Ninth-graders and below on International Falls’ boys and girls track and field teams headed to Grand Rapids last Thursday to compete in the Iron Range Conference’s junior high meet.

In the girls competition, the Broncos placed third in the “Level A Division.”

Grand Rapids won with 148 team points, followed by Hibbing (140), the Falls (135), Mesabi East (66), Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin (50.5), Eveleth-Gilbert (44.5), Chisholm (40) and Virginia (18).

The Bronco girls had three individual first-place finishes.

Seventh-grader Lexi Erickson won the 1600-meter run (5 minutes, 46.63 seconds) and also placed second in the pole vault (6 feet, 6 inches) and fourth in the 800 run (2:43.5).

Freshman Maddie Filipiak finished first the triple jump (28-9.5) and second in the 300 hurdles (53.68).

Eighth-grader Jessie Foreman won the 100 hurdles (17.94) and placed fifth in the 300 hurdles (56.69).

Falls freshman Kylie Skallman placed runner-up in both the shot put (35-3) and discus (77-7).

Another top-three individual finish by the Broncos came from eighth-grader Abby Kostiuk, who placed third in the 400 dash (1:06.84) and added a fifth-place finish in the 200 (30.43).

Other Falls girls finishers in the top eight included:

• Freshman Taylor Hebner, fourth in the triple jump (27-0) and fifth in the 800 run (2:52.23).

• Freshman Anja Silvers, fourth in the discus (76-6) and seventh in the shot put (30-2).

• Eighth-grader Madeline Dahle, fourth in the long jump (12-8.5).

• Freshman Courtney Swanson, sixth in the 100 dash (14.58) and eighth in the 200 (31.04).

The Broncos had two top-three finishes in the four relay events, winning in the 4X200 (1:57.25) and placing third in the 4X100 (56.78).

Falls boys fifth

In the boys competition, the Broncos finished fifth out of eight teams in the “Level A Division.”

Grand Rapids won with 153 team points, followed by Mesabi East (109), Eveleth-Gilbert (107), Hibbing (91), the Falls (87), Virginia (35), Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin (28) and Chisholm (19).

Falls eighth-grader Ethan Phung won the triple jump (32-7), finished third in the long jump (15-11.5) and placed sixth in the high jump (5-2).

The only other top-three individual finish for the Bronco boys came from freshman Gary Harala, who finished third in the shot put (39-11) and also placed seventh in the discus (104-7).

Other Bronco boys finishers in the top eight included:

• Austin Ruport, fourth in the discus (128-8).

• Freshman Cody Tatsak, fourth in the pole vault (8-6) and fifth in both the 110 hurdles (19.91) and 300 hurdles (50.79).

• Eighth-grader Wyatt Helgeson, fifth in both the high jump (5-2) and pole vault (8-6).

• Freshman Eric Mathews, fifth in the 800 run (2:29.76).

• Eighth-grader Peter Griffith, sixth in the 300 hurdles (51.98).

The only top-three finish for the Bronco boys in the four relay events was a third-place finish in the 4X200 (1:56.85).