Bohlen makes big leap in women’s pentathlon

PELLA — In a field with six Division I entries, Central College women’s track and field athlete Olivia Bohlen (freshman, Belle Plaine) took second place in the pentathlon at the Wartburg Select Friday.

In the men’s heptathlon, Grant Miller (freshman, Norwalk) is in third and Gavin Smith (freshman, Audubon) is in fifth after four events.

Bohlen ended with 3,130 points, good enough to be top 20 in NCAA Division III so far this season.

“I’m really happy for her,” associate head coach Jim Fuller said. “Her hurdles were a little slow and she was disappointed with that. She just needed to attack the first hurdle a little better. She really finished the last three events strong. She had a two-foot PR in the shot put, a four-inch PR in the long jump and a five-second PR in the 800. It was a much more consistent 800 run by her.”

Miller is sitting at 2,300 points and Smith is at 2,187 points. It’s the first heptathlon for both.

“It was a pretty solid day for both of them,” Fuller said. “It was good to get the freshmen out

there. I think they’ll both do fine on day two tomorrow. They are both good hurdlers and are improving in the pole vault. They are both respectable half-milers as well so the 1,000 should be a good race for them.”

Day two of the heptathlon starts at 9:30 a.m. The field events for the rest of the Wartburg Select

start at 10:30 a.m., with running events to follow at 11:30 a.m.