VALENTINE, Neb. - Some Nebraska teens are celebrating after wins at the Middle School Nebraska Championship track and field meet.

In Valentine, a group of girls not only set a school record, but also showed that they can compete with bigger cities.

“That’s what we try to focus on—be the best that we can be,” Eighth grader Danika Janssen said.

Valentine's 4X400 relay team set a new school record of 4:20.4.

“When we realized we broke it by seven seconds, we were amazed," Janssen said. "We didn’t realize we could break it by that many seconds."

The team also made it to state, despite only running together a handful of times.

“The last couple meets before state got canceled due to weather,” Seventh grader Kealy Titus said.

Only the top 16 relay teams in Nebraska get to compete at state—no matter the school or city size. It can be easier for bigger schools, especially with relays to find four elite runners.

“We have to compete against the big towns like Omaha and Lincoln,” Eighth grader Annalena Nelson said. "It can be intimidating."

“Oh, I was so scared,” Titus said.

Valentine was ranked 15th out of 16 teams.

“We all work really hard, so I had a lot of faith in us going into the meet,” Janssen said.

Their goal? Beat 11th place, which is what their relay team placed last year, but that goal obviously wasn’t high enough.

“It was all adrenaline,” Eighth grader Addison Stec said. “I wasn’t thinking. I couldn’t feel anything. I was like, ‘I have to do this for my team.'"

The team won their heat, capturing sixth place and beating much larger schools. It's also first time in Valentine School history to medal at the Middle School State Track Meet.

“We were crying and laughing,” Stec said. "We were so excited."

With most of the girls moving to high school next year, they won’t have a chance to beat the record again, but they’ll always be able say that they put Valentine on the map at the Middle School State Track Meet. 

“We’re a small town, but we have some very good athletes,” Janssen said.

“I love all of these girls,” Nelson said.

News Channel Nebraska did televise the Middle School State Track Meet. You can find results here.