By TED SCHULTZ, for The Democrat

In the 12-year history of the Talon Relays, the Brown County girls track team had never won the team championship.

Until Saturday.

The host Eagles used superior depth across the sprints, distance races and field events to secure their first title. They outlasted eight-time defending champion Columbus North 113 1/2 to 108 to finish atop the nine-team event.

“All the girls on this team work so hard, and knowing that we had the strength and the mental capacity to be able to beat eight other schools that are huge compared with our little tiny team, it’s pretty amazing,” said sophomore Kathleen McCann, who was a part of two victories.

McCann won the 100 meters in 12.76 seconds and teamed with Elly Wertz, Vivien Crimmins and Shaelyn Biddle to take the 4×100 relay in 51.24. Biddle and Wertz captured the long jump (30 feet, 2 inches).

Brown County won only those three events to Columbus North’s six victories, but the Eagles used seven second-place finishes, including Wertz in the 100 (13.16) and Vivien Crimmins in the 100 hurdles (17.45). Vivien Crimmins and Jalynn Stanford were second in the high jump (9-0).

Also finishing second for the Eagles were McCann, Olivia Lee, Ryanne Smith and Stanford in the 4×400 relay (4:20.59); Evey Crimmins, Vivien Crimmins, Lindsay Leeper and Coralynne Robinson in the shuttle hurdle relay (44.86); Wertz, Biddle, McCann and Smith in the sprint medley relay (1:59.67) and Corrissa Proctor, Sam Francis, Haley Abraham and Stanford in the 4×800 relay (10:47.04).

Smith and Kennedy Bruner took third in the high jump (8-8).

“If you look at the results, there was a nice mix all the way through, and there really wasn’t necessarily one dominant team, so I think that helped us out,” Brown County Coach Rob Abraham said. “Being 1-2 in the 100 helped us out. Our 4×100 … even when we’re coming in second place in the 4×800, all these things come together, and the girls did a great job.”

The Eagles finished seventh in the boys meet with 48 points. Columbus North won the title with 142, while Lawrence Central was second with 120.

Brown County won a pair of distance events. Wyatt Wyman, Collin Hoskins, Job Lawson and Cole Chudy set a school record in the distance medley relay (10:39.28); and Wyman, Marino Dolph, Lawson and Chudy won the 4×800 relay (8:25.45).

“I thought the boys did a very good job,” Rob Abraham said. “We compete very well, and that’s one of the things that I really like about this team.”