Dutch Men and Women Take Second at Indoor League Track and Field Championships
The Central College men’s and women’s track and field teams each secured runner-up finishes at the American Rivers Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday.
The Dutch men claimed six individual titles en route to scoring 115 points, while the women’s team recorded 149.5 points to record their best finish since 2015.
Kale Purcell, who was named the league’s Men’s Field Events MVP, won the triple jump for the second year in a row (49 feet, 0.75 inches), while Lance Bunde was the high jump champion (6-8). On the track, Gunner Meyer was the 60-meter hurdles champion (7.95), and Jack Brown was also a repeat champion in the mile (4:10.63). Gage Huyser claimed the league’s heptathlon crown by compiling 4,780 points. Huyser gave Central its third title in the last five years in the event. Kyle Rogers won the pole vault title Friday night for Central’s sixth individual champion. Meyer was also the runner-up in the high jump (6-6). Kale Hobart added a third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (8.21) and Landon Pote was third in the heptathlon (4,664 points).
Peyton Steffen was the lone individual champion for the Dutch women, finishing first in the 3,000-meter run (9:53.69). Maddy Stevens finished third in the same race (10:09.51). Steffen was also second in the mile (4:54.53). Olivia Bohlen added a pair of top three individual finishes, taking second in the 60-meter hurdles (8.77 seconds) and third in the high jump (5 feet, 2.25 inches). Bohlen was also the anchor of the runner-up team in the 4×400-meter relay (3:56.57), joined by Alivia Roerdink, Olivia Phillips, and Kennedy Petersen. Emily McMartin and Ava Parkins each had a pair of all-conference efforts in the short sprints. McMartin was second in the 200-meter dash (25.35) and third in the 400-meter dash (57.50). Parkins was third in both the 60-meter dash (7.77) and 200-meter dash (25.35). The 4×800-meter relay team of Breckyn Petersen, Riley Packer, Leah Bontrager and Kelley Duffy took second in 9:36.21.
Central will send a select group of athletes to the Wartburg Final Qualifier next weekend in Waverly.
Siebrecht Headlines Trio of Dutch Men’s Wrestling National Qualifiers
A historic trip to the NCAA Division III Region VI Championships finished Saturday with a trio of Central College men’s wrestlers earning the right to compete at the national meet.
Central finished fourth as a team with 143 points. It’s Central’s first top four finish since 2019. For the first time in the regional era, dating back to 2013, Central had all 10 of its wrestlers finish in the top eight and earn a spot on the podium. The Dutch are also sending three to the NCAA Division III Championships for the first time since 2022.
Cade Siebrecht took the most direct route to the national meet by winning the regional crown at 149 pounds. He won his semifinals match with a 4-1 decision after a late takedown, before picking up a 4-1 sudden victory in the championship bout. Pierre Baldwin started Saturday by suffering his second loss of the season in a 13-4 major decision. He rallied with consecutive technical falls to win the third-place match and secure a return trip to the NCAA meet. At 197 pounds, Sam West was edged in a 4-2 decision in his semifinal match. He rallied to pin his opponent in the consolation semifinal and then punched his ticket with a 4-2 decision.
Both Carter West and Christian Stanek were one win away from a spot at the national meet but were defeated in the third-place matches. Abe Bushong was fifth at 174 pounds and Jamal Neeway was sixth at 285 pounds. CJ Davis, Shane Hanford, and Cole Martin all finished seventh in their respective weight classes.
The NCAA Division III Championships will take place March 13th and 14th at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids.
DeLaPaz Becomes Central Baseball Program’s Home Run King
With a two-run blast in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 11-1 win over Westminster College (Mo.), Central College baseball’s Dom DeLaPaz became the program’s all-time home runs leader.
DeLaPaz’s third home run of the season was also No. 26 of his career, overtaking Colton DeRocher’s previous record of 25 set in 2024. Central (3-4) got a second two-run home run in the game from Max Steinlage. DeLaPaz finished with three hits and three runs scored and Steinlage had two hits. David DiStefano also drove in a pair of runs. Jackson Torbit struck out seven and allowed just one hit and one earned run over in the complete-game win.
In Saturday’s first game, Central lost 9-4 to the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.). Starting pitcher Mark Kenney yielded four earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out a pair. At the plate, DeLaPaz, Nathan Scragg and Stephen Stufflebeam each had two hits. Scragg and Stufflebeam both recorded doubles while Brayden Sawyer added a solo homer in the ninth inning.
Central is back at it today, playing Westminster at 10 a.m. and MSOE at 1 p.m.