Another School Record for Central’s McMartin on the Track
A week away from the American Rivers Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, the Central College men’s and women’s track and field squads put in their final marks Saturday at the Liz Wuertz Invitational and saw a vast amount of improvement.
The Dutch were second of eight teams in both the men’s and women’s team standings. The hosts, Wartburg College, took both team crowns. Central did not have a full roster as many of its high jumpers, pole vaulters and multi-event athletes took the week off.
For the third time this season, Caroline McMartin (junior, Pella) broke a school record, this time taking down the program’s mile record. She broke the five-minute barrier and crossed the line at 4:58.61. Megan Johnson (junior, Parkersburg, Aplington-Parkersburg HS) was third in the mile in 5:04.82. Abby Marr (senior, Riceville) won the weight throw with a mark of 57-0. Willa Sickelka (freshman, Primghar, South O’Brien HS) and Emily McMartin (freshman, Pella) went 2-3 in the 200-meter dash in 26.34 and 26.36. McMartin also ran a new personal best in the 60-meter dash preliminaries of 7.92 seconds. Abbi Roerdink (junior, Tiffin, Ohio, Hopewell-Loudon HS) won the 400-meter dash in 1:00.19. She anchored Emily McMartin, Sickela and Abby Gruver (junior, Sully, Lynnville-Sully HS) to a win in the 4×400-meter relay in 4:07.19
Connor Miklos (junior, Lockport, Ill., Providence Catholic HS) cracked Central’s top-10 board in the 60-meter hurdles, taking third in the finals in 8.39 seconds. Adam Sylvia (senior, Rochester, Mass., Old Rochester HS) was the only Dutch male to win an event, taking the mile run in 4:16.28. Theo Baldus (fifth year, St. Ansgar) finished third in the weight throw (53-3) and fourth in the shot put (42-4.75). Noah Erickson (junior, Mount Vernon) added a third-place finish in the 400-meter dash (50.72 seconds).
The indoor league championships start Friday in Storm Lake at 10 a.m. with the women’s pentathlon. The two-day event will carry into Saturday.
Central Holds Off Midland for Men’s Tennis Win
Handing Midland University (Neb.) its first loss of the season, the Central College men’s tennis team did enough for a 5-4 win Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 4-3 with two singles matches remaining against Midland (3-1), Central (2-2) got wins from Matthew Den Adel (senior, Ankeny, Centennial HS) and Alejo Marcon (freshman, Knoxville, Pella Christian HS). Den Adel won 6-3, 6-1 at No. 5 and Marcon was a 6-0, 6-1 winner in the No. 6 slot.
Nick Scott (junior, Fort Benton, Mont., Great Falls Central Catholic HS) gave Central two of its five points by winning 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2 singles and 8-7 (8-6) with Caleb Hamerlinck (senior, Huxley, Ballard HS) at No. 1 doubles.
Den Adel and Trey Melvin (senior, Lawrence, Kan., Free State HS) gave Central its fifth point at No. 2 doubles, winning 8-7 (7-3).
Central has a triangular Friday in South Sioux City, Nebraska against a pair of NAIA teams in Grand View at noon and the host school Morningside at 4 p.m.