Benson County girls track team captured their third Class B state track title in six seasons and once again it was the Wildcats’ dominance in the distance events that separated them from the rest of the field.

BC scored 54 of its 74 points in four distance events – 800, 1600, 3200 and 3200 meter relay en route to the team title on May 29 at the Bismarck Community Bowl.

The Wildcats also picked up the other 20 points from Maddock senior Sharisa Yri, who won the long jump and placed in the triple jump and 100 meters.

BC entered the meet with all eyes on them and the squad lived up to the pressure, quickly taking the meet lead and never relinquishing it.

Hazen was a distant second with Rugby finishing third.

Leeds eighth grader Alyssa Anderson won the 1600 and 3200 meters and also ran a leg of BC’s winning 3200 meter relay. Other relay members included Erin Leier, Sara Schwanke and Katelynn Engh.

In the 3200 meters, Anderson pulled away early to win with a time of 11:16.73. It was a title she won a year ago and continued quite a tradition in her family. She has combined with older sisters Krista and Lindsay to win the last 10 3200 meter races at the state meet.

“That’s pretty special (to keep that title in the family),’ Anderson said.

A day earlier Anderson won the 1600 meters in a time of 5:10.37, a race she finished runner-up in 2009.

“Winning that race was one of my goals,’ said Anderson. “I started toward the back because I thought the pace was pretty fast to start. Eventually, I made my move to the front about a lap and a half into the race.”

Anderson also finished the meet with two personal bests, which was another goal.

It was that race that really illustrated the depth and talent of the Wildcats’ distance runners. Anderson won the race while Erin Leier was third and Sara Schwanke finished fifth. BC also placed three in the 800 meters as well. Leier was runner-up while Anderson finished fifth and Katelynn Engh was seventh.

Yri has strong meet

Yri defended her title in the long jump and was also second in the triple jump and seventh in the 100 meters.

She won the long jump with a mark of 18-0.25, well ahead of the second place finisher. A day earlier she was second in the triple jump with a mark of 37-4.25. She entered the 100 meter final with slowest time out of nine runners, but finished seventh with a time of :13.45. Sharisa ran in the 200 meters, but did not reach finals.

Meghan Jorgenson also competed in the high jump and narrowly missed placing. Her best jump was 4-9.

The Wildcats also competed in the 1600 meter relay, but did not score. BC’s time was 4:18.87. Relay members were: Leier, Engh, Breana Buehler and Shelby Brandvold.

The team title continues a remarkable resume for the program. The Wildcats won state titles in 2005 and 2007 and were second in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2009.