—Submitted photo Fort Dodge’s Asle Thorson, Brycen Bell, Tysen Kershaw and Tyler Schreier stand at Drake Stadium after winning the 4x200 relay at the Blue Oval Invitational in Des Moines.

DES MOINES — The Fort Dodge boys track team served notice here Saturday at the Blue Oval Invitational, claiming gold in the 4×200-meter relay.

Tyler Schreier, Asle Thorson, Brycen Bell and Tysen Kershaw clocked a time of 1:30.31 to secure first place inside Drake Stadium. The time is the third-fastest in the state in the event this year.

West Des Moines Valley was second in 1:30.5 and West Des Moines Dowling finished third in 1:30.6. Waukee has the fastest time of the year at 1:29.7.

Invites to all 18 CIML teams were sent out for the meet. The event also included university and college races.

Kershaw, an all-state football player for the Dodgers, sped past Valley’s Creighton Mitchell and Dowling’s Jayson Murray on the famous blue oval home stretch, crossing just ahead of the two.

“Winning let us know that we are one of the fastest relays in the state,” Kershaw said. “For that to be our race together, we still have a lot of room to improve.

“To pass runners from (Valley and Dowling) is special because those are supposed to be the top runners every race.”

Fort Dodge was just over a second off the meet record, which was set in 2013 by Des Moines Lincoln at 1:29.23. They also were just over two seconds behind the FDSH school record of 1:28.49 set by Brad Klein, Nik Moser, Leif Halvorson and Quennel McCaleb in 1999.

“(Winning) gives not just me, but everyone on the 4×200 team, a lot of confidence,” Schreier said. “I had a great start out of the blocks and everyone did their part and we managed to pull together a hard run.”

Schreier, a state qualifier last year as a freshman, made his season debut in the 100-meter dash by capturing the first heat and placing ninth overall in 11.5.

“It was great to be back,” the sophomore speedster said. “I had a rough start but after I got moving, I was able to make up for that.”

Tory Bennett was fifth in the 200 for the Fort Dodge girls, placing second in her heat. Bennett, a ninth-grader, clocked a time of 27.66.

The Dodgers also had five relays place in the Top-10 led by the 4×800 of Madalyn Daniel, Piera McBride, Jalen Adams and Maia Davis, who went 11:24.05.

Tristin Doster, Martyne Lowrey, Haley Wills and Aleaha Pommer were 10th overall in the sprint medley in 2:02.6, with Wills, Lowrey, Doster and Bennett finishing 10th in 1:53.59.

Bennett, Lowrey, Wills and Doster clocked a time of 53.78 to place 10th in the 4×100. Makinsey Thompson, Daniel, Cheyenne Miller-Hameed and Pommer placed ninth in the 4×400 in 4:40.75.

Pommer placed 16th overall in the long jump (13-5), Doster was 20th in the 100 (13.8), Richardson placed 21st in the 100 hurdles (18.7) and Adams was 23rd in the 800 (2:43.38).

The Fort Dodge boys run Monday at Norwalk and the girls host the Dodger Relays on Thursday.