Several local high school cross country runners qualified for sectional meets by virtue of solid finishes on Saturday. 

The Waterloo High School girls cross country squad continued its amazing season with a dominating first place showing at the IHSA Class 2A Highland Regional. 

Cameron Crump placed first overall with a three-mile time of 18:16.60, followed by Bulldog teammates Angelynn Kanyuck in third at 18:29.30, Danielle Mudd in fourth at 18:47.30 and Ava Rau in 10th at 19:53.

Waterloo’s team score of 32 was well ahead of second place Mascoutah.

The WHS boys cross country squad also qualified for this weekend’s sectional with a fourth place team finish at the Highland Regional. 

Austin Corey placed fifth with a time of 15:44.30 and Kyle Kern placed sixth for the ‘Dogs with a time of 15:44.70.

Waterloo’s team score was 96 – just four points more than third place Triad. Civic Memorial won the meet with a team score of 56.

Columbia’s Ethan Hogan will join the WHS boys and girls at Saturday’s Jacksonville Sectional following his fourth place regional run. Hogan, a University of North Carolina commit, ran a time of 15:37, which was just barely behind third place runner Zion Wilkins of Carbondale. 

At the Class 1A Chester Regional, Valmeyer’s Oscar Hoerr placed 20th to qualify for this weekend’s sectional meet.