Central falls on the road in women’s soccer match
A young Central College women’s soccer team was defeated 2-0 Saturday at the University of Dubuque in an encouraging performance.
The Dutch (1-3-0, 1-3-0 American Rivers Conference) and the Spartans (4-2-1, 2-2-1 conference) played a scoreless match for the first 72 minutes before Dubuque scored the first of its two goals.
“We played almost 75 minutes of great soccer but they were able to get a couple at the end,” Kobylinski said. “Our team shape looked outstanding and we executed well. We feel we are closer today than we were yesterday.”
Dubuque only held a slight advantage in shot attempts (14-11) and corner kicks (3-2)
Offensively, Central had three shots on frame in the first 18 minutes but could not find the back of the net. Midfielder Abby Frey (freshman, Mesa, Ariz., Desert Ridge HS) was responsible for the first two shots on goal and forward Katie Wang (senior, Brooklyn Park, Minn., Park Center HS) had the other.
Freshman Jasmyn Bush (La Porte City, Union HS) made her first start in goal and recorded four saves for the Dutch.
Kobylinski was pleased with the backline of Maddi Fisher (freshman, Marion, Linn-Mar HS), Alyssa Knuth (sophomore, St. Joseph, Mich.), Syd Canney (junior, Adel, ADM HS) and Bridget Lynch (sophomore, Northglenn, Colo., Jefferson Academy).
“They were all tremendous,” he said.
The Dutch host Nebraska Wesleyan University on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
“I’m still really excited with what this team can do,” Kobylinski said. “Hopefully, we can put together a full 90 minutes on Tuesday.”

Central breaks away for spring football win
Central College use a 21-point third quarter to roll up a 37-19 football victory at Nebraska Wesleyan University Saturday.
It was the last official game of the spring mini-season and leaves the Dutch 2-0 heading into next Saturday’s season-ending scrimmage with Buena Vista University.
Central led by as many as 24 points in the second half, but coach Jeff McMartin cited an early play as a game-changer. Nebraska Wesleyan broke on top with a 20-yard scoring pass at the 7:26 mark of the first quarter but the Dutch blocked the extra point and it bounced into the hands of cornerback Benjamin Crist (sophomore, Elizabeth, Ill., River Ridge HS) who raced the length of the field to cut the advantage to 6-2. Crist, who also nabbed his first career interception, is the first player in Central history to notch the unorthodox two-point score.
“The blocked extra point was really big from a momentum standpoint,” McMartin said. “It’s interesting, those things really matter, you know, not only did you stop a point but you scored. Then you score a touchdown and it’s a three-point game and you don’t even have to worry about going for two.”
American Rivers all-conference quarterback Blaine Hawkins (senior, Ankeny) operated with his usual efficiency, completing 22 of 33 passes for 235 yards and two scores, while also running for a touchdown, although game statistics are unofficial and under review.
“Offensively, there were times we were just clicking on all cylinders,” McMartin said. “There were just a few things that slowed us up but we’ll get better from that and I thought we executed really well. Our offensive line got more experience and did a very good job and I was really happy with our protections.”
Junior wide receiver Hayden Vroom (Pella, Pella Christian HS) had six catches for 67 yards while freshman Logan Mont (Aurora, Ill., West Aurora HS) made six receptions for 60 yards and a score. Senior wide receiver Erik Knaack (Reinbeck, Gladbrook-Reinbeck HS) had four catches for 66 yards.
The Dutch rushed for 220 yards with Mont carrying five times for 66 yards and a TD while running back Isaiah Walk (sophomore, Buffalo Center, North Iowa HS) churned out 57 yards on 14 carries.
“I thought our running backs ran the ball really hard,” McMartin said. “Isaiah Walk, especially in the third quarter, just wouldn’t go down.”
Nebraska Wesleyan completed 27 of 50 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns but limited the Prairie Wolves to 62 rushing yards on 29 carries.
“I thought our defense did a great job,” McMartin said. “We got some big stops and we did good things on special teams, too. We kicked it off really well and our coverage was good.”
Free safety Brayden Egli (junior, Saint Charles, Interstate 35 HS) and defensive end Cody Wonderlich (senior, Pleasant Hill, Southeast Polk HS) each made nine tackles while freshman linebacker Josh Van Gysel (Anthem, Ariz., Boulder Creek HS) had seven stops. Defensive lineman Blade Durbala (senior, Blairstown, Benton HS) had 1.5 sacks.
