Central’s Gray wins second pentathlon of season
WAVERLY — Mary Gray (junior, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) won her second pentathlon of the season as the Central College track and field squad opened the Wartburg Select Friday night.
Gray improved her season-best score by 23 points to take the crown with 3,280 points.
“Unfortunately, she didn’t have anyone to run the 800 meters with her,” associate head coach Jim Fuller said. “It’s difficult to go out there and run by yourself. She also threw the shot really well and ran her hurdles better again.”
Freshman Malory Jones (Farfield) was eighth with a total score of 2,268 points. Both Kiki Pingel (junior, Pella) and Krissa Larson (sophomore, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) both competed had incomplete scores. Both athletes have been nursing injuries.
“Kiki is coming back from an injury she had in December,” Fuller said. “We decided ahead of time which events she was going to do. Krissa had a sore leg and I just didn’t see much point in having her run on a sore leg.”
Through the first four events of the men’s heptathlon, Central’s Lucas Heitz (freshman, Adel, ADM HS) is in sixth place with 2,202 points. Simpson’s Sam Adeniyi leads the field with 2,696 points. Nick Thompson (sophomore, Newhall, Benton HS) is in seventh with 2,177 points.
“I think all of them would say they are on the tired side,” Fuller said. “We’ve worked pretty hard the last few weeks and they are a little flat right now.”
Day two of the Wartburg Select continues Saturday morning at 8 a.m. with the completion of the heptathlon.
