Austin girls' track coach Nancy Jones acknowledged that relays would be the Packers' strength this season, making Thursday's trip to the Cougar Relays in Mankato all the more favorable.

The Packers placed third out of eight teams, highlighted by a pair of runner-up placings.

The 3,200-meter medley and 4×400-meter relay teams took home second-place finishes to highlight Austin's first trip to the meet. All races and field events are combined as relays.

"This was our first time competing at the Mankato East relays," Jones said. "I was proud of the way athletes stepped up to do some events they don't normally compete in."

The medley relay foursome of Theresa Hirsch, Jenny Tucker, Emily Johnson and Lia Middlebrook earned second place with a combined time of 4:35.71. A similar 4×400 foursome, consisting of Lisa Bue, Hirsch, Tucker and Johnson, totaled 4:14.86.

Haley Fisher's clearance of 7 feet in the pole vault was enough to give the Packer 'relay' team a third-place finish. The sprint and distance medley teams both finished third.

The host Cougars won the relays with 217 total points, followed closely by Glencoe-Silver Lake at 193 and Austin at 143.

The Austin girls' squad hosts a quadrangular on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Wescott Field.