After taking a 16-6 first-quarter lead, Central saw the margin dwindle to 16-13 at intermission before breaking the game open in the third quarter. Nebraska Wesleyan got its final points with just 31 seconds left in the game.
The scrimmage with Buena Vista starts at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium. No statistics will be kept. But McMartin said it will be a beneficial outing for the Dutch.
“We’re going to take a look at a lot of our younger guys and guys who didn’t get a lot of reps today,” he said. “We’ll really work to continue to build depth and continue to improve.”
While many of the Dutch seniors will take advantage of the NCAA’s offer of an additional season of eligibility and return in the fall, McMartin said the team will honor those that are completing their collegiate careers this spring.
“We want to send them off the right way,” he said. “Let them play one more time in front of the fans on the Central field.”
McMartin also saluted his squad for getting through the spring season COVID-free.
“I’m really proud of this football team,” he said. “We’ve been tested every week and we’ve not had one guy test positive this spring. It shows these guys try to do the right thing. They care about each other enough to be smart and to make good choices to stay on the field.
“I also want to credit our athletic training staff. They’ve done a really good job of keeping our guys educated and doing all that testing. That takes a lot of time out of their schedule and I appreciate all the hard work they do to help us get through the spring.”

Central women’s golf squad battles rain in Illinois
Enduring a soggy afternoon, the Central College women’s golf team emerged in sixth place after the opening round of the nine-team, 36-hole Illinois Wesleyan Invitational Saturday.
Competing at the at the par-72 Ironwood Golf Course, the Dutch had some costly closing holes after an encouraging start, said coach Tabitha Schumacher.
Central stands at 353, seven shots ahead of American Rivers rival Luther College. Rose-Hulman (Ind.) leads by a comfortable 14 shots at 321.
Delaney Underwood (sophomore, Mitchellville, Colfax-Mingo HS) is tied for eighth individually at 82. Mackenzie Biggs (freshman, Bloomington, Ill., Normal HS) rebounded after some uneven opening holes to card 88 while playing near her hometown, Avery Woods (freshman, Long Grove, North Scott HS) shot 90, Peyton Bytnar (freshman, Bettendorf) had 93 and Whitney Anderson (sophomore, Sioux Rapids, Sioux Central HS) shot 101.
“The first nine we played really well and we were as high as second place, which is good because this is a really deep field,” Schumacher said. “But we definitely struggled with bigger numbers towards the end of the round.
“We’re one shot below our average but a lot of the players came in a little disappointed.”
For one of the only times this spring, the Dutch didn’t have to navigate high winds but were pelted with showers at a couple of points.
“Every player was drenched,” Schumacher said.
While more rain is anticipated Sunday, the Dutch remain optimistic.
“I’m proud of the work we’re putting in,” Schumacher said. “The front nine showed we can compete with these teams. But we have to finish.”

Short-handed Central men’s soccer team loses at Dubuque
Missing a trio of its opening-day starters, the Central College men’s soccer team dropped a 2-0 match Saturday at the University of Dubuque.
The Dutch (1-2-1, 1-2-1 American Rivers Conference) played Saturday without starting midfielders Zach Worster (freshman, Saint Peters, Mo, Saint Dominic HS) and Jake Dzarnowski (junior, Wheaton, Ill., North HS) and left back Joel Collett (senior, Walford, Cedar Rapids Prairie HS) against the Spartans (3-1-1, 3-1-1 conference).
“Were in a situation where we’re giving time to a lot of different players,” coach Garry Laidlaw said. “I think it will serve them well down the road with the opportunities they are getting now.
“We’re just happy to be playing soccer this spring but we’ve still got to get better in certain areas.”
Laidlaw was pleased with his team’s first 45 minutes.
“We played one of our best first halves of the season,” he said. “We’ve been struggling out of the gate. I thought we played some good stuff. Brant Mueller (junior, defender, Bettendorf) had a header hit the bar off a cross and Dustin Harris (junior, forward, Bettendorf) had a shot stopped off the line by one of their defenders.”
Harris had both of Central’s shots on goals.
“I thought it was his best game for us so far,” Laidlaw said.
Laidlaw also cited the performance of Michael Handel and Gabe Wilson.
“Michael was excellent today,” he said. “Gabe continues to be a strong performer for us as a freshman.”
Goalkeeper John Foster (Lee’s Summit, Mo., North HS) made nine saves.
