The Mount Vernon boys track team got back on the track last week and qualified a relay for Drake.

At the Benton Community Invitational on Thursday, April 16, the distance medley foursome of Toby Neal, Logan Stanerson, Holden Hlavacek and Dawson Scheil won in 3:32.17, setting a “Blue Standard” time and qualifying for the Drake Relays.

“It was awesome,” Mount Vernon Coach Ryan Whitman said. “They cut 2.5 seconds from the last meet, and no other team was close. Once we got to Dawson in the 800, he was pretty much by himself.”

The 4×800 relay (Chasen Caskey, Hlavacek, Benjamin Brinkmann and Scheil) also placed first in 8:19.49.

Whitman said the times were pretty good for only their third meet of the season. He complimented Landon Johanningmeier and his splits in the 4×200 and 4×400.

Mount Vernon girls’ track was on the outside looking in on qualifying its 4×800 relay for Drake until it ripped off a time of 9:33.74 at the WaHawk Invitational on Thursday, April 16, in Waterloo.

“We had to do it that night,” Mount Vernon Coach Kory Swart said. “We improved our time by seven seconds.”

That foursome includes Cora Smith, Caroline Rupe, Kiersten Swart and Evelyn Moeller. Coach Swart said everyone ran well, but Rupe really pushed it. “She ran an outstanding leg to help make it happen,” Swart said.

Moeller has qualified in the open 800, the 1,500 and 3,000 at Drake. She has the top time in the state in the 1,500 and 3,000.

“Evelyn got the Blue Standard in the 800 at Waterloo,” Swart said.

Cali Whitaker will compete in the 100 and 400 at the Drake Relays, and the Mustangs have four other relays set to run with the 4×800. Mount Vernon will also run in the 4×100, 4×200, 4×400 and sprint medley.

The WaHawk Invite did not include field events, so Lucy Wischmeyer competed at the Benton Bobcat Invitational in Van Horne. She jumped 16 feet, 5 inches, good for second place, but missed out on Drake by a few inches.