The Dutch men’s track and field team provides the #8 moment on our list of the top 10 sports stories at Central College during the 2023-2024 school year, as two athletes claimed top ten finishes at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships May 23rd-25th.

Kicking off the Outdoor Championships for the Central men was the decathlon, where sophomore Gavin Smith led the four Dutch decathletes through the first five events on May 23rd. Smith posted a total of 3,358 points on the first day of action, setting himself up in 14th place going into the second and final day of the decathlon. Smith rose up the leaderboards in the final five events, climbing eight spots to earn a podium finish and first team All-American honors. Smith finished the ten events with 6,808 points, placing him sixth nationally. Smith’s performance marked the fourth All-American effort by a Dutch decathlete since 2018. The Central men added a second top ten finish on the final day of the National Meet on May 25th, as junior Kale Purcell set a school record in the triple jump. Purcell’s leap of 48’ 0.5” on his final preliminary jump set the program’s new high mark, which landed the junior a 10th place finish and second team All-American accolades.

Smith and Purcell’s efforts helped the Central men’s track and field team finish in a tie for 63rd in the National Championship field that featured athletes from 131 schools.