Not all habits are bad and should be broken.

Just ask Tom Plocker, head coach of the Blue Earth Area girls track and field team.

On Tuesday, the Bucs captured their fourth straight Section 2A True Team title and earned a return trip to the Class A True Team State Meet set for Saturday, May 16, in Stillwater.

The Bucs won the team championship with 656.5 points, well ahead of runner-up New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva with 513.

Plocker says the whole team turned in an excellent performance.

“They exceeded our expectations. I thought it would be a much closer meet than it was,” he says. “In most cases, everyone performed better,”

BEA last year finished second at the State Meet, behind Luverne.

Plocker says he hasn’t had a chance to review the teams that will be competing, but knows that Luverne has earned a bid.

Junior standout Kate Hassing again led the way, setting a school record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.75 to take second. She won the 200 in 27.29 seconds and was also first in the triple jump with a leap of 34-9.5.

The Bucs other individual champion was Lexi Holland in the 100-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 13.52 seconds.

Three of the relays claimed victory.

The 4 x 100 quartet of Meghan Mittelstadt, Annemarie Hoyt, Ashley Olson and Holland were first in 52.77 seconds.

In the 4 x 400, Sara Warmka (64.7), Rylee Wagner (63.7), Krista Hassing (61.4) and Kate Hassing (61.3) passed the baton in 4:11.07 to win the gold medal.

Krista Hassing (2:29.1), Sara Warmka (2:42.6), Mandy Warmka (2:44.9) and LaNay Walker (2:36.9) crossed the finish line in 10:33.44 for a winning time.

The 4 x 200 squad of Mittelstadt (28.4), Hoyt (28.4), Olson (28.8) and Holland (26.8) were clocked in 1:52.22 and earned the silver medal.

In the distance races, Courtney Grandgenett was second in the 1,600-meter run in 5:34.24 and third in the 3,200-meter run, covering the eight laps in 12:34.75.

In the 800-meter run, Krista Hassing won the bronze medal with a time of 2:32.36.

Marissia Hagedorn won silver in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 9-0 and Walker was fourth with a height of 8-6.

Hagedorn also added a fifth-place performance in the 100-high hurdles.

Wagner took home a silver medal in the high jump by going over 4-10, while Sara Warmka and Sydney Ristau turned in bronze-medal efforts in the triple jump (32-7) and shot put (33-3.25), respectively.Team results:

BEA 656.5, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 513, Le Sueur-Henderson 501, Mankato Loyola 491, Minnesota Valley Lutheran 465, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial-Nicollet 452, LeCenter-Cleveland 429, Martin County West 375, Maple River 333, St. Clair 324, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 308, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 236.5.

Other girls results:

100-meter dash: Mittelstadt 14.48, 13th.

200-meter dash: Olson, 28.82, 10th.

400-meter dash: Sara Warmka, 64.18, 7th.

100-meter high hurdles: Caitlynne Tyler, 18.84, 9th.

300-meter low hurdles: Hagedorn, 54.04, 8th; Tyler, 54.80, 12th.

800-meter run: Wagner, 2:36.5, 8th.

3,200-meter run: Mandy Warmka, 12:50.13, 7th.

1,600-meter run: Walker, 5:56.97, 8th.

High jump: Hoyt, 4-2, 15th.

Long jump: Holland, 14-10.5, 6th; Krista Hassing, 14-1.75, 11th.

Shot put: Krieger, 31-1, 7th.

Discus: Hoyt, 84-10.5, 12th; Krieger, 73-2.5, 19th.