Jake Mueller wanted the school record.He had to settle for a district championship instead.Mueller, along with teammates Nick Mueller, Stephon Norwood and Bryce Reash, won the 3,200 relay at Saturday’s Class 3, District 3 meet at Lutheran North.The team finished in 8 minutes, 42.90 seconds, eight seconds off the school record.“We were hoping for that school record today, but the wind got us,” Jake Mueller said. “Hopefully we’ll have some warmer weather next week.”The relay team was one of six sectional-qualifying events for the Wright City boys team.“I’m really excited for them,” Wright City Coach Sue Wright said. “You know when the baton gets in any of their hands, they’re going to go hard.”Jake and Nick Mueller have led the relay all season, and Wright hopes Reash and Norwood can continue their successes on the track, as well.“Stephon is my little question mark because he has the capability, but he doesn’t know it,” Wright said. “He could run a 2:07 or a 2:17. You just hope that day is a 2:07 day.”Wright said Reash has dealt with a pinched nerve in his leg lately, but she expects him to be 100 percent Saturday.“When he gets in that race,” she said, “he just goes.”Along with the relay, Jake Mueller also qualified for the sectional in the 800.He finished second in 2 minutes, 4.8 seconds, just behind Lutheran St. Charles’ Cody Williams.“I don’t think he’s beaten Cody yet, but he’s right there,” Wright said. “He was much closer this last time at districts than he was before. They really push each other.”Kyle Christopher was hardly pushed in the discus, where he won the event with a final toss of 162 feet, 6 inches.He beat the next closest competitor by 26 feet, despite struggling early with the wet conditions.“He was sliding a little bit and he really had to work on his technique in the discus,” Wright City Coach Fred Ross said. “When he had a good technique, he had a really good throw.”Christopher is ranked second in the sectional behind Daniel Lehenbauer of Palmyra, who has a season-best toss of 174 feet, 6 inches.Christopher’s best throw of the season came in the Eastern Missouri Conference meet where he finished at 167 feet, 10 inches to set a school record.“The kid from Palmyra is second or third in the state, so hopefully he’ll have some good competition and that will pick him up,” Ross said.In the shot put, Christopher’s secondary event, he posted a final throw of 42 feet, 5 1/2 inches to finish second and qualify for sectionals.He ranks fifth in the sectionals, but sits one half inch from fourth place.“He’s going to have to really throw in the shot put, but that’s just icing,” Wright said. “He didn’t even think he’d be there at one point. If he throws his best in the shot, he’ll get out without a problem.”Sean McDonald surprised his coaches with qualifying runs in the 110 hurdles (17.75 seconds) and 300 hurdles (44.04 seconds).“I knew he had the capability, he just wasn’t consistent,” Wright said. “I always tell the kids that if they want a good chance to go to state, they should run a distance event or run hurdles because kids don’t want to run hurdles, They just don’t. He didn’t really want to run the 300 hurdles, but he has good technique.”The Wildcats fought the rain early in the week as they searched for practice time, but Wright knew it was too late in the season for drastic changes.“Right now it’s just fine-tuning,” Wright said. “Whatever we work on this week isn’t going to make a difference. It’s understanding the things we have to accomplish, and then going there and doing it.”

Nick Mueller, middle, sets the pace during the 3,200 relay at Saturday's Class 3, District 3 track meet. Wright City won the race in 8 minutes, 42.92 second. Kory Carpenter photo.