ELDORA — The BCLUW girls track and field team won the NICL West Division championship on Thursday in the conference meet with 119 points, just barely nudging by Grundy Center in second (116 points) and West Marshall in third (115.5 points).

The Comets only finished on top of the standings in two events, with the 4×100-meter relay team of Kaylee Grant, Kiersten Kruse, Payton Pekarek and Olivia Hughes taking first in a time of 54.42 seconds and the shuttle hurdle relay team of Kruse, Pekarek, Hughes and Lizzie Garber prevailing in 1:09.34.

BCLUW piled up the points with top-five finishes, however. Fiona Speicher and Hughes went third and fourth respectively in the 200, Katie Thompson finished third in the 400 with a season-best time of 1:05.45, Garber was second in the 100 hurdles with a season-best 16.58 and Hughes followed in third, Kruse was second in the high jump and fourth in the long jump, Dahlia Gardiner was third in the long jump, Erin Asche placed fourth in the shot put and the 4×200 team of Kaylee Grant, Kenna Paxson, Speicher and Pekarek was second in 1:58.68.

First-year Comet head girls track coach Dustin Grothoff was also named the NICL West Coach of the Year.

East Marshall finished in fourth with 109 team points behind another great showing by senior Melinda Puumala. Puumala racked up 38 total points for the Mustangs, which led to her to being named the NICL West Co-Most Valuable Player alongside AGWSR’s Aubrie Fisher.

Puumala won the 100 with a season-best time of 12.85, the 100 hurdles with a 16.05 and the 400 hurdles with a new season-best of 1:05.82, dropping what is already the fastest time in Class 2A. She was also second in the long jump with a distance of 15 feet, 11 3/4 inches.

The East Marshall 4×200 relay team of Madison Duncan, Genesis Wanatee, Maria Rasmusson and Wendy Liera won with a time of 1L57.67.

West Marshall placed third in the meet with 115.5 team points. Senior Kayla Cripps won the high jump with a height of 4-10, and she finished second in the 400 and the 400 hurdles.

The Trojans also took first in two relays, with the 4×800 team of Dresden Eldridge, Dreah Eldridge, Avery Randall and Lilly Buck running an 11:11.06 and the sprint medley relay team of Adisyn Young, Buck, Avril Sinning and Cripps running a 1:57.43.

Grace Girard held her own in the distance events as well, taking third in both the 1,500 and 3,000. Her time of 11:33 in the 3,000 was her season best by 25 seconds.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck finished in seventh in the meet with four points, which were earned by Lily Ehlers finishing fifth in the 800 and the 3,000.