Story Links PELLA — Crowing five individual event winners, the Central College men’s and women’s track and field rosters kicked off their season Friday at the Dutch Holiday Preview. There were no team scores among the six schools in attendance. “It was a typical first meet,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “There were some really good […]
PELLA — Crowing five individual event winners, the Central College men’s and women’s track and field rosters kicked off their season Friday at the Dutch Holiday Preview.
There were no team scores among the six schools in attendance.
“It was a typical first meet,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “There were some really good things and some areas we need to improve on. There was some good energy and great effort. It ended up being a better meet than we originally thought which was good.”
The Dutch men swept the top three spots in the 60-meter hurdles. Grant Miller (junior, Norwalk) won in 8.15 seconds in the finals with Gunner Meyer (junior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS) taking second in 8.16 seconds. Meyer had the fastest prelim mark in 8.10 seconds. Reid Pakkebier (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) was third in 8.25
“Gunner’s time is pretty close to being good enough to qualify for the national meet already,” Sturman said. “Grant is right there on the bubble, too.”
Coming off an appearance at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, Derek Webster (senior, Norwalk) won the men’s 3,000-meter race in 8 minutes, 54.34 seconds. Jack Every (freshman, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) was second in 9:00.44.
“Derek was able to maintain some of his strength and fitness coming off an appearance at the national cross country meet,” Sturman said. “Jack had a promising cross country season and carried that into this meet.”
Pole vaulter Kale Hobart (sophomore, Mason City) had a new personal best mark of 12-7.5, taking third.
In the women’s pole vault Amber Vroman (junior, Seneca, Ill.) broke her own indoor school record with a clearance of 11-3.75 and won the event.
Other individual winners for the Dutch women were Olivia Bohlen (junior, Belle Plaine) in the 60-meter hurdles (9.26 seconds) and Teah Miller (sophomore, Iowa Falls, Iowa Falls-Alden HS) in the 3,000 meters (11:07.28)
Sprinters Ava Parkins (sophomore, Monmouth, Ill., Burlington Notre Dame [Iowa] HS) and Emily McMartin (junior, Pella) had a good start to the season in the 60-meter dash. Parkins finished third in 7.95 seconds and McMartin was fourth in 7.97.
“It was a great start for those two,” Sturman said.
A small contingent of Dutch athletes will compete at the Iowa State Holiday Invitational Saturday in Ames.
