It will still be a young squad that tries to return Central College to contender status in men’s cross country, but with a bit more seasoning than a year ago.
Coach Joe Dunham’s relentless recruiting efforts have resulted in bountiful back-to-back hauls but leaves the Dutch with 21 freshmen and sophomores on a 30-man roster. Central, which posted four straight top-two conference finishes from 2012-16, with two league titles, dipped to sixth the past two years. Dunham is convinced Central is on the road back. But two of the returnees, senior Daniel Sunvold of Monroe and sophomore Easton Sabala, were in Central’s varsity top seven and a host of other returnees bring at least some varsity experience. The Dutch do have some upperclassmen who provide Dunham a reassuring presence. Seniors Preston Kizer, Mason Muur and Bryant Seuferer of Milo are serving as co-captains. Central opens the season with the Central Dutch Invitational on Friday, September 6th in Pella.