HOOKSTOWN, Beaver County — In one respect, it was a fourth-place finish.

But the Mars boys track and field team isn't looking at it that way.

The Planets placed last of the four teams that competed for the WPIAL Class AA team championship Thursday at South Side Beaver High School.

Mars lost to eventual champion South Side Beaver 93-57, to Center 78-72 and to Washington 82-68.

It was the Planets' first appearance at the title meet since placing second in 2001, said Mars coach Joe Cioc.

"We thought before the season that we could end up here," said junior Eric Standish, who helped the 3,200-meter relay squad defeat both Center and South Side Beaver while placing second.

"We had high expectations coming in this year, and getting to this point is certainly an accomplishment," added Standish.

In an individual-dominated sport, it was a team effort that brought the Planets to the district championships.

"It was a great effort by all the boys," said Cioc. "I felt that, if we stayed healthy, we could get to the championships. And here we are."

Though Mars managed no overall first-place finishes, it received solid performances that kept the score close with both Center and Washington.

Joining Standish on the 3,200 relay team were Brandon Stadelmyer, Cody Kier and Derek Workman. The foursome managed a time of 8 minutes, 51.2 seconds.

Ian Mundy's effort of 5 feet, eight inches in the high jump was good enough to top Center and South Side Beaver.

Logan Giger vaulted 11 feet in the pole vault, placing the Planets ahead of Washington and Center in that event.

Bill Bair and Josh Keil tied at 11.6 seconds in the 100 dash, also giving the Planets wins over Washington and Center.

Cioc said the 2006 season could be the beginning of a strong run for the Planets.

"This is a pretty young team we have," he said. "The majority of our points this season came from juniors and sophomores."

Notes: WPIAL champion South Side Beaver defeated Center, the runner-up, by a score of 91.5-58.5. ... The Rams beat Washington 94-56. ... Center claimed second place by taking a 79-71 decision over Washington. ... Mars got to the championships after placing second in Section 6-AA behind Deer Lakes. While the Lancers fell to Washington in the semifinals, Mars was victorious on its home track against Burrell and Shenango.