NAPOLEON — Friday evening at Charles Buckenmeyer Stadium, the Perrysburg girls track team won its first Northern Lakes League championship since 2015.

The Yellow Jackets scored 169 points to outdistance second place Anthony Wayne (111).

“We’re very excited,” Perrysburg coach Andrea Monheim said, adding that it was a team goal.

“We were hoping so because we seemed to have a very full squad from field events to distance to sprints and all the relays — we have a pretty full team, and they were ready to go.”

Monheim is hoping that this is the beginning of a dynasty — knock on wood.

“It’s a very young team — a bunch of freshmen and sophomores sprinkled with a few juniors and a couple seniors, so we’re hoping to continue our streak for a few years,” Monheim said.

“Especially with the junior high coming up. They also won the junior high NLL meet. We’re looking forward to having that young talent come up and join us. I’m real excited, but not to jinx myself.”

Perrysburg freshman Ava Beeks was a three-time NLL champion, winning the 1600 in 5:12.36 to defeat AW’s Ana Karmol (5:15.35).

Beeks and teammate Natalie Sanders were one-two in the 800, finishing in 2:18.97 and 2:21.55.

“First of all, she is just a fantastic hard worker, and she has just a great positive attitude,” Monheim said.

“She’s amazing, only a freshman, and she was in four events for us, winning the 1600, winning the 800, she was on the winning 4×8 and the 4×4 that was second.”

Boys head coach Matt Gosses, who helps Monheim with the girls program and vice versa, added, “She is going to be one of those transcendent athletes. She just gets better. We saw that in cross country.”

Beeks was joined by Sanders, Avery Ziesloft and Hannah Kersten on the NLL winning 4×800 relay team, which crossed the line at 9:30.64 to beat second place Sylvania Northview (10:04.34) by over 30 seconds.

“They dropped a ton of time, so at 9:30, they were ready to go,” Monheim said. “All four of those were on the state cross country championship so they are bringing that momentum into the track season, and they ready to go down to the state meet for track.”

Kersten won the 3200, finishing in 11:42.9, nearly a minute ahead of any other runner from another school. Kersten’s teammate, AnnaSophia Gower, was second in 12:18.19.

Temperatures had reached the upper 80s, which usually affects distance runners the most.

“It’s great for field events and everything but not for distance. That really zaps them,” Gosses said.

Monheim said that Kersten and Gower handled the heat well.

“It wasn’t actually horrible because the only race you have to worry about the heat is the two-mile (3200) and by then it was a bit cooler,” Monheim said. “The season was so darned cold that we were actually happy for that.”

Ziesloft won the 300 hurdles in 47.69, over one second faster than second place Maria Smithers (Northview), who crossed the finish line in 49.03. Monheim says Ziesloft is at the top of her game.

“She’s on the 4×800 and 4×400 but she won the 300 hurdles. She is such a fantastic, hard worker who played soccer in the fall, so she was not part of that (state cross country championship),” Monheim said.

“But she is part of that group that works well, the distance group. She is so talented — she really is. She moves between the hurdles and the distance. Right now, she is ranked pretty high in the region and I expect (her time) to drop.”

Gosses added, “Avery with the hurdles, she is one of those athletes who just impresses. You can throw her into almost any event and she’s going to be among the top in those events.

“Her hurdling has come such a long way. I know she is still young, but to run 47 in the 300 hurdles, that puts her in a conversation with some of the better athletes in the region,” Gosses continued.

Perrysburg sophomore Maggie Herriman won the shot put with a throw of 32 feet, 1¾ inches, besting Sylvania Southview’s Savannah McCullum (32 feet). Monheim said for a sophomore to win the shot is “very rare.”

“She’s just a great, friendly kid,” Monheim said. “She loves her teammates. She is one who loves to get out there and compete. She loves to throw.”

Northview was third in the team standings with 93 points, followed by Bowling Green (82), Springfield (73), Napoleon (71), Southview (43) and Maumee (20).

The Bobcats had two champions — Maddie O’Dell in the 100 hurdles and Brynn Depinet in the pole vault.

O’Dell finished the hurdles in 16.25, besting Perrysburg’s Ava Kincaid, who was second in 16.54.

Depinet cleared 10 feet, eight inches to outjump second place Sophia Schneider (Anthony Wayne), who cleared 10-4.