Central’s Miller wins league track honor
Central College
PELLA—Central College’s Ethan Miller (junior, Seymour) is the Iowa Conference field event athlete of the week for men’s indoor track and field.
Miller topped the automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Division III Championships on his first jump of the year in the long jump, leaping 23 feet, 11.5 inches at the Wartburg Select meet in Waverly Saturday. It’s the longest jump recorded in Division III this year and assures Miller of a spot at the national meet in Columbus, Ohio March 11-12.
The jump was a personal best and just six inches shy of the school record.
Miller also took first place in the 55-meter hurdles. He matched his personal best of 7.82 seconds in the preliminaries, then won in the finals at 7.91 seconds.
It’s the third time Miller has received league athlete of the week honors. He was the outdoor field event honoree April 5 and May 17 last spring. A three-time all-America honoree, Miller was the conference indoor MVP last year, then shared league outdoor MVP honors with teammate Kurtis Brondyke (senior, Clinton).
Central College men’s golf season outlook
Outlook
The coach is new but the goals are familiar for the tradition-rich Central College men’s golf program.
First-year coach Chad Green brings a burst of youthful energy to the Dutch, who look to build on their 28 Iowa Conference titles and 29 NCAA Division III tournament berths. Central added to both totals last year and tied for 17th nationally under assistant Clint Brown, who served as interim coach prior to Green’s arrival.
The Dutch graduated the top two players from that squad, but several veterans return to lead a deep squad, including four players with NCAA tourney experience. They helped Central record four second-place team finishes in the fall.
Senior Jason Harvey, a team co-captain, is a two-time NCAA tourney participant, tying for 77th last year after sharing 11th place at the league meet. He averaged 77.9 last spring and dropped to 76.5 in the fall.
“Jason’s had a good career and had a great fall season,” Green said, noting Harvey’s first-place finish in a 166-player field at the Dubuque Invitational Sept. 26-27.
Junior Brent Messmore earned all-Iowa Conference honors, finishing seventh in the league tournament, then was 110th at the national meet. After averaging 78.5 last spring, he dropped to 76.7 in the fall.
“Brent’s a steady player,” Green said. “I think he only had two scores about 78 all fall.”
Also back is junior co-captain Brent Goodenow of Johnston. He tied for 20th at the conference tournament and was tied for 100th at the NCAA meet. He averaged 78.6 in the spring and 78.1 last fall.
“Brent’s a good player who is capable of shooting some really low numbers,” Green said.
Central is filling part of the void at the top of the lineup with sophomore transfer Justin Livingston, who quickly established himself as a leader in the fall. He averaged a team-low 75.7 and had two third-place finishes. He carded a season-low 68 in the opening round of the highly competitive Twin Cities Classic Oct. 9.
Junior Travis Havens ranked fourth in the fall season with a 77.0 average after a 77.8 mark last spring. He tied for seventh in the William Penn Fall Classic and had three 12th-place finishes.
Senior co-captain Alex Huyser should also contend. He tied for third at Central’s Ryerson Fall Classic and posted a 77.0 average.
Another senior, Chris Crawford, lettered last spring.
“Chris is a good player who can put up low numbers,” Green said. “Once we can get him to be a little more consistent he will be making a push for the top five. “
Sophomore Drew Osier was pushing for a varsity spot most of his freshman season, tying for 10th at the Buena Vista Invitational and averaging 77.6. He came back with a 79.1 mark in the fall, but tied for third at the Ryerson tourney.
“Drew showed some maturity,” Green said. “I look for him to compete for a spot in the top five.”
Junior co-captain Matt Vegter was an NCAA tournament participant in 2009 after earning all-conference distinction with a sixth-place league finish. He was limited by injury as a sophomore and averaged 84.0 last fall but appeared to be returning to top form.
“He started coming on,” Green said.
Sophomore Anthony Hogue also shows promise. He averaged 78.0 in limited action as a freshman before posting an 81.4 mark in the fall. He tied for second at the Clarke Invitational.
“He didn’t play a lot as a freshman but finished second in his first tournament away from Pella,” Green said.
It’s a crowded lineup picture but Green doesn’t mind.
“It’s not a bad thing to have more than five good players,” he said, noting that Central’s lineup will likely change throughout the spring.
“We’re a little deeper than last year. We lost our No. 1 and 2 players but with the addition of Justin (Livingston) and some other guys stepping up, we can be better.”
Finding the right mix will be the key.
“Getting that fourth score is important,” Green said. “That’s what we really struggled with in the fall. We’d have three good scores and then a bad one. You can’t have that if you want to win tournaments. We need a little more consistency in our No. 3, 4 and 5 guys.”
It’s not hard identifying where strokes can be shaved.
“We had a lot of three-putts,” Green said. “We’re going to really concentrate on our short game in the early spring and hope that will keep us from having to count an 80 or 81.”
But Green isn’t a believer in one-size-fits-all workouts.
“We use a lot of individualized instruction,” he said. “We look at what each player needs to work on. Just because the team had a bad weekend putting doesn’t mean that every player had a bad weekend putting.”
The Dutch make good use of the expansive practice facilities at the Ryerson Range, which includes putting greens, sand bunkers and a driving range. And the highly regarded Bos Landen Golf Club, the team’s home course, is just two miles from campus.
“We’re pretty blessed with our facilities at Central,” Green said. “We have a lot of opportunities to work on whatever areas of the game we need to.”
