Dutch track teams begin multi-events at league meet
Central College
INDIANOLA — After the first day of competition of the Iowa Conference Outdoor Championships the Central College women’s track and field team has three athletes in the top six of the heptathlon.
The Dutch men have two athletes in the top six through five decathlon events.
Koenigs leads Central women—Morgan Koenigs (sophomore, Mapleton, Maple Valley-Anthon Oto HS) is in third place (2,553 points) after four of the seven heptathlon events in the 10-competitor field. Emma Drees (sophomore, Waukee) is fifth (2,433), Kaitlyn Gillett (senior, Cedar Falls) is sixth (2,267) and Merissa Larson (freshman, Osseo, Minn., Maple Grove HS) is 10th (1,939).
Koenigs won the 200-meter dash (26.55 seconds), finished second in the high jump (5 feet, 1 inch) and fourth in the shot put (31-3.75).
“Morgan was very good today,” said associate head coach Jim Fuller. “At Drake she had 2,385 points at the end of the first day and today she had 2,553. She put on 170 points and that’s a pretty big deal. She set a new PR in all four events.”
Drees placed fifth each of the four events. She ran the 100-meter hurdles in 16.25, high jumped 4-9.5, threw 30-11.75 in the shot put and finished the 200-meter dash in 27.40. Gillett’s best finish of the day was third in the high jump (4-11.75) and Larson had a pair of ninth place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles (16.91) and the 200-meter dash (28.68).
“Kaitlyn high-jumped really well today,” said Fuller. “That’s her college PR and it is significantly better than her old mark. I was happy to see that.”
The final three heptathlon events Friday will be the long jump, javelin throw and 800-meter run.
Iversen, Kruse compete for Dutch men—Freshman Reese Iversen (Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) is in fourth place (3,071 points) and freshman Ryan Kruse (St. Clair, Minn.) is in sixth place (2,961 points) in the eight-man decathlon field with half of the 10 events completed. Just 252 points separate second and eighth place.
Iversen placed in the top five in four of the five events Thursday. He finished second in the high jump (6-3.5), third in the long jump (20-7.25), fifth in the shot put (32-0.75) and fifth in the 100-meter dash (11.68).
“It’s Reese’s first decathlon,” said Fuller. “He high-jumped pretty well today and had a PR in the shot put.”
Kruse was in the top five in three of the five events. He took second in the shot put (41-5), fourth in the high jump (5-9.75), and fifth in the long jump (19-6.25).
“It’s Ryan’s second decathlon and he is well ahead of where he was at Northwest Missouri State,” said Fuller. “I’m really happy about that.”
The decathlon will conclude Friday with the 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1,500-meter run.
