In March 2025, the boys’ 4×100 team ran a 43.79 in the third meet of the season, smoking the state qualifying time.

This season hasn’t started quite as strongly; however, the boys have high expectations for themselves. Only having lost one senior last year, Jamison Portner, Jackson Ocampo, and Hunter Heil think they will be even more successful once they get their starting four runners going again.

Having an inconsistent start to the season, the boys haven’t quite found their fourth runner, but PR-wise the next three runners are neck and neck with each other, so it’s really about finding the right connection.

Senior Jamison Portner said, “We really develop our team chemistry through connections at practice and hanging out together. Especially at state (last season) having shared a hotel together, I thought that brought chemistry pretty good to us.”

One factor of their success is the work they put in behind the scenes at track practice. Sophomore Hunter Heil said, “We really strive to perfect our handoffs, working hard at practice, lifting super heavy. We just show up every day.”

Handoffs in the relay are one of the most important factors since they can make or break a time. Heil said the boys have such a great connection that “we don’t even say anything. We can just sense the person behind us, and that’s when we know to put our hand back.”

Not only do relay teams need to work against their own times to get better, but they also have their competition from the teams in the Big South Conference as well.

“We have great competition with Mankato West and Mankato East. I think we have a great chance in the 4×100 and the 4×200 going back to state,” said Jamison Portner.

If New Ulm’s 4×200 were to qualify this year, too, it would be the first time appearing at the State tournament in decades.