Nine all-conference track performers for Central men

Central Dutch Athletics

PELLA — At the Iowa Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships last weekend, the Central College men’s track team had nine athletes earn all-conference honors across eight different events.

All-conference honors are given to the top-three finishers in each individual and relay event.

Central piled up four event champions over the two-day meet. The 4×800-meter relay squad of Taylor Donner (senior, Dubuque), Kyle Pape (junior, Dubuque, Wahlert HS), Preston Kizer (sophomore, Dubuque), and Jon Specht (senior, Dubuque, Hemptead HS) crossed the line first in 7 minutes, 59.50 seconds. Individually, Will Daniels (sophomore, Geneseo, Ill.) won the high jump (6 feet, 9.5 inches), Mark Fairley (senior, Dubuque) ran the fastest mile (4:21.40) and Ryan Kruse (senior, St. Clair, Minn.) compiled the best heptathlon score (4,811 points)

Shot putter Nathan Fitzgerald (senior, Elkader, Central HS) finished runner-up with a toss of 52-3.25. Daniels bagged a silver in the long jump (22-9.25) and a bronze in the 60-meter dash (7.03 seconds). Tanner Johnson (freshman, Gallatin, Mo.) and Kruse tied for third after clearing 13-9.25 in the pole vault.

Pape added a second-place finish in the 800-meter run (1:56.63), with Kizer right behind him in third (1:56.93). A strong closing kick by Specht gave the senior third place in the mile (4:23.79).

As a team, Central finished second with 131 points. The University of Dubuque won the title with 138 points. The Most Valuable Performer awards were given to Dylan Kalinay of Simpson College (Track Events) and Blaze Murfin of Dubuque (Field Events). Dubuque’s coaching staff was named the league’s Staff of the Year.