Central hosts Nebraska Wesleyan University Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Dutch women take second at Dubuque track meet
The Central College women’s track and field piled up points in the field events to gain a runner-up finish at the Spartan Invitational Saturday.
The Dutch were second with 122.5 team points. Dubuque was the team champion with 230 points to best the 11-team field.
The weather did not cooperate again this weekend for the Dutch as the conditions were cold and windy again while adding rain.
“It definitely wasn’t the best weather,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “But we did a good job competing. We were up against some good teams like Dubuque and Wisconsin-Whitewater.”
Central had three of the top-four finishers in the javelin throw, led by junior Krissa Larson’s (junior, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) winning toss of 106 feet, 11 inches. Morgan Gallentine (freshman, Webster City) was third (100-1) and Sydney Burgardt (junior, Britt, West Hancock HS) was fourth (95-6). Larson was also sixth in the long jump (16-9.25).
“I’m very happy with how Krissa performed today,” Sturman said. “Given the conditions, sometimes marks and times go out the window and we just compete for place.”
Elsie Thoreson (freshman, Pella) was the 400-meter hurdle champion in 1:07.68. Thoreson ran the third leg of the all-freshman runner-up 4×400-meter relay team and was joined by Abby Gruver (Sully, Lynnville-Sully HS), Abbi Roerdink (Tiffin, Ohio, Hopewell-Loudon HS) and Hadyn Miller (Iowa Falls, Iowa Falls-Alden HS) to clock a time of 4:14.65. Miller was also second in the 400-meter dash (1:02.00)
“I was very happy with how Hayden ran in the open,” Sturman said. “Elsie ran well in the hurdles. She showed a lot of improvement from last week. Everyone was tired and cold for the relay at the end of the meet, but it was good from them to build on their camaraderie and mentally push through the elements.”
Kennedy Morris (senior, Earlham) was fourth in the hammer throw (153-10) and Abby Marr (sophomore, Riceville) was sixth (142-10). Marr was also seventh in the shot put (34-11.25).
Holly Forrester (senior, Manhattan, Kan., Rock Creek HS) was second in the triple jump (35-10) and Yuan Bank (junior, Littleton, Colo., Heritage HS) was third (35-6). MacKenzie Kruse (sophomore, St. Clair, Minn.) was fifth in the high jump (4-8.25) and Cali Coffman (sophomore, Leawood, Kan., Blue Valley HS) was sixth in the pole vault (9-8)
In the 800-meter run, Megan Johnson (freshman, Parkersburg, Aplington-Parkersburg HS) was fourth (2:33.65) and Lauren Miller (sophomore, Dubuque) was eighth (2:41.16). Lindsey Davidson (freshman, Northwood, Northwood-Kensett HS) was fifth in the 1,500-meter run (5:23.91) and Layken Bytnar (freshman, Bettendorf) was eighth (5:28.20).
MID-DISTANCE RUNS AT WARTBURG – A handful of Central’s mid-distance runners competed at the Wartburg Outdoor Select Saturday. Mari Stein (sophomore, Okoboji HS) swept the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs in 2:26.76 and 4:53.10, respectively. Caroline McMartin (freshman, Pella) was second in both the 800 (2:26.99) and 1,500 (4:55.69). Alyssa Mayhew (freshman, North Aurora, Ill., West Aurora HS) was sixth in the 800 (2:34.68).
Next weekend, Central will have athletes entered in the William Penn Invitational next Friday and the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic in Crete, Nebraska Thursday-Saturday.

Central men show progress at Spartan track invitational
The Central College men’s track and field team took steps forward Saturday with a third-place effort at the Spartan Invitational in Dubuque.
The Dutch tallied 140 points to finish third out of 10 teams. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater won the team title with 209.5 points.
“The times and marks weren’t necessarily where we want them but for most of the team they were improvements from last week,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “Given the tough weather conditions, we were pretty happy with that.
Carter Tryon (junior, Winterset) bagged the 400-meter hurdle title with a time of 57.07 seconds. Brayden Harris (freshman, Eldora, South Hardin HS) was fourth in 1:06.29.
“He’s learning a new step pattern and it takes a little time to build some confidence,” Sturman said. “He’s ready to run fast.”
High jumpers Sam Beatty (sophomore, Mount Pleasant) and Drake Lewis (junior, Lathrop, Mo.) placed second and third with clearances of 6-8.75 and 6-4.75, respectively.
