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In the final prep meet of his career, Lemont High School senior Quinton Peterson ensured he would be included among the most successful athletes in Lemont boys’ track and field history. Peterson earned two medals at the 2024 IHSA Class 3A Boys’ Track and Field State Finals, which were contested from May 23-25 at O’Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Peterson placed second in the 110 meter hurdles and was third in the 300 hurdles.
Peterson won preliminary heats at the state finals in both the 110 hurdles (14.18) and 300 hurdles (38.80). His prelim time in the 110 hurdles established a new state best time during the 2024 season. As quick as he was in the prelims, he was even better in the finals, posting new personal best times in both events. His time of 14.11 in the 110 hurdles is the state’s second-fastest time this year, and his 38.00 in the finals of the 300 hurdles not only shaved eight-tenths off his prelim time, but also is the state’s fourth-fastest time in 2024.
Despite Peterson being the team’s only state qualifier, Lemont placed 16th in the team standings.
IHSA Boys' Track and Field Website
Peterson qualified for both the 110 and 300 hurdles events for the second straight year, thanks to his performance at the IHSA Joliet Central Sectional. He won the 110 hurdles (14.27), and eclipsed the IHSA state finals qualifying standard while placing second in the 300 hurdles (39.22). The top two finishers in each of the state’s Class 3A Sectionals advance to the state finals, as do any athletes whose efforts in the preliminaries equal or surpass the designated qualifying marks.
Head coach Dennis Kennedy’s team placed third at the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division Meet. Peterson won both the 110 and 300 hurdles events, and was part of the runner-up 4x200 relay squad.
Peterson became just the third Lemont student-athlete to earn multiple state medals in the same season, joining Bob Politza ‘92 and Nick Bromberek ‘00, the latter of whom did it three straight years (1998-2000).
Bromberek won nine state medals in all, and is the only athlete in program history to reach the state finals four straight years. As the school’s only state finals competitor, Bromberek guided Lemont to a second-place finish at the 2000 IHSA Class AA State Finals, as he won the 200- and 400-meter dash and long jump events, and was second in the 100-meter dash. Chris Thompson ‘16 is the only other Lemont athlete to place among the top two at the state finals, as he finished as the IHSA Class 3A State Runner-Up in the 400-meter dash in 2016.
Lemont’s state medalists also include Bromberek (100 meters - 6th; 200 meters - 8th, Class AA, 1998; 200 meters - 3rd; long jump - 5th; 400 meters - 8th, Class AA, 1999), Politza (200 meters - 6th, Class A, 1992), Thompson (400 meters - 6th, Class 3A, 2015), Andy Rachwalski '09 (pole vault - 6th, Class 2A, 2009), Craig Wolski ‘86 (200 meters - 8th, Class A, 1986), the 4x200 relay (3rd, Class A, 1992), and the 4x800 relay (7th, Class A, 1992).
Bromberek qualified for the state finals in four events in both 1999 and 2000, a mark matched by the 2023 team. Bromberek and David Lehenbauer ‘19 (high jump) are the only athletes in program history to advance to state finals competition in track and field at least three times.
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