Highland Park’s Nordic skiers wrote down their goals at the season’s outset — including team achievements for which they could aim to reach.

“We definitely wrote down one of our huge, unattain …,” Scots junior Hanna Koch said before stopping herself.

No, not unattainable.

“Really hard goals was to get top three,” she said. “So I think we’ve been thinking of that all season.”

But, Koch noted, as the state meet approached, the Scots slightly adjusted expectations.

“It was like, ‘Oh, top five would be so amazing, too,’” she said.

The results, particularly early in the season, didn’t suggest Highland Park was a top-three team. The Scots were certainly good, but top three? They finished in a tie for ninth at the Mesabi East & Giants Ridge Invitational earlier this winter.

Highland Park coach Brad Moening said the staff was thinking sixth place at state would be “solid.”

“I was thinking, in my head, six to eight, somewhere about in there,” he said.

The Scots placed third, capped by a stunning fifth-place finish in the team sprint Thursday by Addie Corbett and Ingrid Haaland.

Duluth East won the team title for the second straight year after winning the team sprint Thursday.

St. Paul Academy — featuring Eleanor Mody and Inga Wing — finished second in the team sprint. Central’s sprint team of Anneliese Lindfors and Teagan O’Keefe placed fourth.

But Highland Park’s sprint team may have been the surprise of the day. The Scots hoped their duo would finish in the top 12.

“Which was crazy,” Moening said. “We were thrilled they got into the finals, and then to get fifth blew our minds.”

The unusually warm conditions this winter led to a shift in format at the state meet. The classic and freestyle races were held Wednesday, meaning everyone was free to watch as only the team sprints were held Thursday. All eyes were on the duos.

“It was just a screamfest,” Moening said. “Everybody is just out there yelling.”

“It was crazy. It was so loud. I could barely hear myself think when I was going up that hill,” Corbett said. “There were people everywhere. It was just loud and amazing. It was so cool. Everyone was there to watch you, and it was just an amazing feeling.”

But what she thought helped the Scots was the lack of expectations or pressure. She and Haaland were focused far less on results and more about having a good time. And the success followed. They observed the other heats and watched the troubles the icy course provided. They adjusted and were careful to avoid potential danger. Highland Park was one of the few teams Thursday to not experience a fall.

It was, Corbett noted, the Scots’ best relay of the season. That it happened at Giants Ridge is no surprise. That’s what the Scots do. They’re at their best when their best is required.

Highland Park has placed in the top three at state in six consecutive seasons. This year’s seniors only know a career in which the Scots conclude the campaign on the podium.

“I think it’s so cool to just be able to do show that we can do that year after year and continue to be a strong team in the state,” said Koch, who placed second in the individual pursuit Wednesday. “It’s just super awesome.”

Moening was asked Thursday how Highland Park manages to peak at the right time each winter. He wasn’t entirely sure. There really wasn’t a predetermined formula this season. Given the unseasonable conditions, the Scots didn’t even ski much this winter. They spent ample time in the weight room or even running. When they did ski, it would be on something like a 400-meter loop, with 400 people on the course.

And yet, come showtime, the Scots again showed out. The standard was again achieved.

“I just think when kids can see success — when they see what is possible — I think the other kids just kind of follow along,” Moening said. “When you kind of get that ball rolling, it just keeps rolling. Because you see what a champion looks like at practice every single day, and then other kids are going to go, ‘Well, that’s what I’ve got to do.’ I just think having that momentum is the real key.”

Corbett echoed that sentiment. When she was a seventh grader, she recalled looking up to the older girls.

“In my dreams, I wanted to be them,” she said. “I wanted to be on that team.”

And on Thursday, she was. Corbett and Haaland were the heroes who others will wish to be in the future.

Koch said the entire team was “so excited” to find out it placed third as a team. The Scots waited until the relay members started to draw near after the conclusion of their race “and then just rushed them” to deliver the news and start the celebration.

“It was an amazing moment to be with everybody,” Koch said.

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“All the years that we’ve been up here, I would say that this was our biggest little upset,” Moening said. “That was not what we expected. Magical is the word I keep thinking of with what happened today.”

BOYS

Brainerd won the boys team sprint title, with Duluth East coming in second and Irondale placing seventh. Wayzata won the overall team title, edging out Duluth East. Stillwater placed fifth in the overall team competition.