The first outdoor meet of the season for the International Falls boys and girls track and field teams took place under sunny skies Thursday when four teams participated in the Bronco Booster Invite at the Falls High School track.
In the girls competition, Grand Rapids won with 134.5 team points, followed by the Falls (80.5), Warroad (49) and Lake of the Woods (8).
Bronco girls head coach Jen Erickson said the home meet ran smoothly, while Grand Rapids had been considered the team to beat.
“They’re really tough,” she said.
In the 14 individual events, Falls had four first-place finishes.
Broncos freshman Savanah Olson won both the shot put — which she threw 35 feet, 10 inches, 7 feet farther than her nearest competitor — and the discus (92-8).
Falls sophomore Amy Auran won the pole vault (8-6), while the head coach’s daughter, seventh-grader Lexi Erickson, placed first in the 1600-meter run in 5 minutes, 50.92 seconds.
Broncos sophomore Lexi Owen placed runner-up in both the 100 hurdles (18.46) and 300 hurdles (51.28).
Falls sophomore sprinter Breanna Shofner finished second in the 200 dash (28.24) and third in the 100 (13.99).
The Broncos’ other individual runner-up finish came from sophomore Jaci Scholler in the triple jump (30-2).
Falls’ Hailey Fentem tied for third place in the high jump (4-10).
In the four relay events, the Bronco girls’ best results were winning the 4X100 relay (54.71) and placing runner-up in the 4X200 relay (1:58.28).
Bronco boys third
The boys competition was also won by Grand Rapids with 155 team points, followed by Warroad (62), the Falls (47) and Lake of the Woods (8).
The Broncos’ Jason Pumper won the triple jump (36-6) and placed runner-up in the high jump (5-8).
“Jason just keeps gaining more confidence with every meet, and he had another good meet (Thursday),” said Falls boys head coach Paul Hjelle.
The Broncos recorded two other individual second-place finishes from Paul Skoglund in the 110 hurdles (19.21) and Logan Veillieux in the 3200 run (11:50.47).
“Paul Skoglund continues to show promise in the highs,” Hjelle said. “Jen Erickson has really taught him the proper technique and he is attacking those hurdles. ...
“It was also good to see our 3200-meter runners pick up some points.”
In the relay events, the best showing by Falls’ boys team was a runner-up finish in the 4x100 relay (49.23) from Alex Henningsen, Jakob Ettestad, Nick Janttie and Cody Hallin.
The Bronco boys and girls teams will be back in action Tuesday at the Lake of the Woods Border State Invite.
