Dutch stay in Division III top-25 in new track rankings

Central Dutch Athletics

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — Grabbing the final spot in the USTFCCCA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Team Computer Rankings, the Central College men’s track and field team is slotted at No. 25

Points in the National Team Computer Rankings are based off placement in the National Descending Order Lists. The higher an athlete sits on the list, the more points he or she adds to his or her team’s total. These points do not reflect placement or scoring at the NCAA Championships, but is to show the individuals and teams that have the best chances at scoring well at said meet.

Sophomore Will Daniels (Geneseo, Ill.) has recorded the second-best heptathlon score in the country (5,035 points). Ryan Kruse (senior, St. Clair, Minn.) also has the country’s fifth-best heptathlon score (4,904 points). Mark Fairley (senior, Dubuque) blazed the mile in 4 minutes, 17.7 seconds to clock in with the 14th-best qualifying mark this season.

Central also has four marks in the top-30 based on data from last season. On the track, Fairley is No. 30 in the 3,000-meter run (8:23.87). Shot putter Nathan Fitzgerald (junior, Elkader, Central HS) is No. 25 (51-6.75) and long jumper Justin Wimbish (senior, Glendale, Ariz., Apollo HS) is No. 29 (23 feet, 0.5 inches). Daniels is No. 17 in the high jump (6-9).

North Central College (Ill.) held on to the No. 1 spot with a strong charge from the No. 2 team, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Regionally, Central is ranked No. 4 behind the University of Dubuque, Nebraska Wesleyan University and Carleton College (Minn.)

Central will compete at the Wartburg Select this weekend. The heptathlon begins Friday afternoon starting at 3 p.m. with the rest of the meet beginning Saturday at 9:30 a.m.