ALLEMAN — There’s a saying that “iron sharpens iron.”

When up against strong competition, the Webster City boys’ track and field team has elevated its performances.

Going up against larger schools, such as Johnston, Dowling Catholic and Ankeny, the Lynx excelled before placing third at the Comet Relays, which took place at Comet Field. Webster City collected 77 points, only finishing behind North Polk’s 169.5 points and Johnston’s 128 points.

Rounding out the top five was Dowling Catholic (67 points) and Ballard (65 points).

The purple and gold saw a pair of gold medals from junior Jaxon Cherry, a lifetime best from senior CJ Hisler, and season best performances from the 4×100-meter relay, 4×200-meter relay, 4×800-meter relay and the Shuttle Hurdle Relay teams.

Cherry won the 100-meter dash with a blazingly fast time of 10.98 seconds, while winning the discus throw with a distance of 141 feet, nine inches. Cherry was the runner-up in the shot put, netting a distance of 49 feet, three inches.

CJ Hisler finished with fourth place finish and a time of 22.98 seconds.

The 4×100-meter relay team — made up of sophomore Jayden Weinzetl, Cherry, junior Keegan Hisler and CJ Hisler — ran to a second place finish and a time of 43.71 seconds. The 4×200-meter squad — consisting of Weinzetl, Keegan Hisler, sophomore Luke Estlund and CJ Hisler — took bronze with a time of 1:35.24.

Also earning bronze was the Shuttle Hurdle Relay team, made up of junior Lincoln Tielke, senior Gabe Rollins, senior Aiden Feltz and freshman Aiden Hrnicek, raced to a time of 1:16. The 4×800-meter relay team, made up of senior Brayden Henely, freshman Carter Mickelson, junior Aiden Rahe and freshman Justin Callahan took fourth with a time of 8:59.74.

According to Chad Hisler, WCHS head boys’ track coach, the stronger competition brought out many favorable results.

“We did a great job, finishing third against a quality field,” Hisler said. “We scored in sprints, hurdles, field and distance. It was a great effort by these guys.”

While Cherry, the Hisler brothers, Weinzetl, Hrincek and Estlund take part in the 113th annual Drake Relays this weekend at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, the Lynx will take part in the Don Howard Track Invitational, set for 4:30 p.m. this past Thursday at Goeppinger Field in Boone.

Results from Boone will be reported in an upcoming edition of the Daily Freeman-Journal.

Alongside Cherry in the 100-meter race was Weinzetl, who took third with a time of 11.23 seconds. Junior Brandon Lahr also competed alongside Cherry in the shot put, netting fifth with a distance of 41 feet, seven inches.

Freshman Cole Nohrenberg participated in the discus throw, as well, placing sixth with a distance of 113 feet, 11 inches.

In the 110-meter hurdles, Tielke took sixth (17.67 seconds), followed by Rollins’ eighth place showing (17.78). The placements flipped in the 400-meter hurdles, as Rollins clocked in a fifth place finish (1:04.69) while Tielke netted seventh (1:07.42).

Callahan captured a sixth place finish in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.91 seconds, and Keegan Hisler settled for seventh in the long jump with a distance of 18 feet, 10.05 inches.

Keegan teamed up with CJ, Weinzetl and Estlund for a seventh place showing in the Sprint Medley (1:40.99), and Hrnicek, junior Josh Griep, junior Jesse Crutcher and senior Tristen Maxwell came in eighth in the Distance Medley (4:21.57).