Four events, seven runners and 85 points. That was the formula for another New Town Class B boys state track and field championship a few weeks ago, and helped continue the ongoing dominance of its long distance running dynasty.

The Eagles have won the last three boys state track and field championships and five straight boys cross country titles, including 11 championships in total in the last 13 years. The two programs have combined for 15 state titles in 13 seasons.

With such success, it can be difficult to comprehend that every season there are just a handful of athletes who have helped the Eagles accumulating their hardware. This past season it was a group of seven – two seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman.

While there is a case that could be made that scoring points in just four out of the 19 track and field events — 800, 1600, 3200 and 4×800 relay — shouldn’t be enough to win the state championship, that belief shouldn’t take away from the praise these kids deserve after countless hours of perfecting their craft.

What the New Town runners have accomplished over the last decade and a half is remarkable no matter how you look at. They raced by the rules in place and have been rewarded accordingly. Not to mention long distance running is one of the most grueling and demanding sports around.

Seniors Ryan Wheeling and Chase Hale have graduated with decorated high school careers. Alongside being the 2015 Class B cross country champion, Wheeling walks away from the track with 11 state titles in four seasons (seven individual and four relays).

As for Hale, he finished runner up in the 2016 state cross country meet to teammate junior Jalen Chase and was a part of the last two 4×800 state winning relay teams with countless other Top 10 state finishes sprinkled in.

The 4×800 relay team of Hale, Wheeling, Chase and freshman Robert White broke the state record by over three seconds at the 2017 state meet. The group posted a time of eight minutes and 2.29 seconds to top Standing Rock’s 1991 record of 8:05.76. Second place Enderlin/Maple Valley crossed the finish line 22 seconds later.

That dominance continues right down through the lineup and into the individual events.

Chase broke another state record in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:23.31, as the Eagles took 33 points in the event by going 1-2-3-5-6-7. Six more runners placed (1-3-4-5-7-8) in the mile for 28 points, which was won by Wheeling.

In the 800-meter run, Wheeling defended his state title from 2016 after he had finished runner-up as a sophomore and placed fourth as a freshman. Teammates sophomore Colby Antell and junior Daniel LeBeau slotted into sixth and eighth, respectively, to add to the Eagles’ point total.

One aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked when looking at the success at New Town is how the runners continue to get faster throughout their high school careers. The development and training is apparent in their times over time.

For example, take Chase in the two mile at state. He went from a 9:56.38 as an eighth grader to 9:45.52 as a freshman to 9:40.48 as a sophomore to breaking the state record this year as a junior with 9:23.31.

Or, how about sophomore Jaiven Hale in the same event? Last year as a freshman he took fourth place with a time of 9:51.57, which was a vast improvement as his time as an eighth grader (10:33.88).

There are examples like that throughout New Town’s roster. And that’s why the winning tradition that coach Brian Anderson oversees continues to carry on despite the graduation of talented runners.

It wasn’t that long ago that Patrick Wolf, Jeremy Grinnell, Alex Baker, Scott Hale (and that list goes on and on) were racking up victories and capturing state titles for New Town.

From the outside looking in, there is no end in sight.

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.