“Sam is like a freshman since he didn’t have an outdoor season last year after basketball,” Sturman said. “This was only his third collegiate meet. It’s been good to have some time to practice with him and see him develop.”
Joe Stein (freshman, Milford, Spirit Lake HS) took first in the 100-meter dash finals, crossing the line in 10.92 seconds. He was third in the 200-meter dash (22.88 seconds).
In the 1,500-meter run Adam Sylvia (sophomore, Boston, Mass., Old Rochester HS) was second (4:12.88) and Nate Sanders (senior, Waukee) was eighth (4:17.92)
Tanner Johnson (senior, Gallatin, Mo.) had a pair of top-four finishes, getting second in the javelin throw (151-11) and fourth in the pole vault (14-11). Luke Pavlat (junior, Pella) was third in the javelin throw (134-6).
Central’s 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relay teams both placed third. Jonathan Bossou (sophomore, Ottumwa), Brock Lewis (junior, Lathrop, Mo.), Jacob Dick (junior, Winterset) and Nolan Reynolds (sophomore, Montezuma) finished the 4×100 in 43.95 seconds. Danny Devenuto (junior, Plainfield, Ill., North HS), Reynolds, Harris and Tryon completed the 4×400 in 3:37.99. Reynolds added a fourth-place effort in the 400-meter dash (51.92 seconds).
Brock Lewis was second in the triple jump (46-3.25) and Devenuto was seventh (40-2.25). Devenuto was second in the 100-meter hurdles (16.16 seconds) and Connor Miklos (freshman, Lockport, Ill., Providence Catholic HS) was third in 16.59 seconds.
Theo Baldus (junior, St. Ansgar) took sixth in the hammer throw (144-1) and shot put (41-0.25) while Thomas Spoehr (junior, Bennington, Neb.) was seventh in the shot put (39-8).
MID-DISTANCE RUNS AT WARTBURG – A handful of Central’s mid-distance runners competed at the Wartburg Outdoor Select Saturday. Will DeHaan (junior, DeWitt, Central DeWitt HS) and Jack Sagan (junior, Riverside, Ill., Riverside-Brookfield HS) were the only placewinners for the men, placing third (1:58:02) and sixth (2:00.56) in the 800-meter run, respectively.
Next weekend, Central will have athletes entered in the William Penn Invitational next Friday and the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic in Crete, Nebraska Thursday-Saturday.

Dutch split conference men’s tennis doubleheader
The Central College men’s tennis team swept past Buena Vista University 9-0 after losing to Coe College 7-2 in the first match of the day Saturday.
Central (2-2, 2-2 American Rivers Conference) ran its winning streak over the Beavers (1-4, 1-3 conference) to 37 straight, dating back to 1975. The Kohawks improved their season record 12-1 (6-0 conference) after also beating Buena Vista 9-0.
On Senior Day, three seniors won in singles against the Beavers. William Isiminger (North Aurora, Ill., West Aurora HS) won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 1, David Boschma (Olathe, Kan., Northwest HS) won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2 and Ethan St. John (Crystal Lake, Ill., Central HS) won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5 singles.
“Today was a great way to honor our seniors,” Ferrell said. “They played hard and made a lot of shots.”
The four-member senior class for the Dutch all got at least one victory Saturday as Joe Roberts (Lake-in-the-Hills, Ill. Huntley HS) made his varsity debut at No. 3 doubles against Buena Vista, winning 8-2 with St. John.
“Joe has been the ultimate team player,” Ferrell said. “Him and Ethan did a great job. When you get a player like Joe, you want to reward him for being such a great teammate.”
Trey Melvin (sophomore, Lawrence, Kan., Free State HS) was only the only singles player to go 2-0 for the Dutch, winning 6-2, 6-2 against Coe and 6-0, 6-0 against Buena Vista in the No. 6 slot.
Central travels to Wartburg Thursday for a 4 p.m. match.

Central baseball squad scores 21 runs in 18 innings Saturday
The Central College baseball team piled up a 14-3 win in the opener against Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) before stumbling in a 10-7 loss in the nightcap.
The 14-run outburst against the Vikings (2-9) in the opener was the most for the Dutch (6-12) this season. Third baseman Quinn Miller (junior, Cedar Rapids, Xavier HS) was 3-for-4 at the plate while shortstop Kyle Hauser (senior, Poplar Grove, Ill., Belvidere North HS) was 2-for-3. Right fielder Landon Vander Leest (junior, Pella) added a 2-RBI triple.
