The Waterloo High School boys track team hit the ground running in Wednesday’s Mississippi Valley Conference track meet. The Bulldogs took third place with a team score of 95, behind Triad (141 points) and Jerseyville (111).

Both WHS senior stars Brendan Duncan and Justin Kretchmer topped the podium in their respective events.

Kretchmer beat his second place opponent by 10 inches in the high jump, taking first with a jump of 6’8”. Kretchmer also took first in the long jump with a jump of 20’11”. The senior came in third in the triple jump and fourth in the 100-meter hurdles behind underclassman and teammate Greyson Moehrs, who took third in the latter event.

Duncan shined in his field events as well. The senior placed first in the discus with a throw of 180 feet and took first in the shot put with a toss of 56’4”.

Waterloo also fared well in its distance events. Cole Rodenberg came in third in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:13.94. He also took third in the 1,600-meter run with his older brother Josh Rodenberg right behind him in fourth. Josh also finished in the top three in the 800-meter run, taking third with a time of 2:00.84.

The WHS boys track team will look to defend its individual state titles in Thursday’s Salem Sectional Meet.

In other WHS track news…

The Waterloo girls track team’s season came to an end last Thursday in the Triad Sectional Meet.

In the largest Class 2A sectional in the state, according to WHS girls track coach Barb Borger, the team had two medal performances.

Freshman standout and rising WHS girls track star Jenna Bivens took third place in the 200-meter run. The Bulldog 4×800-meter relay team of Carly Merritt, Amanda Schreder, and sisters Courtney and Jessi Elder took fifth.