Track and field is usually seen more as an individual sport. It is viewed as a pastime where athletes are mainly worried about personal records and accolades instead of the betterment of a group.

The Green Hornets' track team doesn't conform to that ideology.

Emmaus embraces the team effort the sport. The Hornets showcased that a few weeks ago at the league meet by winning the ladies' team title and by having outstanding finishes from their relay teams.

At last week's District 11 Track and Field championships at Blue Mountain High School, Emmaus athletes showed much of the same camaraderie.

The relay teams were dominant on the all-weather track at the Schuylkill League school. The girls' 4x100 relay that broke a school record at leagues with a time of 49.90 on their way to claiming a bronze medal and did much of the same at districts. With a time of 49.72 the team of four juniors (Annae Wetherhold, Chanel Boothman, Amber Blunt and Devyn Hannis) broke its own short-lived school record, finished third in the race and qualified for the state meet in the process.

Waiting for the results to be finalized after a close finish the ladies were sweating it out, unsure if they secured third. After it was confirmed that they did indeed, the school-record holders were ecstatic. An elated Boothman expressed her confidence in the team.

"I knew we had it," she said. "I just knew we were going to be there at the end."

The girls' 4x800 relay team left its mark last week. The group includes junior Ashley Moxey, freshman Katie Bacher, sophomore Jaclyn Reinbold and junior Hanna Brosky. The foursome took third place with a time of 9:43.29. Unfortunately that mark left them out of states as only the top two finishers in each event are guaranteed a spot at states and also any distance, height or time within the qualifying mark advances them.

The Emmaus girls' 4x400 team earned medals after its close race. Wetherhold, sophomore Alyssa Sopko, senior Esther Younger and Brosky combined for a time of 4:03.26. That was good enough for fourth place at districts in 2013, however that time is better than any other Emmaus girls' 4x800 relay since 1986.

Junior Maria Justus also celebrated success on the track. She took bronze in the 100-meter hurdles and will be competing in states as she finished in a qualifying time of 15.46 seconds. Justus also earned a medal with her fourth place finish in the 300 meter hurdles.

Most would consider coming away with two medals and qualifying for states at one's first district meet successful. However, Justus was disappointed she missed states in the 300 hurdles by .24 seconds.

"It's a bummer," she said of taking fourth. "It is going to resonate with me for the next year. Over the summer I am building muscle and coming back stronger next year."

Brosky also collected some hardware. The quick upperclassmen earned two medals from her roles on the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams. She got one moremedal by winning the girls' 800-meter run with a personal record of 2:12.94.

Brosky has nothing, but praise for her coach when talking about taking her second career district gold.

"I really have to thank my coach, coach Shovlen," said Brosky. "I have to thank her for everything. She pushed me through everything harder than anyone else has. I really have to thank her for this."

It wasn't just a girls' night out at districts for Emmaus. Schott Schlegal joined in on the fun.

The junior took a bronze medal in the high jump with a height of 6 feet, 5 inches. That jump was also his personal record. The medal was his first ever as this is his first year as a member of the track and field team.

"I just really didn't jump my best at leagues," said Schlegal. "I only got 5-11 [at leagues]. Today [at districts], I jumped my best and today is when it really counts."

The qualifying athletes' seasons continue at this weekend's PIAA Championship Meet at Shippensburg University. The meet will be held Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25.