Central Takes Fourth at National Triathlon Meet
In the program’s second appearance at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships, the Central College women’s triathlon team placed fourth Saturday.
Central totaled 140 points and placed fourth in the 12-team Division III field. North Central College (Ill.) piled up 215 points on its way to a team title. A sprint triathlon includes a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike and a five-kilometer run. The best four entries from each team compile the team score.
Last season, the Dutch were sixth as a team and 34 points out of third. This year Central was only 10 points from third place.
Lindsey Blommers (senior, Pella), who finished 12th a year ago, crossed the line 14th this year in 1 hour, 19.00 minutes. Grace Benson (freshman, Newton) was the second Central competitor to finish, placing 17th in 1:20.25.
Seniors Thea Lunning (Mason City) and Jessica Carithers (senior, Mackinaw, Ill., Deer Creek-Mackinaw HS) were the final two of Central’s four team scorers in 29th and 32nd, respectively. Lunning finished in 1:22.33 and Carithers finished in 1:24.19.
Freshmen Taylor Jones (Knoxville) and Luci Laidlaw (Pella) also made their championships debut, taking 35th in 1:26.36 and 38th in 1:28.11, respectively.
Areyano, Beck Win Titles at Millikin Wrestling Open
Central College wrestling had a pair of individual champions at the Millikin Open Saturday in Brock Beck (junior, 133 pounds, Grinnell) and Rob Areyano (fifth year, 149 pounds, Selma, Calif.). No team scores were kept at the nine-team tournament. A total of 17 wrestlers earned top-six finishes in their respective weight classes.
Areyano was dominant in his first three matches, earning pins in the first period each time. He won the title match in 15-9 decision over Peter McCusker of Millikin.
Beck capped a 3-0 day with a 5-4 decision in the title match against Manny Leija of NCAA Division II school Davenport University (Mich.)
Rheiner Stahlbaum (sophomore, 125 pounds, Johnston), Christian Wilson (senior, 174 pounds, Houston, Texas, Cypress Ridge HS) and Michael Esquivel Jr. (freshman, 285 pounds, Aurora, Ill., Yorkville Christian HS) all reached the title matches before taking second place.
Cael Cox (sophomore, 141 pounds, Ankeny), Austin Roos (sophomore, 174 pounds, Atkins, Benton HS) and Miles Berg (junior, 285 pounds, Indianola) all finished in third place.
The Dutch have a dual at Coe College in Cedar Rapids next Thursday at 7 p.m.
Central Pounds Lawrence for First Men’s Basketball Win
Coach Joe Steinkamp was impressed when he scouted Lawrence University (Wis.) Friday night at the Merrill Thompson Classic. He was even more impressed with what he saw from his Central College men’s basketball team Saturday, which broke into the win column with an 80-43 thumping of Lawrence. It was Steinkamp’s first win as head of the program that he previously served as an assistant.
Central (1-2) streaked to a 21-8 lead in the first 12 minutes, was up 35-23 at intermission, then floored the accelerator with a 15-0 run to put the game on ice in the second half.
Center Joshua Van Gorp (junior, Pella, Pella Christian HS) was a force in the middle with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting along with six rebounds. Guard Kade Terrell (5th-year, Montrose, Colo.) had 15 points, forward Grant Johnson (senior, Waukee, Van Meter HS) had a game-high 10 boards and point guard Drew Edwards (senior, Eden Prairie, Minn.) passed out six assists.
And a team that had some unsteady offensive performances in the early going shot 54.1% from the field.
Central travels to another weekend event, meeting the host school in the Webster University (Mo.) Classic Friday at 8 p.m. in St. Louis, Missouri. The Dutch take on Westminster College (Mo.) Saturday at 1 p.m. at Webster. Central last played Webster in 2015. The teams’ only other meeting was in St. Louis in 2014, with the schools splitting the two games.
Big Third Quarter but Cornell Holds Off Central Women’s Basketball Team
Down by as many as 19 points in the second half, the Central College women’s basketball team clawed its way within four with 1:52 left before Cornell College hung on for a 77-66 win.
Central (1-2) used a 10-0 run that started late in the third quarter to climb back into it and later sliced the lead to 68-64. But Cornell (1-1) answered with a decisive 7-0 run.
Guard Kassidi Steel (junior, New Sharon, North Mahaska HS) had16 points and nine rebounds. Guard Kelsea Hurley (senior, Scottsdale, Ariz., Desert Mountain HS) added 14 points, six boards and three assists while guard Abby Johnson (sophomore, Ankeny) added 12 points.
Neither team shot well, with Cornell hitting 35.7% to Central’s 33.3%. The Dutch were outrebounded 49-45. But Central was playing its third game in five days and those numbers might be a reflection of it, Lonning said.
Central completes its early homestand Wednesday with a 6 p.m. game with Grinnell College. The Pioneers are 0-2 after dropping a 63-46 decision at Nebraska Wesleyan university Saturday and have another game Monday before coming to Pella. Grinnell defeated the Dutch 80-66 at Grinnell last year but Central holds a 14-7 advantage in the series.