Central track athletes take on Wartburg’s final qualifier

WAVERLY — Making a final effort to improve their stock for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, a handful of student-athletes on the Central College men’s track and field team competed at the Wartburg Qualifier Saturday.

There were no team scores kept as competitors came from 55 different schools. No Central athletes were able to improve their season-best marks.

“Overall, it was a little bit of a frustrating day for everyone,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “They all had high hopes and expectations but it’s a really good meet. Everyone had a great effort and I was really happy with how we competed.”

In the women’s weight throw, Kennedy Morris (junior, Earlham) won the 25-person field with a toss of 56 feet, 2.5 inches. She is likely to qualify for the national meet based on season-best mark of 58-0.25

“Kennedy continues to be consistent,” Sturman said. “She’s hitting good marks and building a lot of confidence.”

Men’s triple jumper Brock Lewis (sophomore, Lathrop, Mo.) was fourth with a leap of 45-11.75. Teammate Jordon Woods (senior, Orland Park, Ill., Carl Sandburg HS) was ninth in 43-6. In the women’s competition, Holly Forrester (junior, Manhattan, Kan., Rock Creek HS) was eighth in 36-0.25

“I’m not sure we were really fully recovered from last week,” Sturman said. “We jumped well but it just wasn’t enough to hit the mark we needed.”

800-meter runners Preston Kizer (senior, Dubuque) and Will DeHaan (sophomore, DeWitt, Central DeWitt HS) were sixth (one minute, 55.42 seconds) and seventh (1:55.61) in the men’s race. On the women’s side, Mari Stein (freshman, Okoboji) was also seventh in 2:17.56.

Emily Burt (senior, Freeport, Ill.) was seventh in the women’s shot put in 43-2.5.

Official qualifiers for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships will be released Sunday night.