The Waterloo Junior High School girls track team repeated as state champions, while a few other locals also enjoyed success at the Southern Illinois Junior High School Athletic Association meets held Saturday. 

The WJHS girls completed an undefeated season with a domination performance at the SIJHSAA Class L state meet in Carterville. 

The Bulldogs also won state last year. 

“This is a special group with great school, parent, and community support,” WJHS girls track head coach Neal West said.

Waterloo was led by Candace Zlatic and Lydia Huffman, who finished with five first place showings between them. 

Zlatic was the state champ in the 100 meter and 200 meter runs as well as the long jump. She placed second in the 400 meter run. 

Huffman was the state champ in both the 800 meter and 1,600 meter runs. In fact, she set a new Class L state meet record in the 1,600 with a time of 5:18.92.

Other notable showings for the Waterloo girls included McKenna Sternau placing third at 100 meters, Addisyn Craig placing second at 800 meters, Leighten Feltmeyer placing sixth at 1,600 meters, Tessa Schultheis placing seventh in the discus, the relay squad of Sternau, Marly Sanders, Mya Jenkins and Alanna Crews placing third in the 4×100 and seventh in the 4×200, and the relay team of Huffman, Crain, Crews and Macie Espenschied placing fourth in the 4×400.

New school records set this season for WJHS girls track were by Huffman at 800 meters (2:24.10) and 1,600 meters (5:08.46), as well as Zlatic with a time of 12.84 seconds at 100 meters.

The WJHS boys track squad placed fourth at state, led by the state champion seventh grade 4×200 relay team of Jackson Dehn, Drew Wegescheide, Caleb Tragesser and Connor Kohl with a school record time of 1:42.37.

Other medalists for the Waterloo boys were Carter Miller (fourth in the 100 meter hurdles, seventh in the long jump), Johnny Stuart (fourth in the 1,600 meter run), Carter Stephens (fourth at 800 meters), Tragesser (eighth at 400 meters), the eighth grade 4×200 relay team of Miller, Nolan Roedl, Noah Whitaker and Titan Tomanovich (fourth with a school record time of 1:40.67), the 4×100 relay team of Whitaker, Tomanovich, Lucas Harmon and Brennyn Kistner (fifth place) and the 4×400 relay squad of Roedl, Tragesser, Sam Beck and Tyler Major (fourth place).

At the SIJHSAA Class S state meet held in Murphysboro, two locals came home as state champions. 

Prairie du Rocher School trackster Adam Walker won the discus with a throw of 155 feet, 2 inches, which broke his own school record he had set at regionals. Walker also placed seventh in the shot put at state with a distance of 41 feet, 3 inches.

Not to be outdone at the Class S meet was Emelia Doerr of Immaculate Conception School in Columbia. 

She tied for first in the high jump with a height of 5 feet, 4 inches, which is a new school record in addition to a Class S state meet record. Doerr also placed second in the long jump with a school record distance of 15 feet, 10.5 inches.

Other notable performances by ICS track at state included Owen Keefe and Kelton Hines placing second and third, respectively, in the 1,600 meter run. Faith Jansen placed 12th in the discus.

For Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School in Waterloo, eighth grader Brexton Poetker placed sixth at state in the 800 meter run and eighth grader Akenna Poetker placed eighth in the long jump.