The Big Nine Conference track and field meet at Austin's Wescott Field brought about plenty of positives for the community and the athletes participating Friday afternoon. Austin High School coaches Tony Einertson and Nancy Jones fielded compliments left and right for a job well done, while their runners racked up All-Conference finishes nearly as often.

The Packer girls' squad was led by its relay teams, two of which smashed their season records. The 4×200-meter relay foursome of Theresa Hirsch, Emily Johnson, Jenny and Staci Tucker brought home Austin's only Big Nine Conference championship with a season-best time of 1:46.68.

"I kept thinking they were right behind me," Hirsch said of bring the baton down the home stretch. "So I just kept booking. It was crazy, it was just a lot better than expected."

Hirsch also ran on the 4×400 team with Johnson, Jenny Tucker and Lisa Bue, which bettered its season-best time by four seconds.

"We were just blown away," Hirsch said. "We were on a high because of that. We're very excited for sections now."

The Section 1AA track and field meet is next Thursday and Saturday at Carleton College in Northfield. The Packers return two state qualifiers from last year, both from the boys' team.

"It was a nice day for track in Austin," Einertson said. "It's been a long time since some of these coaches had been here and they were impressed by our new facility."

AHS junior Evan Sorenson was the local highlight of the day, placing second in three events to earn All-Big Nine in each. Sorenson scored runner-up efforts in the 110-meter high hurdles, the 300 intermediate hurdles and the pole vault to lead the boys' squad to a fifth-place finish. All of his measurements and times were season-bests.

Sorenson went to state as a sophomore in the 110-highs and sees returning this year while breaking the school record as a legitimate goal.

"I'm close," Sorenson said during Friday's meet. "I'm hoping to break the record at sections and state, but if not I've always got next year."

Sorenson clocked in at 14.92 to finish second behind Mankato East standout Craig Dahl in the 110 highs. The AHS school record is 14.74, and Dahl won the event in 14.77 on Friday. Dahl also beat out Sorenson in the 300 intermediate hurdles.

"I set three personal records, I had a good day," Sorenson said. "But Dahl is a god. I'm glad he graduates next year."

Dahl won four events on Friday as the standout individual performer for the Big Nine Conference meet. His Mankato East Cougars finished runner-up in the team standings to crosstown rival Mankato West by more than 40 points.

On the girls' side it was Owatonna that ran away with a 49-point advantage over second-placed Rochester Century.

Austin was ranked 10th by the numbers, but the Packers were not about to hear that.

"I told the girls not to worry about the seed times," Jones said. "I guess it really came true today."

The 4×200, 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams all set season records, and both Lia Middlebrook and Emily Johnson set their triple jump personal-bests by nearly one foot each.

Hirsch powered her way into the 100-meter dash finals and third overall, while Bue took third in the high jump by clearing 5-feet. Bue was also fourth in the 800.

Other highlights for the boys' team included Mark Cavanaugh's fourth-place finish in the 400 and sixth-place finish in the 200 despite a calf injury that has recently come to a head. He was scratched for the day's final race, the 4×400.

Defending state qualifier James Dammed placed fifth in the pole vault despite a strained lower back he sustained during warmups.

David Larson had a strong day in the long jump by taking third, while Derek Hinkle was fifth in both the hurdling events. Carl Bauer brought home fourth in the mile and ninth in the two mile, while David Seibel gave chase for fifth in the 1,600. Both Bauer and Seibel set personal-records in the 1,600.

"Evan Sorenson had a fantastic day," Einertson said. "In two of the events Evan pushed him hard. He had a heck of a day to get All-Conference in three events.

"Evan certainly has got his goals set right where they need to be."