All-conference track and field performers abound for Central women
DECORAH — At the American Rivers Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday, the Central College women’s track and field team added six all-conference performances to close out the meet.
Central finished fifth in the team standings with 78 points, Wartburg College won the title with 211. The Dutch were only six points shy of at third-place outing.
Entering the weekend with the conference’s seventh-fastest mark in the 800-meter run, Mari Stein (freshman, Okoboji) stunned the field with a championship run of 2 minutes, 17.42 seconds. Stein finished third in the mile run earlier in the day in 5:08.41. Her time in the 800 is No. 4 all-time at Central.
“She had a phenomenal day,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “It was exciting to see her come back off that mile and drop a four-second PR in the 800.”
Stein later anchored the 4×800-meter relay team to a sixth-place finish (9:50.78) alongside Lauren Coon (freshman, Oskaloosa), Lauren Miller (freshman, Dubuque) and Maddie Soupir (sophomore, Omaha, Neb., Platteview HS).
Kennedy Morris (junior, Earlham) not only won the weight throw title with a mark of 58 feet, 0.25 inches., she also established a new school record.
“She really raised the bar,” Sturman said. “There were four of five athletes that are national caliber and she made her mark. Hopefully she can do it again in a few weeks.”
Holly Forrester (junior, Wamego, Kan., Rock Creek HS) just missed a school record of her own in the triple jump with a leap of 36-9.75, placing second in the league. The school standard was set in 2004 by Kim Wilson at 36-10.5.
“It was a culmination of all the hard work and dedication she’s put into the event,” Sturman said. “The school record is definitely a goal of hers and we keep getting closer and closer.”
After qualifying seventh, Kiki Pingel (junior, Pella) took third in the 55-meter hurdles in 8.54 seconds. High jumper Courtney Kruthoff (junior, Erie, Ill.) cleared a season-best height of 5-4.25 to place third in the high jump.
Pingel led off the 4×400-meter relay team that included Allyson Woods (junior, Milan, Ill., Rockridge HS), Krissa Larson (sophomore, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) and Mary Gray (junior, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) which crossed the line seventh in 4:12.18
Central will send a few athletes to the Wartburg Final Qualifier next Friday and Saturday in Waverly.
