Iroquois’ indoor track team sent a healthy contingent to the annual Yale Invitational January 20 and 21, where the Chiefs in attendance — competing up in the larger division — made the most of their opportunities.

Iroquois’ highlight of the meet came via the boys’ 4x200-meter relay of Matt Ridge, Jeff Hejna, Jeremy Horn and Justin Petrocy. The Chiefs’ foursome took fourth out of the 45 teams competing in the large schools division, for programs coming from schools with over 600 boys, with their school-record time of 1:34.9. The old record, which had stood since 2003, was 1:35.01; the new record time has the foursome currently ranked second in the section for that event.

Iroquois’ Ashley Wiederman, left, tries to chase down the competition during one of the girls’ 1,000-meter run heats in Saturday’s first “Varsity Select” meet at Lancaster. Wiederman finished her heat seventh with a time of 3:55.8. Photo by John NormilePurchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com “We ran in the large schools race because it was in the afternoon, and that worked out better for us with some of the other events we had planned to compete in later in the day,” coach Tom Wood said. “The boys went to Yale wanting to break the school record knowing that it would be a fast track, so it was a big accomplishment and great confidence booster for them to do what they set out to do.”

The girls’ team, meanwhile, saw the 4x200 relay of Madison Roberts, Brooke D’Arcy, Kaleigh Audrey Mariacher and Amanda Rusek turn in its second-quickest time of the year (1:54.65) to place 22nd out of 46 teams in the large-schools race. The 4x800 foursome of Gallagher, Esther Grossman, Hailey Kilian and Marissa Zimmer finished its race in a season-best 10:54.64 to finish 24th overall.

Individually, Grossman placed second in her heat of the 3,000 (11:15.13) in her first-ever attempt at that race, while Kilian took sixth in a different heat with her personal-best time of 11:48.54. Gallagher also posted a personal best time in the event (12:02.50) in yet another heat of the race.

Grossman qualified for sectionals with her time, which was also good for seventh in the section’s most recent standings.

“Esther’s time is probably one of the fastest times I can recall for an Iroquois female at that distance,” Wood said. “It was a nice breakthrough race for her. Esther’s been one of our top distance runners this year.”

This past Saturday at Lancaster, in the first “Varsity Select” meet of the season, Aaron Amo led the way for Iroquois with his seventh place time of 5:04.5 in the 1,600.

Prior to both the “Varsity Select” and Yale meets, Iroquois sent some of the younger members of its squad to compete in the 9-10 Championships, which were held January 16 at Fredonia State College. The Chiefs in attendance showed that the program should be solid for years to come, with multiple top-five efforts recorded on the day.

Amo, an eighth grader, won the freshman boys’ 3,200 (11:16.40) and took fifth in the 1,600 (5:18.7), while fellow eighth grader Sydney Slachetka took fourth in the freshman girls’ high jump (4-foot-4).

The rest of Iroquois’ competitors squared off in the sophomore events, with Grossman picking up Iroquois’ lone win in the girls’ 1,500 (5:31.5) by leading the race from start to finish.

Second-place efforts were recorded by Jeremy Horn (boys’ 55 dash; 7.12 seconds), Kilian (girls’ 3,000; 12:31.8), Roberts (girls’ high jump; 4-8), and the girls’ 4x200 relay (Roberts, Slachetka, Katherine Ackerman and Lauren Jenney; 2:00.6). Madelyn Rupp took third in the girls’ 3,000 (15:47.1), while the girls’ 4x800 relay of Grossman, Kilian, Devin Gallagher and Wendy Neville took fourth (11:47.9).

Fifth-place efforts were recorded by Devin Gallagher (girls’ 600; 2:02.7) and Kenney (girls’ 300; 46.8).

Iroquois returns to action Saturday at Fredonia with the Team Challenge meet.

“We’ve got some goals in mind for the postseason, and we’re working hard at preparing for them with our remaining meets and practices in the regular season,” Wood said. “Our sprinters are doing well under coach (Jeff) Maskulinski, with their endurance particularly picking up as of late. The distance kids are also starting to come around, and our hurdlers are looking like they’re ready to make a breakthrough.”

email: jnadolinski@beenews.com