Set to travel with the largest contingent of national qualifiers in recent memory, 16 Central College track and field athletes will compete at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships next weekend.
The national meet will be held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina next Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Dutch have 16 individuals qualified across 14 events, with four athletes competing in two events.
A trio of 3,000-meter steeplechase runners headline the women’s qualifiers for Central. Megan Johnson enters with the second-fastest time (10:19.79), Caroline McMartin is third (10:21.45) and Addison Parrott is eighth (10:36.24). McMartin and Johnson will double in the 5,000-meter races, with McMartin qualifying fourth (16:29.11) and Johnson qualifying 14th (16:35.93).
Olivia Bohlen has the seventh best point total in the women’s heptathlon (4,737 points). Abbi Roerdink qualified 12th in the 400-meter dash (55.75 seconds) and Peyton Steffen qualified 12th in the 1500 meters (4:29.05). Roerdink anchors the 4×400-meter relay team that also features Lizzy Van Utrecht, Ava Parkins and Emily McMartin as the No. 12 qualifier (3:48.13).
Noah Jorgenson represents the Central men in two events, qualifying third in the 1500 meters (3:45.40) and 16th in the 800 meters (1:50.17). Freshman Jack Brown enters 12th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:57.40) and Kale Purcell is No. 14 in the triple jump (48-0).
There are four Dutch men in the decathlon field. Gavin Smith comes in No. 7 (6,673 points), Reid Pakkebier is No. 17 (6,482 points), Gage Huyser is No. 19 (6,442 points) and Kale Hobart is No. 21 (6,431 points).
Find the full schedule of events for Central at the National Championships below:
Thursday, May 23 (times are EST):
Noon – men’s decathlon (100-meter dash)
12:30 p.m. – women’s heptathlon (110-meter hurdles)
12:45 a.m. – men’s decathlon (long jump)
1:15 p.m. – women’s heptathlon (high jump)
1:55 p.m. – men’s decathlon (shot put)
2:45 p.m. – men’s decathlon (high jump)
3:10 p.m. – women’s heptathlon (shot put)
5:35 p.n. – women’s 1500 meters (prelims)
5:50 p.m. – men’s 1500 meters (prelims)
4:30 p.m. – women’s heptathlon (200-meter dash)
4:40 p.m. – men’s decathlon (400-meter dash)
7:10 p.m. – women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (prelims)
7:35 p.m. – men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (prelims)
8 p.m. – women’s 4×400-meter relay (prelims)
Friday, May 24 (times are EST):
Noon – men’s decathlon (110-meter hurdles)
12:45 p.m. – men’s decathlon (discus throw)
1:30 p.m. – women’s heptathlon (long jump)
2 p.m. – men’s decathlon (pole vault)
2:15 p.m. – women’s heptathlon (javelin throw)
4:45 p.m. – men’s decathlon (javelin throw)
4:45 p.m. – women’s heptathlon (800 meters)
5 p.m. – women’s 400-meter dash (prelims)
6:15 p.m. – men’s 800 meters (prelims)
6:30 p.m. – men’s decathlon (1500 meters)
7 p.m. – men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (finals)
7:15 p.m. – women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase (finals)
Saturday, May 25 (times are EST):
1 p.m. – men’s triple jump (prelims and finals)
4:25 p.m. – women’s 1500 meters (finals)
4:35 p.m. – men’s 1500 meters (finals)
6 p.m. – men’s 800 meters (finals)
5:10 p.m. – women’s 400-meter dash (finals)
7 p.m. – women’s 5,000-meter run
7:50 p.m. – women’s 4×400-meter relay (finals)