It came together fast for four fast girls.

Sycamore’s Anna Anderson, Alana Fix, Layla Janisch and Chloe Shere raced the 4x800-meter relay together for only the fourth time Saturday during the finals of the IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

The third time they competed as a distance foursome was during Friday’s Class 2A preliminaries. The second time was during the Genoa-Kingston Sectional.

“We were trying to see what we could be seeded at, to see if we could even have a shot at being competitive,” Janisch said. “We didn’t even think we could win our sectional, and we won our sectional by a lot [17 seconds. 9:50.21].”

Oh, the Spartans were competitive all right. Janisch and the freshman trio of Anderson, Fix and Shere finished fourth in a personal-best 9:40.22.

“We had no idea really what we could do coming into this, and so it’s really fun,” Janisch said after winning her first state medal. “This was an experiment of finding out what we could do. It’s been incredible, and I think [Anderson, Fix and Shere] are going to keep running some 4x8s next year, so it’s going to be pretty fun for them.”

The lone senior made the Spartans’ postseason run a bunch of fun her young teammates.

“She’s very important to me,“ Shere said of Janisch. ”She’s a very good role model, and I just love her a lot, and I love all of them a lot.”

Sycamore’s 4x800 relay raced on O’Brien Field’s bright blue track in the late morning Saturday, and the temperature (about 70 degrees) was ideal for running.

Could it have been a better start to the day?

“We’ve been seeing some rain clouds pass, but today was just awesome conditions and a great day to race,” Fix said.

“The best part was just coming down with my other two freshmen and a senior,” Anderson said. “I’ve never been downstate before so coming down with all of us and having my first experience be so memorable is really great.”

Sycamore wasn’t done earning state medals. Spartans senior Krista Cobb finished third in the discus (40.61 meters, 133 feet, 3 inches).

Sycamore junior Sydney Fabrizius and Kaneland senior Delainey Baran both cleared 3.45 meters (11 feet, 3.75 inches) in the pole vault, placing fifth and sixth, respectively.

Baran competed in Class 3A last year and didn’t make finals. A former gymnast, she never competed track and field until her sophomore year.

“I love everything about [pole vault],” said Baran, who hopes to continue pole vaulting at the University of Alabama next year. “I just love how different it is.”

Baran competed gymnastics for 15 years. When she stopped, she found a natural alternative.

“I figured, ‘OK, I’m quitting gymnastics, so I got to join track,’ ” Baran said. “And then the pole vault coach grabbed me right away and said, ‘Oh, you did gymnastics? You’re coming to pole vault.’ ”

After all, hurling one’s body high in the air and maneuvering it is what gymnasts and pole vaulters have in common.

“I think it’s body awareness. You know where you’re at in the air,“ Baran said. “I think it comes a little more [natural for gymnasts] than for people who don’t have a background in gymnastics. Yeah, it definitely helps.”