Waterloo High School boys track team members Jake Schwartz, Greysan Moehrs, Lance Mueller, Blake Rusteberg, Noah Hays and Cole Rodenberg all advanced to this weekend’s state meet with exceptional performances at the Class 2A Triad Sectional on Thursday.

Schwartz, Mueller, Rusteberg and Hays advanced with a second place sectional run in the 4×800 relay, finishing just behind Cahokia.

Mueller also advanced by virtue of his first place finish in the 1,600 meter run. He ran a time of 4:19.30, which was just four-hundredths of a second faster than the second place finisher from Salem.

Rodenberg took first place in the 3,200 meter run. His time of 9:45.11 was nearly six seconds faster than the second place finisher.

Moehrs advanced with a second place showing in the 110 meter high hurdles.

Waterloo tied for fifth in the 15-team sectional that included state track and field powerhouse Cahokia as well as Harrisburg, Marion, Carbondale, Triad, Mascoutah and others.

The IHSA boys track state meet is Thursday through Saturday, May 28-30, at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Advancing to state in Class 1A was Dupo’s 4×200 meter relay team of Robby Cunningham, Antonio Cozart, Mike Chartrand and Alex Ball, plus Dupo’s Cozart in the 110 meter high hurdles and Red Bud’s Mitchell Hooten in the shot put.

“I am so proud of these guys,” Dupo track coach Kevin Acra said of his state qualifiers. “Alex, Mike and Robby all being seniors — what a way to leave their high school career. They have worked so hard for me. Antonio has been running great and his ceiling is very high and he is just tapping into his potential  at hurdles.”

Girls track at state
Red Bud’s Keri Burmester enjoyed success at the IHSA state girls track meet in Charleston over the weekend. Burmester, who went undefeated in the 3,200 and the 1,600 meter runs all season entering the state meet, placed sixth in the 3,200 and ninth in the 1,600 to earn medals.

Other locals participating at state were Waterloo’s Genna Bourgeois (long jump) and Hannah Finnerty (110 meter high hurdles), Gibault’s Victoria Younge (110 meter high hurdles), Dupo’s Leia Campbell (shot put) and Red Bud’s Rachel Liefer (discus). None of them advanced out of the preliminary round to Saturday’s final.