Following their season where they finished fourth in the Iowa Conference, the Central men’s basketball team picked up first and second team honors in the league. Outgoing senior, Nile Eckermann, was picked to the first team. He made a school-record 74 three’s in the 26 games the Dutch played this year. He averaged just over 15 points per game, good for fourth-best in the IIAC. Eckermann also was selected to the Capital One Academic all-district team. Sophomore Colby Taylor was chosen to the second team. He led the team with 16.4 points per game, in rebounds with over nine, in steals and in assists. Taylor grabbed 21 rebounds against Simpson, the second most in a single-game in school history. Kyle Newendorp received an honorable mention. On the women’s side, Kenzie Vander Molen was picked to the second team. The senior was injured for a majority of the non-conference season, but immediately got to work when the league schedule started in early January. She averaged over 11 points-a-game, and was third in the conference with 3.5 assists per contest. Vander Molen also received the Gary Dirksen Achievement Award for her work on and off the court. The award is given to a player who strives to achieve at a high level on the hardwood and in the classroom, with consideration given to a player’s academic efforts, and attempts to serve in leadership roles on campus through community involvement. Central’s men finished the season 15 – 11, while the women were 10 – 15.

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