Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Rachel Fehr of West Bend-Mallard works her way toward the 400-meter dash title on Thursday at state track in Des Moines. For more photos, visit CU.messengernews.net

DES MOINES — Rachel Fehr made history for West Bend-Mallard here Thursday evening.

Fehr, a sophomore, won the Class 1A 400-meter dash in a time of 56.92 for the school’s first-ever state title in an individual running event as boiling temperatures hit the blue oval inside Drake Stadium.

“It’s feels great,” Fehr told Marc Grandi of KLGA Radio. “I am really honored to be the one (to win the first running title at WB-M).

“(The heat) was really a struggle and made it hard to breathe. All the girls have said it had a big effect on them.”

Last year as a ninth-grader, Fehr was the state runner-up in the 400. She also helped anchor the Wolverine sprint medley to a third-place showing and the 4×800 to a seventh-place medal.

Fehr improved on her state time of 57.22 from last season, again coming out of the third heat. She was able to fend off Montezuma’s Shateach Wetering and Sigourney’s Summer Barthelman, who finished second and third.

“After getting second, I really wanted the (title),” she said. “For sure, it was a motivator. I wanted to get that gold.”

It will be another busy state trip for Fehr, as she’ll run the 800 and is on the sprint medley relay for West Bend-Mallard.

“We just want to run our best and feel good about what we did,” Fehr said.