A surge at the finish for second place in the women’s distance medley relay highlighted a strong opening day for Central College at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday.

Central also got a sixth-place finish in the women’s pentathlon from Olivia Bohlen and advanced Caroline McMartin in the women’s mile and Noah Jorgenson in the men’s mile to Saturday’s final events. With six events completed at the Virginia Beach Sports Center, the Central women stand tied for sixth place in the overall team standings with 11 points. Five Dutch women’s athletes received all-America distinction as Bohlen and the relay placewinners were cited.

After McMartin ran the mile just three hours earlier, the Dutch switched up the order for the distance medley relay, with McMartin taking the shorter 1,200-meter leg to lead off, with Abbi Roerdink running the 400, Peyton Steffen on the 800-meter leg and Megan Johnson switching to the 1,600-meter anchor leg. Johnson emerged from the pack on the final lap and narrowly slid past Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.) and MIT runners at the finish to take second in a school-record shattering 11:34.73.

Bohlen added to Central’s powerful tradition in the multi-events, receiving Central’s fifth all-American award in the pentathlon and first since Mary Gray in 2020. She notched personal bests in four of the five pentathlon events including 9.01 seconds in taking fifth in the 60-meter hurdles. She also recorded PR’s in the high jump (5’1.5”) to take sixth, the shot put (35’8.35”) to finish seventh, and the 800-meter (2:30.83) to take ninth. Bohlen also finished eighth in the long jump at 17’2.75” and finished with 3,493 points, which is also a career best that ranks second on Central’s all-time charts.

McMartin blew past her own school record in the mile yet again, and she was the ninth of 10 qualifiers for Saturday afternoon’s final. McMartin finished the event in 4:48.84, besting her previous mark of 4:52.75. Jorgenson was the No. 3 qualifier in the men’s mile, finishing in 4:08.49. Adam Sylvia was 20th in 4:18.90 and didn’t advance. 

Roerdink failed to advance in the women’s 400 meters, despite placing 12th with a strong time of 57.12 seconds, just 0.11 off her career best. With Roerdink also in the distance medley relay, she was replaced on Central’s 4×400-meter relay team. The unit of Lizzy Van Utrecht, Emily McMartin, Ava Parkins, and Abby Gruver was 11th in 3:53.78 and didn’t advance. Central’s men’s distance medley relay team of Sylvia, Noah Erickson, Jack Brown and Jorgenson placed 12th in 10:20.97. 

In addition to the two finalists in the mile Saturday, the Dutch will have Gunner Meyer competing in the men’s high jump, while Johnson races in the women’s 3,000 meters.