Continuing their excellence in track and field from high school, three Tulip City-area alumni are making their mark at the collegiate level.

In his final competition before leaving the RedTails program to go Iowa State, Blake Veenstra earned All-American Status in three different events, placing 4th in the Men’s Hammer Throw, 4th in the Shot Put, and 6th in the discus competition at the NJCAA Championships this past weekend. The former Pella Christian standout was an All-American in all three events in 2021 as well. He will move on to compete with the Cyclones in Ames to finish his collegiate career.

Former Pella girls state champion Annika Pingel earned a bid into the NAIA Outdoor Championships. After earning All-American Honors during the indoor season for Doane, Pingel will run the 800 meters this Thursday in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

An NCAA Division III cross country national qualifier in the fall, Pella-native Caroline McMartin is now a national meet qualifier on the track. The former All-State cross country star in green and white and multiple-time state qualifier on the oval, McMartin is the lone Central Dutch women’s representative at the Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Geneva, Ohio. McMartin is the 18th ranked participant in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. She’ll compete this Saturday at 11:30 a.m.