While gutting out the grueling 4x800-meter relay race, Minnetonka's Elizabeth Endy received a challenge from the track announcer.

"I could hear him saying, 'They have a chance,' " Endy said, at a Hamline Elite Meet record. Looking down the home stretch, Endy located the race clock and "started to really push it."

Her inspired anchor leg gave Minnetonka a victory in a meet-record time of 9 minutes, 22.57 seconds.

The Skippers' performance was the first of 13 record-smashing performances on Friday at Hamline University.

The weather, a welcomed warm and sunny evening, played a role.

"It's not a blizzard; it's not pouring rain," joked Rosemount's Rachel Schow, who finished the 300 hurdles in a record time of 43.87 seconds. She is the defending state champion in the 100 and 300 hurdle events.

Bloomington Jefferson's Matthew Rosen ran the 800 hoping to set a new standard.

"This meet is like a midterm for us to see where we're at, see what the training has been doing and to set goals for later in the year," said Rosen, who plans to return to Hamline for the Class 2A state meet in June and defend his state title in the 800.

Endy also ran a leg of a record-setting 4x400 relay while teammate Mia Barron reset meet records in the long jump and triple jump.

Gourley wins a trio

Eagan's Jacob Gourley enjoyed a banner night on the track, winning the 100 and 200 and anchoring the Wildcats' victorious 4x200 relay in a new meet record time.

The only hitch came after the 100, when his attempt at throwing a T-shirt into the crowd — a meet tradition for winners — sailed well off course.

Gourley joked he threw out his shoulder, but his health is no joke. A shin injury limited him during a sixth-place finish in the 100 at the state meet last year. A MRI later revealed a stress fracture.

Busy Burns

Lakeville South Shaina Burns won the shot put and 100 hurdles events. She placed second in the 300 hurdles and also ran a leg of the Cougars' second-place 4x400 relay.

The 100 hurdles title meant the most, she said. Dropping a half-second off her time this spring gave her confidence against a field featuring the top three finishers from the past state meet.

"I'm really good friends with a lot of the girls in the field so we've been talking and texting," Burns said.

"It's almost harder that way because they are your friends, but they have to be your worst enemy at the same time."