Ten winners for Central in home track finale

Central College

PELLA—The Central College track and field squads won 10 events in their final home meet of the season Thursday, including another record-setting performance by Morgan Darrow (junior, Newell, Storm Lake HS) in the hammer throw. No team scores were kept.

Darrow has been assaulting the Central record books this season, having already set the indoor weight throw and previous hammer throw record before breaking it again Thursday with a winning toss of 165 feet, three inches. That performance improves her NCAA-provisional mark and is almost a foot further than her previous best (164-5).

Darrow also took runner-up honors in the shot put with a season’s best mark 43-3, another NCAA qualifying performance. Darrow is currently ranked 12th in the shot put and 15th in the hammer throw in Division III.

“Morgan continues to show she is one of the top throwers in the country,” said coach Joe Dunham. “She’s really improving in the hammer this year.”

Jill Ziskovsky (senior, Dallas Center, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) also staked a claim for an NCAA berth with her performance in the 400 hurdles. Ziskovsky crossed the line in one minutes, 3.56 seconds, good for first place and a provisional qualifying mark. That time is currently ranked 14th in Division III.

Felicia Coleman (sophomore, Houston, Texas, Frank J. Dobie HS) was a double-winner again Thursday, winning both the 100 meters (12.54) and 200 meters (26.27), while also taking second in the 4×100 relay (50.81) along with Rachel Purdy (sophomore, Ankeny), Emily Teas (senior, Indianola), and Ziskovsky. Teas placed third in the 100 meters (12.82) and second in the 200 meters (26.59).

The Dutch swept the 3,000 meters, with Shelby Mendoza (freshman, Norwalk), Sara Crippen (senior, Williamsburg), and Molly Von Holten (senior, Walnut, Ill., Bureau Valley HS) taking the top three spots (10:53.07, 11:02.47, 11:13.94). Megan Stoulil (junior, Pocahontas) and Liz Hasenmiller (junior, Bettendorf, Davenport Assumption HS) both placed second and gained personal bests in the 100 hurdles (15.57) and pole vault (10-6) respectively. Caitlin Wilson (junior, Oakland, Riverside HS) and Morgan Sharp (sophomore, Grinnell) scored a pair of personal bests in the long jump, finishing third (17-1.25) and fourth (17-0) respectively.

“Despite the windy conditions we still had some good performances,” said Dunham. “Morgan Sharp had a great jump in the long jump finals.”

Men sweep 4×400 relay—The Dutch men took the top two spots in their signature running event, the 4×400 relay, with the squad of Ethan Miller (junior, Seymour), Ben Schornack (sophomore, Urbandale), Mitch Wagoner (freshman, Iowa Falls, Iowa Falls-Alden HS), and Kyle Wood (junior, Newton) crossing the line in 3:20.85 and edging Kurtis Brondyke (senior, Clinton), Trevor Veach (junior, Grinnell), Phil Heisterkamp (sophomore, Jefferson, Jefferson-Scranton HS), and Allen Scovel (junior, Runnells, Southeast Polk HS) in 3:21.95.

“We tried to make those teams as even as we could,” said Dunham. “It was a great race. They were close the whole time.”

Earlier in the meet, Veach, Scovel, Wood, and Logan Danko (sophomore, Centerville) won the 4×100 relay (42.0). Wood also won the 200 meters (22.51) with Scovel taking third (22.8) while Wagoner was third in the 100 meters (11.14). Miller won the 110 hurdles (15.36) with Brondyke close behind in third (15.52). Schornack and Austin O’Brien (freshman, Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley HS) were first (4:07.4) and second (4:11.5) respectively in the 1,500 meters, and Andrew Hamer (junior, Murray) took third in the 5,000 meters (15:53.03).

Meanwhile, Matt Graber (senior, Newton) won the shot put again (51-0.75) with an NCAA provisional mark, while Tyler Crouse (junior, Hedrick, Pekin HS) took third in the discus throw (145-11) and hammer throw (163-1). Brondyke was second in the long jump (22-4.25), Jameson Rosien (senior, Norwalk, Washington HS) was third in the javelin (156-7), while Miller was second in the pole vault (14-5.25) and Aaron Fuller (senior, Aberdeen, S.D., Roncalli HS) was third (13-11.25).

“This was a good week for a low-key meet,” said Dunham. “We have some big meets coming up soon that we need to be mentally prepared for.”

Central will return to action next week at the Drake Relays in Des Moines. A partial squad will compete at the multi-event competition Wednesday while the rest of the Dutch squad will travel to the Kip Janvrin Open at Simpson College on Thursday.