“Our bats came alive in game one, which was good to see,” coach Matt Schirm said. “We also took advantage of their mistakes.”
In the doubleheader, catcher Trevor Kimm (senior, Urbandale) was 4-for-9 with 6 RBI, a double and a home run.
“Trevor hit very well,” Schirm said. “It was great to see him break out.”
Marcus Wenzel (senior, Chicago, Ill., Luther North College Prep) struck out six in 6.0 innings as a starter in game one to earn his second victory of the season.
Relieve Kurby Vowels (sophomore, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) took the loss in game two after allowing three runs 1.1 innings. Ryan Riddle (senior, Omaha, Neb., Mount Michael HS) got the starting nod and struck out five but walked four and hit two batters. Kyle Wright (senior, Manchester, West Delaware HS) got the final eight outs out of the bullpen and steadied the ship for Central.
“Kyle did well,” Schirm said. “He gave us a chance to come back at the end.”
Central has a four-game series at the University of Dubuque starting Friday at 1 p.m.
“We’re excited to get back into conference play,” Schirm said.

Mistakes doom Central softball team
Wartburg College pounced on some Central College softball miscues as the Dutch were swept 4-0 and 6-4 in American Rivers action Sunday.
Central (4-5 overall, 2-3 conference), which lacks experience at several key spots, at times looked like a squad that has played just five games since Feb. 27 while No. 17-rated Wartburg (19-4 overall, 10-3 conference) lived up to its ranking and strengthened its hold on the league lead.
The teams meet again Monday at 2 p.m. at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex softball field to complete the three-game series, with a junior varsity game to follow. A video stream and live stats can be accessed via the Central athletics website at athletics.central.edu.
The Dutch left themselves little room for error by going scoreless for the day’s first 12 innings. Coach George Wares was quick to credit Wartburg ace Ashley Nelson for some of the early offensive misery. Nelson (6-0) blanked the Dutch on two hits, walking three and striking out three.
“She’s 6-0 and teams are hitting something like .198 against her,” Wares said. “She just locates well and I thought they called a good game against us.”
Sydni Huisman (sophomore, Treynor) pitched 5.1 innings sandwiched around 1.2 innings of relief from Morgan Schaben (sophomore, Portsmouth, Harlan HS). Huisman gave up two earned runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Schaben allowed a run on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Those two combined in the second game as well, alternating five times between designated player and pitcher. Huisman (3-4) was tagged with the loss in both games, giving up two earned runs in the nightcap on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Schaben gave up four runs but none were earned over 4.2 innings, with two hits, three walks and eight strikeouts against a hard-hitting Wartburg lineup.
“I thought our pitchers threw really, really well considering who they’re throwing to, but they didn’t field the ball well and that kept so much going,” Wares said. “We gave them some extra outs.”

However the Dutch showed offensive signs of life as the game wore on, loading the bases in the fifth inning and then scoring twice in both the sixth and seventh. Central closed the gap to 3-2 in the sixth before having a runner tagged out at the plate and nearly wriggled free of a bases-loaded seventh-inning jam before allowing four unearned runs to score that secured the win for Wartburg.
Center fielder Sara Tallman (senior, Pella), as she has so often in her career, came up big. She had one of Central’s two hits in the opener, then went 3-for-3 with a walk in the nightcap and stole two bases on the day.
“She’s just good,” Wares said. “You get to the point where it’s hard to say anything more about her. She catches pretty much everything that’s within range of her and she just has good at-bats. We had a few people who had good at-bats but she’s clearly the leader and a catalyst for us.”
Central also had two hits on the day from catcher Madison Farrington (sophomore, Marshalltown, East Marshall HS) and first baseman Megan Stuhr (freshman, Sigourney).
The Dutch had chances but Wares again credited Wartburg, which capitalized on opportunities while Central didn’t.
“We were unlucky at times but sometimes you create your own bad luck,” he said.
It’s a challenging start to a season-defining week. After having its entire March schedule called off, the Dutch are slated for 11 games in eight days and a win against Wartburg Monday would provide a desperately needed boost.
“With the week we have ahead of us, just for some momentum or confidence or whatever word you want to use, that would be big,” Wares said. “I think the ending of game two has to help us a little bit. But if they come back with Nelson (as starting pitcher), we’ve got to figure something out because we never really threatened much against her.”