Central teams back to national track and field top 10
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Both the Central College men’s and women’s track and field teams are back in the top 10 in the most recent edition of the USTFCCCA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Team Rating Index released Tuesday night.
Both programs are at No. 10 on their respective list, the women moving up one spot while the me maintained last week’s position.
Points in the National Team Rating Index are based off placement in the National Descending Order Lists. The higher an athlete sits on the list, the more points he or she adds to his or her team’s total. These points do not reflect placement or scoring at the NCAA Championships but are to show the individuals and teams that have the best chances at scoring well at said meet.
The two Dutch rosters have 28 entries in the top 50 nationally with 10 of them in the top 10.
In the mile, Central’s men are No. 2 and No. 3 nationally. Noah Jorgenson (senior, Sidney) has a qualifying time of 4 four minutes, 2.09 seconds after conversion and Adam Sylvia (fifth year, Rochester, Mass., Old Rochester HS) is at 4:03.37. Jorgenson is also No. 7 in the 800 meters (1:51.25)
The women’s distance medley relay team of Megan Johnson (senior, Parkersburg, Aplington-Parkersburg HS), Addison Parrott (junior, Danville), Peyton Steffen (sophomore, Marion) and Caroline McMartin (senior, Pella) is the No. 3 qualifying unit in 11:41.47. Individually, McMartin is fifth in the mile (4:51.34), seventh in the 5000 meters (16:44.24) and ninth in the 3000 meters (9:41.47). Johnson is fifth individually in the 3000 meters (9:32.08) and sixth in the mile (4:53.05). Women’s pentathlete Olivia Bohlen (sophomore, Belle Plaine) is eighth with a total of 3,394 points.
Washington University – St. Louis (Mo.) and the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse remain atop the women’s and men’s list, respectively.
Central is the highest rated men’s program out of the American Rivers Conference, in front of Loras College (No. 12), Nebraska Wesleyan University (No. 19) and Simpson College (No. 20). On the women’s side, Central is behind Loras (No. 2) and Wartburg (No. 7) but in front of Nebraska Wesleyan (No. 15).
Central is competing in the Liz Wuertz Invitational hosted by Wartburg on Saturday. The distance medley relay teams will run an additional race at The Eagle Open hosted by Wis. – La Crosse on Friday night.
