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Relay connection wins it for Lincoln-Sudbury
(From left) Arianna Gervais, Marie Nevils, and Nicole Kerrigan watch as Ariel Keklak went all out after Lincoln-Sudbury won the 4 x 800 relay. (Winslow Townson for The Globe)
By Michael McMahon
Globe Correspondent

Lincoln-Sudbury coach Henry Phelan knew Saturday’s All-State championships at the Reggie Lewis Center would come down to the relays.

His team pulled through.

The Warriors clinched the title with a win in the 4 x 800 relay and a second-place finish in the 4 x 400 relay, finishing with 37 points and holding off a surging Lexington team that finished with 31 points. Combined with the Concord-Carlisle boys, it was a state title sweep for the Dual County League.

“We expected it to come down to that, but it’s still hard, waiting around having too much time on your hands,’’ said Phelan. “But the girls did what they needed to do. They knew what was at stake and had a great day.’’

Heading into the final event, the 4 x 400 relay, L-S needed to place at least sixth to hold off the Minutemen. The Warrior relay team of Clara Bisson, Katherin Malone, Milly O’Brien and Alexa Babick did better than that, placing second at 4 minutes 36 seconds to clinch the title.

“It was a pretty tense couple of minutes watching the 4 x 400,’’ said Ariel Keklak, who was a part of the victorious 4 x 800 relay along with Babick, Meghan Garrett, and Nicole Kerrigan. “We knew we just needed to finish around fifth to get enough points, but you just don’t know until the end.’’

“We just told them to run their race and everything else will fall into place,’’ added Phelan. “You can’t control other heats or other runners, you can just try your best and they did just that.’’

Keklak was also a winner in the 1,000, coming in at 2:46.98.

“I was pretty relieved,’’ said Keklak. “I just wanted to hang with the pace and kick with maybe 200 or 300 to go.’’

Lexington received a win from Jessica Foley, Jayme Banks, Alexandra Cox, and Melissa Solomon in the 4 x 200 relay (1:45.23). Cox, Foley, Solomon, and Leah Smith also won the 4 x 400 at 3:58.84.

Cambridge finished in third place with 28 points as senior Brianna Duncan won the 300 (39.87) and the long jump (20-¼).

Norton’s Brooke-Lynn Williams tied the Massachusetts and New England record in the 55 dash at 6.91 seconds, a mark set by Boston Latin’s Monique Tubbs in 1999.

Needham’s Margie Cullen won the mile (4:54.45) and 2-mile (10:39.51) and Latin Academy’s Ashley Lewis was victorious in the 600 at 1:33.00. Agawam’s Caroline Hitchcock won the high jump at 5 feet 4 inches. Plymouth South’s Madelyn Sessler won the 55 hurdles at 8.45 seconds.