The hoops teams still struggled Saturday, it was a big weekend for the wrestlers, and a freshman made her national meet debut to wrap up the fall season…

Hoops Teams Fall in Close Matchups Saturday

Guard Jamel McKnight hit season highs with 24 points and seven assists but the Central College men’s basketball team surrendered a lead early in the second half and tumbled 76-71 to Carroll College Saturday. Central is home Tuesday to meet high-scoring Grinnell College at P.H. Kuyper Gym.

The Dutch women couldn’t sustain a quick start and dropped a 68-54 women’s basketball decision to Augustana College. The Dutch (2-2) aggressively attacked Augustana’s pressure for several quick buckets in taking a 20-15 first-quarter lead. Central concludes a four-game homestand Tuesday with a 6 p.m. game against Westminster College (Mo.) at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium.

Dutch display dominance in dual wrestling tournament

A long flight to Pennsylvania yielded the Central College wrestling team five dual victories and a team championship at the Scotty Wood duals hosted by Muhlenberg College on Saturday. In addition to the trip to Pennsylvania, the Dutch wrestling team sent a contingent of younger wrestlers to the Augsburg-Adidas Invitational hosted by Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the 197-pound silver bracket, freshman Cooper Stigsell won all three matches in his four-man bracket to garner his first collegiate tournament title. Also in silver brackets, Griffen McBride of Pleasantville and Samuel Zook (freshman, Oak Harbor, Wash.) advanced to the title match before losing.

Kruiswyk makes debut at national cross country meet

Amidst a talented field, Central College women’s cross country runner Miranda Kruiswyk made her first appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships on Saturday morning. Kruiswyk crossed the line in 22 minutes, 51.7 seconds on the 6,000-meter course at Lake Breeze Golf Club, finishing 144th in the 279-runner field.