BUFFALO TWP — Freeport senior Zoe Soilis felt the butterflies flutter so fiercely in her stomach that she feared she’d become ill.

Junior Kylie Shiring’s heart jackhammered.

They huddled together with the other two members of the Freeport 1,600-meter relay team — senior Brenna Kloes and junior Kim Mixon — and tried to calm themselves before the biggest race of the season.

“It all came down to that,” said Soilis, who runs anchor. “I was so nervous, but as soon as the race started and Kimmy got it, I was confident. I wasn’t going to let this slip away.”

Freeport won the race easily, running a season-best time of 4 minutes, 13.1 seconds — more than six seconds better than their previous best — as the Yellowjackets edged Mohawk 79½-70½ Tuesday to advance to the WPIAL Class AA team finals Monday at Baldwin.

Freeport also beat Southmoreland, 102-48, and California, 124½-25½.

It’s the seventh consecutive season that the Yellowjackets’ girls have advanced to the championship meet. The Freeport boys also advanced to the WPIAL team finals with a 94-56 win over Southmoreland and an 89-61 triumph over Riverside.

Kloes ran the first leg of the meet and needed 200 meters to take a lead that was never threatened.

“I didn’t have her until the 200 mark, so I was really nervous,” Kloes said. “I turned around (after passing the baton to Shiring) and I thought she was closer.”

Shiring increased the gap.

“I just saw Brenna coming in and I wanted to do this for them, not just me,” Shiring said. “I just wanted to do this for the seniors because I’d want someone to do that for me when I’m a senior. I just had all the momentum in me and my adrenaline just exploded.”

Mixon said: “It’s always scary (when it comes down to the last event); it always makes you nervous. But I know I can always count on them. They never disappoint. I knew after this race we’d be in a good mood, hopefully.”

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever been in a good mood after running this race,” Kloes added, laughing.

Freeport’s 4x4 advanced to the state meet last season with a best time of 4:12.02. Kloes is the only new addition to that team, replacing graduated Grace Ward. They have spent the season trying to whittle their time down to that mark and finally saw a breakthrough Tuesday.

The quartet now believe they can beat that time and perhaps find a spot on the podium at the end of the month at the PIAA Track and Field Championships in Shippensburg.

“We really wanted to get back to states,” Soilis said. “I knew we had a good shot because the three of us were back and Brenna runs good times all the time, so it was easy putting her in there.”

Freeport boys and girls track and field coach John Gaillot said he was also nervous about the girls fate in this meet.

“They always step up,” Gaillot said. “Mohawk is really strong in a lot of events. We were really worried.”

Zoe Pawlak gave the Yellowjackets plenty of points, winning the shot put, discus and javelin.

Kloes tied with Mohawk’s Aliya Gage in both the 100 and 200 and Mixon won the 800.

Jade Clinton also won the triple jump for Freeport.

The boys had a much easier time of things.

Dylan Hochbein won the 110 hurdles and the long jump and Brandon Hochbein edged his brother in the 300 hurdles and also won the high jump.

It’s the second consecutive trip to the finals for the Yellowjacket boys.

“The boys seem really motivated to finish strong,” Gaillot said. “The Hochbeins, Robby Reichenbaugh, Bobby Jendrejewski and then Austin Kemp coming out and then (Luke) Kennedy, the young kid is really running the hurdles well, Alec Parker and Ian Miller — there’s just so many who have really stepped up.”

Boys

Freeport 94, Southmoreland 56

Freeport 89, Riverside 61

3,200 relay: Freeport (Alec Parker, Johnathan Asay, Kevin Lynch, Rob Reichenbaugh) 8:41.1 110 hurdles: Dylan Hochbein (F) 14.8; 100 dash: Jake Sarver (F) 11.5; 1,600 run: Bickerton (S) 4:41.1; 400 run: Wutzel (R) 53.2; 400 relay: Riverside 46.2; 300 hurdles: Brandon Hochbein (F) 39.4; 800 run: Rob Reichenbaugh (F) 2:02.2; 200 dash: Ruhcic (R) 23.8; 3,200 run: Binkerton (S) 10:10.8; 1,600 relay: Freeport (Ian Miller, Brandon Hochbein, Rob Reichenbaugh, Dylan Hochbein) 3:29.3

Shot put: Fisher (R) 47-1; Discus: Bob Jendrejewski (F) 132-3; Javelin: Hyde (S) 132-7; High jump: B. Hochbein (F) 6-0; Long jump: D. Hochbein 20-7; Triple jump: Fornatio (R) 41-9; Pole vault: Ian Miller (F) 12-0

Girls

Freeport 124½, California 25½

Freeport 79½, Mohawk 70½

Freeport 102, Southmoreland 48

3,200 relay: Freeport (Sarah Lipniskis, Lexi Dell, Maggie Ward, Kim Mixon) 10:04.1; 100 hurdles: Whippo (M) 16.9; 100 dash: Brenna Kloes (F), Gage (M) 13.4; 1,600 run: Farino (S) 5:43.2; 400 run: Farino (S) 1:02.2; 400 relay: Freeport (Kylie Shiring, Brenna Kloes, Zoe Soilis, Kaitlyn Biondo) 52.2; 300 hurdles: McIntosh (C) 49.6; 800 run: Farino (S) 2:27.9; 200 dash: Kloes (F), Gage (M) 27.4; 3,200 run: MClain (M) 12:25; 1,600 relay: Freeport (Brenna Kloes, Kylie Shiring, Kim Mixon, Zoe Soilis) 4:13.1

Shot put: Zoe Pawlak (F) 31-3½; Discus: Pawlak (F) 108-2; Javelin: Pawlak (F) 118-1; High jump: Whippo (M) 4-8; Long jump: Gage (M) 16-7; Triple jump: Jade Clinton (F) 33-4; Pole vault: Westcoff (M) 9-0