Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: State qualifiers from the St. Edmond girls tennis squad pose together with their third-place trophy in Des Moines. Gaels pictured are front row (left to right) Anna Lursen, Faith Shirbroun, Sasha Hess and Josie Harvey. Back: head coach C.J. Tracy, Brianna Saathoff, Myrah Lemon, Alex Leiting, Mariah Myers and assistant Kevin Astor. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

DES MOINES — The St. Edmond girls track and field team left Drake Stadium here Saturday with countless memories and the hardware to back up their hard work.

The Gaels finished in a tie for third overall in Class 1A with Nashua-Plainfield, as Council Bluffs St. Albert was the team champion, followed by Saint Ansgar.

Junior Anna Lursen capped off her three-medal effort with a fourth-place performance in the 800-meter run, setting a new personal record in the process at 2:16.35. Lursen was also the state runner-up in both the 400 and 400 hurdles.

St. Edmond’s sprint medley relay of Faith Shirbroun, Sasha Hess, Josie Harvey and Lursen placed ninth after a drop of the baton, clocking a time of 1:53.60. The race marked the final one for seniors Hess and Harvey, while Shirbroun is a junior who will be back to lead the program next spring with Lursen.

“What a finish to a great weekend at Drake Stadium,” SEHS head coach CJ Tracy said. “Coming home with a third-place finish is an incredible accomplishment that each and every girl should be extremely proud of.

“We started (Saturday) with a little adversity in the sprint medley, but they fought back and were able to finish strong.”

Lursen has now competed in 10 events at state in three years, placing in the Top-5 five times and in the Top-10 on seven different occasions with her senior year still to come

“Anna ran a very good 800,” Tracy said. “She had a great race and finished strong.”

The weekend also included a pair of medal-winning performances in the throwing events for senior Mariah Myers, who won the shot put and placed fourth in the discus.

Harvey ended her Gael running career at state in each of the last three years in the 100 hurdles, including earning a bronze medal as a junior. Hess ran at state six times, competing three times each on the sprint medley relay and three more on the 4×400 relay.

“These girls made myself, (assistant) Coach (Kevin) Astor and St. Edmond extremely proud,” Tracy said. “It was a great way to finish off a great track season.”