DES MOINES — This past Saturday was a day Alex Burger will never forget.

Burger, a junior for Southeast Valley, walked out of Drake Stadium with a medal after placing seventh in the 400-meter hurdles on the blue oval. The junior went 53.17, finishing second in the opening heat.

“(Running at the Drake Relays) was an experience of a lifetime,” Burger said. “It’s such an adrenaline rush. Running with the best in the state, I had to put on a performance and try my absolite best. I owe it all to my lord and savior, God is great.

“Placing in the Top-8 feels unreal. It’s such an amazing thing to experience in life and I would never think I would get to this point. When I ran and realized I got Top-8, I was ecstatic. Knowing I came in as a higher seed, I realized I had to try even harder than others and it was really an amazing opportunity to have.”

Hours later, he returned home to attend prom.

“It was a pretty great day being able to experience both,” he said, “but also very tiring.”

Burger now looks toward the state meet where he will be one of the favorites to contend for gold.

“I really can’t believe how close (state) is,” he said. “My confidence is almost through the roof and I can’t wait to compete there again with some of the other boys I already met. It’s gonna be a great race.”

Jayden Jeter of Waukee placed first, as Bettendorf’s Gage Tucker was second. Tucker bested Burger in their heat of the event.

Algona’s Gavin Weber, meanwhile, finished sixth in the 1,600-meter run in a time of 4:14.59. The senior took the lead after 1,200 meters, as Johnston’s Jack Crossland moved to the front to claim the title.

Behind a time of 43.76, the Fort Dodge boys 4×100-meter relay improved from a qualifying position of 70th to finish 56th. Sam Moser, Taevon Feeley, Kyree Rochon and Noah Daniel comprised the unit.

“It’s always cool to get up to the Drake Relays and experience it,” Daniel said. “The environment is electric with quite a bit of people in the stands cheering. It’s also fun watching the colleg eteams run and getting to compete against the best in Iowa.”

Later in the meet, West Des Moines Dowling would claim the relay title in 41.34.

Southeast Valley’s quartet of Casey Hanson, Logan Jaeschke, Colin Johnson and Kayden Showers finished 67th in the 4×100 first round in a time of 43.94.

In addition to Weber’s strong run in the 1,600, Algona’s Will Limbaugh was ninth and Max Nevitt 11th in the discus. Limbaugh had a throw of 164-10 and Nevitt, who was third in the shot put earlier in the week, had a best of 163-0.

The Bulldogs placed 44th in the 4×100 first round in 43.53 behind William Weichert, Tate Garman, Levi Walker and Evan Allie.

Pocahontas Area’s Danica Dreith, Halee Hauswirth, Natalie Sommerlot and Kloe Mefferd were 80th in the 4×100 first round in 51.52 while Webster City’s Kali Hartnett, Tessa Hansen, Isabel Weinschenk and Isabel Grossoehme finished 83rd in 51.63 in the same event.