourth in the 100 high hurdles. Karla Lewer took sixth in the 1600.

The state meet is Friday and Saturday at the National Sports Center in Blaine.