Local high school track teams are starting to warm up along with the weather, posting more personal records as the season kicks into high gear.

Waterloo High School freshman Makayla Duncan set a new school record in girls track for the discus last Wednesday.

Makayla is the sister of WHS graduate Brendan Duncan, the 2011 Illinois state discus champion. She recorded a throw of 108 feet, one inch at Mascoutah, besting the previous WHS girls record of 105 feet, 10 inches.

Her throw was good for third place last Wednesday.

“She seems to be following in her brother’s footsteps,” Waterloo girls track coach Barb Borger said.

But she wasn’t the only positive for the WHS girls in the nine-team Mascoutah invite. Hannah Finnerty placed first in the 100 meter hurdles, second in the long jump and second in the 300 meter hurdles. Whitney Liefer placed second in the 3200 meter run. Jessie Elder placed second in the 800 meter run. Kyleen May placed third in the 100 meter run and Genna Bougeois placed third in the high jump.

Friday in the 15-team Sparta meet, the WHS girls placed fourth.

“Overall, we had five season bests and 18 personal records,” Borger said.

Duncan placed second in the discus. Bougeois placed second in the high jump, and Elder placed second in the 800 meters.

Liefer placed third in the 1600 meters.

The 4×100 relay team of Malone Wall, May, Kelly Kosydor and Jenna Bivins posted its best time of the season, recording a 52.9.

As for the WHS boys track team, a few runners posted impressive showings in the 14-team Granite City Invite on April 18.

Lance Mueller had a great time in the 3200 meter run, placing second. Cole Rodenberg placed fourth in the same event.

Freshman Noah Hays placed fifth in the 800, Jon Kreher had a personal best in the 200 and Greysan Moehrs had his personal best in the 110 hurdles.

“So far, I think we have had a good season,” WHS boys track coach Larry Huffman said. “Eighty percent of our team is freshmen and sophomores, so we are young and working toward the future.”

Columbia’s track teams recently hosted a meet, with the boys placing second as a team to Sparta and the girls finishing in sixth.

Grant Snow took first in the shot put, and Sean McCarty took first in the 800. Sam Berghofer won the 200 and took second in the 100. Jorge Martinez took second in 110 high hurdles and 300 hurdles. Ethan Snow took second in the high jump and triple jump, while Grant Snow took second in discus. Kristian Avise-Rouse took second in the 3200, Paul McClanahan took second in the pole vault, and the Eagles placed second in the 4×800 and 4×400 relays.

Columbia then won a five-team meet at Dupo, edging past Wood River by six points. Berghofer won the 100 and 200, McCarty won the 800, Grant Snow won the shot put, and  the 4×200, 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams all placed first.

For the girls, Ali Mabus placed first in the 3200, and the 4×800 girls relay team of Mabus, Sierra Madrid, Emily O’Conner and Grace O’Conner placed first.

The CHS boys took third at Sparta on Friday. Grant Snow again won the shot put with a throw of 50 feet, three inches. He also placed second in the discus. McCarty placed second in the 800 meters. Ethan Snow placed second in the high jump.

“I think we are competing well, and we are about where I would expect us to be at this point in the season,” CHS track coach Ernie Kopp said of his team.