Dutch Women Finish Runner-Up at A-R-C Track Championships
Two champions and a laundry list of all-conference performers headlined the Central College women’s track and field team’s second-place finish at the American Rivers Conference Championships Saturday. The Dutch tallied 167 points for its first second-place finish since 2015.
Sage Austin added over 20 feet to her career-best mark in the javelin throw to win the meet, tossing the spear 140 feet, 9 inches. Shayla Greeley was fifth (122-0), Avery Allenstein was sixth (117-8) and Olivia Bohlen was eighth (117-7). Bohlen was also all-conference in the 100-meter hurdles, placing third in 14.33 seconds. Peyton Steffen also defended her 5,000-meter run title in a time of 17 minutes 32.44 seconds. Additionally, she was second in the 1,500-meter race (4:30.18). Maddy Stevens was fourth in the 1,500 meters (4:38.03) and seventh in the 5,000 meters (18:22.86). Kyra Cordes was fifth in the 1,500 meters (4:38.30) and sixth in the 800-meter run (2:18.76). Teah Miller was fourth in the 5,000 meters (18:22.86). Riley Packer and Kelley Duffy (2:22.63) were seventh (2:20.11) and eighth (2:22.63) in the 800 meters, respectively.
The 4×100-meter relay team of Mary Gustason, Ava Parkins, Emily McMartin, and Karlee Warnke was second in 7.29 seconds. The 4×400-meter relay team of Alivia Roerdink, Kennedy Petersen, Olivia Phillips and McMartin was third in 3:51.39. Parkins was second in the 100 meter-dash (12.13 seconds) and third in the 200-meter dash (24.59 seconds). Roerdink was also all-conference in the 400-meter dash, taking third (55.93 seconds). McMartin was fourth in the 200 meters (24.61 seconds) and fifth in the 400 meters (56.85). Gustason was eighth in the 100 meters (12.72 seconds) and Petersen was eighth in the 400 meters (58.05 seconds). In the pole vault, Kylie Meyer was third (10-8.75), Leah Howard was fourth (10-4.75) and Brooklyn Duncan was seventh (9-10.75).
Central Men Third at Conference Track & Field Meet
The Central College men’s track and field team tallied 122.5 points to secure third place at the American Rivers Conference Championships for the first time since 2018 on Saturday.
Jack Brown, the indoor national champion in the mile, won the 1,500-meter race in 3 minutes, 47.80 seconds. Teammate Donovan Card was seventh in 3:55.63. Gunner Meyer had his second individual title of the weekend, setting a championship record in 110-meter hurdles in 13.83. Meyer was the first of four Dutch runners in the final as Gage Huyser finished fifth (14.89), Grant Miller was seventh (15.15) and Zeke Nelson was eighth (15.16). Huyser was the pole vault champion after clearing the bar at 14 feet, 9 inches. Miller earned all-conference honors in the javelin throw, finishing third in 177-7. JT LaFleur was fifth (163-3) and Sam Stoecker was seventh (159-5).
Kael Patterson chipped in a point with his eighth-place effort in the hammer throw (165-3). Coming out of the slower heat of the 4×100-meter relay, Central’s quartet of Jacob Birch, Owen Tomko, Tommy Tavegia, and Lance Bunde finished in third (42.26). In the final event, Elijah Ajiri, Jrake Van Hemert, Jimmy Seeman, and Gabe Feldmann took sixth in the 4×400-meter relay (3:19.73).
Dutch Softball Team Wins Top-Five Road Game
In its final doubleheader of the regular season, the Central College softball team snagged a 4-1 win over No. 4 Washington University – St. Louis (Mo.) on Saturday. The Dutch (29-11) fell in the second game against the Bears 3-2.
The Dutch wasted no time getting on the board with four runs in the opening frame. Hannah Higgins got the scoring started, plating two runs after she reached on an error by the first baseman. Two batters later, Higgins and Sarah Stufflebeam scored on an Addi Starr double. Central went scoreless the rest of the game but a dominant pitching performance from both Peyton Levine and Jadyn Huisman made that a moot point. Levine picked up the win in 4.0 innings of work. She allowed one earned run on two hits and three walks. Huisman also contributed 3.0 innings to the cause, inducing eight groundouts in 11 batters faced.
Levine also worked 6.0 innings of game two, allowing three earned runs to cross on four hits and a walk. In the second game, Central scored both of its runs in the fifth inning, starting with a Huisman RBI fielder’s choice. Pinch runner Ayla Hall then came around to score on an error following a successful steal of third base. The Dutch only had four hits in the game, including another Starr double.
The Dutch earned the fifth seed in the American Rivers Conference tournament, and will play fourth-seeded Loras College in Waverly on Friday.
Dutch Win Baseball Series Against Prairie Wolves
A three-run first inning was all the Central College baseball team needed to beat Nebraska Wesleyan University 5-2 Saturday afternoon.
Central (17-21, 12-12 ARC) finished .500 in league competition for the first time since 2017 with the win Saturday. A first-inning Max Steinlage groundout was followed by a two-run home run by Bryer Wiley to put the Dutch in front early. Steinlage added a solo home run in the fifth inning. Central got an insurance run in the form of a ninth inning sacrifice fly from Stephen Stufflebeam that scored Jackson Torbit after his leadoff triple. Brayden Sawyer was the starting and winning pitcher after scattering eight hits over 6.0 innings, and limiting Nebraska Wesleyan to two earned runs. Wiley had two scoreless innings of relief and Steinlage picked up his second save of the season in a scoreless ninth inning.
Central earned the fifth-seed in the American Rivers Conference tournament, and will take on fourth-seeded Loras College Thursday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.
