It was more than just winning medals at the 4A state track-and-field meet.

Friendship and team unity were just as important as the wealth of top-eight medals Inglemoor and Bothell athletes garnered over the three-day event at Mount Tahoma High in Tacoma.

Case and point were the Viking relays that earned a second (girls 4×100) and two fourths (boys 4×100 and girls 4×200). Bolstered by Tess Parent, McKenna Grimsby, Lindsy Johanson, Hannah Stevenson, Kamin Jenkins, Jordan Gray, Todd Raynes and Mark Roetcisoender, the Vikings not only turned heads with their speed, but with their shaved heads (boys) and pink strands dyed in their hair (girls).

For Inglemoor’s Lacey London and Bothell’s Alex Neil, they continued their eight-year friendship by fittingly finishing next to each other in fifth and sixth places, respectively, in Saturday’s 800 final.

The two first met while playing premier soccer for the Northshore-based FC Alliance.

“When we always see each other at meets, it’s like we see each other every day. It’s always fun, nothing has really changed over the years,” London said. “She normally wins or I normally win, it kind of has always gone back and forth. It’s nice to know we’re pretty even.”

Added Neil: “It’s nice to have someone on the track that you know is gonna push you as far as you can go. (At that start, we said) Yeah it’s our last race together it’s gonna be a good time.”

Roetcisoender competed in three events — the 100 and 200 were his others — and enjoyed mingling with Woodinville’s 100 state champ Anthony Nguyen after the Viking finished sixth in that race.

He was often seen checking the scoreboard on the field to track times.

“It’s a good day,” he said with a smile. “We’re doing well.”

Inglemoor’s Becca Berge took fifth in both the 100 and 300 hurdles and smiled with her seventh-place opponent and new buddy on the victory podium after the 300.

“Nobody fell,” said Hayley Lawrence of Bethel as the athletes erupted with laughter.

As for Bothell’s Ashkon Nima, he was pleased with his sixth-place performance in the 800 and running along with a talented batch of athletes.

“It’s a nice little medal right here,” Nima said. “It was fun, good times. Other people make you better, there’s always gonna be someone better than you out there. You don’t know anyone you’re competing with, but after the race, you’re all friends, even though you were fighting for something that everyone wanted.”

Here’s the results from the state finals:

* Inglemoor’s girls finished fourth in the team standings

* Girls triple jump — Parent second (38 feet, 10 inches)

* Girls long jump — Parent third (17-1.25)

* Girls 100 hurdles — Berge fifth (15.48 seconds)

* Girls 4×200 relay — Inglemoor fourth (1:42.93)

* Boys 800 — Nima sixth (1:57.77)

* Girls 800 — London fifth (2:18.70); Neil sixth (2:18.83)

* Girls 300 hurdles — Berge fifth (45.20)

* Boys 100 — Roetcisoender sixth (11.61)

* Boys 4×100 relay — Inglemoor fourth (42.89)

* Girls 4×100 relay — Inglemoor second (48.61)

* Boys 200 — Roetcisoender eighth (22.25)

* Boys pole vault — Inglemoor’s Shamus Mukai fifth (14-0)