Central’s McMartin gains all-league women’s cross country honors
PELLA—Capping a promising freshman season, Central College’s Caroline McMartin (freshman, Pella) gained all-conference distinction with a 15th-place effort at the American Rivers Championships Saturday.
Competing on her home course, McMartin posted a 6,000-meter time of 23:57.23 and was Central’s top runner for the third straight outing.
But Central slipped to seventh place in the nine-team meet with 180 points. Defending champion Wartburg College cruised to the title with 24 points followed by Loras College with 90 and Nebraska Wesleyan University with 93. Luther College had 111, Buena Vista University was fifth with 129 and Simpson College was sixth with 138. Central was fifth the previous four seasons and was hoping to inch up the standings. But the team’s top seven runners included four freshmen and two sophomores.
Kate Hoogensen (freshman, Ankeny, Centennial HS) was 23rd (25:10.71), Lindsey Davidson (freshman, Northwood, Northwood-Kensett HS) was 38th (25:49.09), Mari Stein (junior, Okoboji) was 40th (25:49.61), Natalie Patterson (freshman, Lone Tree) was 44th (26:11.31), Lauren Miller (sophomore, Dubuque) was 47th (26:31.18) and Hailey Hill (sophomore, Las Vegas, Nev., West Career and Technical Academy) was 49th (26:49.69).
“Our women were extremely disappointed,” coach Joe Dunham said. “It was not a good day but we know there are good things coming, we can see that.”
McMartin is an obvious piece to the puzzle, he said.
“I’m really proud of her,” Dunham said. “What a great freshman year. She really worked hard through the season. She didn’t necessarily feel the greatest today but she fought through that and I thought she ran really well.”
And better days are clearly ahead for the Dutch program.
“It’s hard to look at our performance today as a team and see that, but it’s definitely happening,” Dunham said. “The culture of our team is very positive and I know the performances will follow. We have a lot of work to do but we’re moving in the right direction.”
Traditionally the NCAA regional and national championship meets follow the conference race but those were canceled due to the global pandemic.
