Central to host league indoor championships
Central College
PELLA—For the first time in school history, Central College will play host to the Iowa Conference men’s and women’s indoor track and field championships Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25-26 at H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse.
The meet kicks off with the men’s and women’s pentathlon Friday at 10 a.m. Field events are slated to begin at 4 p.m. with running events starting at 6 p.m. Saturday’s field events commence at 9 a.m. and running events begin at noon.
Central is now one of the six conference schools in the indoor track and field championships rotation, a result of the new Mondo surface installed in 2009. It is the same surface used at the Drake Relays, as well as the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
“We’re extremely lucky to have such a nice track,” said coach Joe Dunham. “It has been an asset for our teams every day in practice and will be a great venue for a conference championship.”
The conference has recognized an indoor track and field championship since 2003, but only three schools have ever raised a trophy. The Wartburg College women have swept the title since the meet’s inception, while Central, Wartburg, and Loras College have been the only squads to win a men’s championship.
In 2010, the Wartburg women tallied their eighth consecutive victory and broke seven conference records. The Central women finished fourth and have recorded three top-three finishes in the meet’s history.
After winning 11 outdoor titles since 1991, the Central men finally broke through in 2010, winning their first indoor league championship and posting a meet-record 213.8 points.
“It was a big achievement for us,” said Dunham. “We have traditionally had a lot of success during the outdoor season but that first indoor title was elusive. We hope 2010 will set a benchmark for our squads.”
Athletes to watch—Both of last year’s Most Valuable Performers, Wartburg’s Skye Morrison and Central’s Ethan Miller (junior, Seymour) return to the meet this year and are expected to be two of the top individual performers.
Building on a stellar sophomore campaign, Miller currently holds the top Division III marks in the long jump (23 feet, 11.5 inches) and pentathlon (3,876 points) while teammate Kurtis Brondyke (senior, Clinton) is ranked second nationally in the pentathlon (3,759 points). Wartburg’s Jonas Elusme is tied for the nation’s top high jump (6-10.75).
The Iowa Conference women also boast a group of Division III leaders. Wartburg’s Neveda Morrison tops the 400-meter dash (55.94 seconds), while Coe College’s Keelie Finnel has the country’s best mark in the 800 meters (2:10.62). Wartburg also holds the top time in the 4×400 relay (3:49.03). Wartburg’s Faith Burt and Skye Morrison are third in the 55 meters (7.12) and long jump (18-10) respectively, with Skye Morrison also ranked fourth in the triple jump (38-7.75). Cornell College’s Madison Craw is currently fourth in the shot put (46-0.5) while Central’s Jill Ziskovsky (senior, Dallas Center, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) is fifth in the pentathlon (3,276 points).
“The Iowa Conference has a great tradition in track and field,” said Dunham. “There will be a competitive atmosphere this weekend and a lot of good performances.”
