The Rebels produced a state track qualifier with a record-setting time Saturday at the Section 2A meet at Mankato West.

John Schuster advanced to the state meet in three events: the 400-meter dash, the 200 and the triple jump.

The USC/A-C boys’ team took ninth place, and the girls’ finished 18th out of 27 teams.

Schuster won the 400 and set a personal record, a new USC/AC record, and a new Section 2A record with a time of 48.91 seconds.

His second-place finish in the 200 also automatically advanced him.

Although Schuster took third in the triple jump, his mark of 43-0 1/2 was better than the standard in that event.

“John had a pretty good day,” said Rebels coach Kent Viesselman. “He’s worked hard for two years, and it showed today.”

The other individual placer for USC/A-C was Cedric Duerpisch. He capped his first year of track with a personal best 42.67 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles to take sixth. He was seeded 9th.

“I wish we had another year with Cedric,” Viesselman said. “Another year, and he would have been among the best hurdlers in the area. Hurdles is not a one year project. He made amazing progress.”

The 4×400-meter relay team of Dallas Olson, Roel Perales, Duerpisch and Schuster, seeded eighth, ran its best time of the season to finish fourth, and the 4×200 team of Perales, Olson, Duerpisch, and Chris Martens, seeded eighth, finished in sixth with its best time of the season.

“I felt both of these relay teams ran very well,” Viesselman said. “Another good performance was turned in by Brian Remington in the 1,600, as he posted a personal best of 4:48.”

The top finisher for Rebels girls’ team was Beth Stevermer, who finished third in the 3,200 and just missed a trip to state.

Linsey Thisius closed out her high school track career with a sixth-place finish in the pole vault. Another bright spot was Caitlyn Klocek’s performance in the 400. Although she failed to place, her time improved. She cut about 2.5 seconds from her time in the last two weeks.

The Class A state track meet will be Friday and Saturday at Hamline University in St. Paul.

Schuster will compete in the first of two flights in the triple jump at 3:30 p.m. Friday. He will run in the first of two heats of the 400 prelims at 5:10 p.m. Friday, and he will compete in the first of three heats of the 200 prelims at 6:10 p.m. Friday.

Finals for the 400 start at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, and finals for the 200 start at 6:35 p.m. Saturday. Times for events are tentative.

Albert Lea did not produce a qualifier for the Class AA state track meet, although the team had multiple third-place finishers.

NRHEG did not produce a qualifier for the Class A state track meet for the first time in 24 years.