Central enters the spring as a league favorite, but Green notes that the Dutch must continue to prove themselves.
“We saw a lot of the conference teams in the fall and didn’t lose to any of them, but we’ve still got to put good scores up if we want to win,” he said. “But we don’t want to worry about the competition. We need to play the golf course. If we play the golf course as we should, we should do OK.”
The season again opens with the Dutch Desert Shootout during spring break March 16. The tourney will be staged at Southern Dunes Golf Course in Maricopa, Ariz.
“It’s ranked among the top 25 courses in the U.S.,” Green said. “It will be a good test for the guys right out of the gate.”
The Buena Vista Invitational April 8-9 will provide a preview of the Lake Creek Country Club course in Storm Lake which will be used for the first two rounds of the conference tournament April 15-16. The Central Invitational has been pushed back to April 22-23 from its traditional spot in late March, which should improve the chances for more favorable playing conditions.
Central College men’s tennis season outlook
Outlook
The signs are all pointing up for the Central College men’s tennis team.
The top six players from the team’s season-ending lineup a year ago return and coach Steve Tyler delivered a promising recruiting class.
“There’s no question we’re a better team,” Tyler said. “This is the strongest we’ve been during my time here. I anticipate we’ll compete better throughout the season.”
The loss of the team’s No. 1 player due to illness last year, combined with several narrow defeats, resulted in an 11-14 record and a fourth-place Iowa Conference finish in 2010. The key to a glossier finish this spring will be not only a stronger lineup but an ability to excel at crunch time.
“We’ve got to step up in the tight situations,” Tyler said. “We’re going to have them all season long, so we’ve got to win the close ones. I think that’s where most of the growth will be.”
Senior Dan Bowser should be better prepared to handle the No. 1 position after being thrust into unexpectedly midway through last season. He was 9-2 at No. 2 singles, but 2-11 at No. 1.
“Dan’s got the ability to be the best player in the league,” Tyler said. “He’s got to believe it. He’s got the physical ability but he’s got to work on match play and match toughness.”
Junior Seth Harris was 13-10 but also suffered when making the jump from No. 3 singles to No. 2.
“Seth’s got great ground strokes and is much improved,” Tyler said. “He spent the summer playing with a lot of experienced players. He comes in much more confident and capable than last year.”
Sophomore Bryn Boswell was also 13-10 while competing at the Nos. 4 and 5 spots. He opens the season at No. 4.
“Bryn’s explosive,” Tyler said. “He’s got big ground strokes. He’s working on his volleys and learning to be a better doubles player. He’s got a rifle forehand but has got to learn when to use it. He’s very inexperienced but I expect him to be as capable as anybody out there.”
The team’s top recruit is highly touted freshman Kyle Freischlag of Downers Grove, Ill. and he’s won the No. 4 position.
“Kyle has already shown he’s one of the top recruits we’ve had,” Tyler said. “He’s a smart, experienced player. He’s still working on his first volley but he’s just going to get better and better. He knows the game and comes from a real tennis family.”
Freischlag’s arrival allows senior Jacob Dreyer to settle in at No. 5 singles where he should excel. Dreyer was 5-8 at No. 3 singles in 2010 but 9-2 at No. 4.
“Jacob understands how to win,” Tyler said. “He’s got a big serve and is an all-court player. He’s very comfortable in the middle of the court. He’s smart and knows how to play the mental game.”
There was a highly competitive preseason battle for the No. 6 spot and freshman Zane Hendricks of Fort Dodge emerged as the winner.
“Zane’s got a big serve and great ground strokes,” Tyler said. “He really has shown an appetite for practice and a desire to get better. His upside is huge.”
Central’s depth has also improved. Sophomore Pat Daly is a capable player at No. 7. He won the Iowa Conference C flight crown last spring.
“Pat’s steady and pretty savvy on the court,” Tyler said. “He knows how to keep the ball in play.”
John Seier, a freshman from Waverly, Neb., is another newcomer with potential.
“John’s upside is huge,” Tyler said. “He’s only played tennis seriously the last two years. He had a nice fall season and is very capable. And he’s a lefty, which helps.”
Likewise freshman Erik Bay of Decorah had an encouraging fall campaign.
“I think Erik’s very capable of playing in the top six,” Tyler said. “He’s got a big serve and has got all the strokes. He needs a little more patience and to keep more balls in play but he should be a four-year contributor.”
Sophomore Ryan Shuey follows at No. 10.
“Ryan’s a hard-working blue-collar guy,” Tyler said.
Sophomore Colin Robinson has shown some power.
“Colin’s got a big serve,” Tyler said. “He’s still learning the game but he’s 6-6 and has the biggest serve on the team. If he stays with it, he could crack the top six in the future.”
While the Dutch have plenty of skills work to tackle, Tyler said the team’s biggest strides may come away from the court. Success there could make the difference in tight matches.
“We’ve got to do mental training,” he said. “We’ve got to visualize. You can’t just expect to play through it.”
Some early success will accelerate the process.
“We need to get used to winning,” Tyler said. “It’s tougher when you lose to go out and visualize winning.”
While Tyler is confident the team will improve, that won’t automatically translate to a higher conference finish. Defending champion Luther remains the team to beat with Coe close behind. But the Dutch aren’t ignoring other squads, either.
“Cornell will be tough, Wartburg will be good again and Dubuque has some top players,” Tyler said. “The Iowa Conference is going to be good.”
