Central men debut in national rankings

Central College

PELLA—The Central College men’s track and field squad will begin the season ranked among the best in Division III.

The Dutch are No. 9 in the preseason power rankings produced by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

2012 marks the first year Division III has compiled preseason rankings. Teams are scored using a points system that objectively measures the top performances across the country in each event. The preseason rankings, as well as rankings for the first three weeks, will rely on performances from the previous season in addition to recent performances.

The Central men are coming off a banner indoor season. The Dutch captured their second consecutive Iowa Conference title in addition to nabbing runner-up honors at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Central will open their season Jan. 27 in Pella at the Dutch Athletics Classic.