Eight Central golfers, wrestlers placed on academic team
PELLA — A combined eight student-athletes from the Central College men’s golf, women’s golf and wrestling programs were announced as College Sports Communicator Division III Academic All-District honorees Tuesday afternoon.
To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve at the varsity level and achieve a 3.50 or better cumulative grade point average. All eight are now under consideration for Academic All-America honors.
Madison Clark (senior, Bloomington, Ill., Central Catholic HS), Thea Lunning (senior, Mason City), Delaney Underwood (senior, Mitchellville, Colfax-Mingo HS) and Lydia Grond (sophomore, Hull, Boyden-Hull HS) represent the women’s golf program on the list. Lucas Wendel (Le Claire, Pleasant Valley HS) and Cole McGriff (sophomore, Grinnell) were cited from the men’s golf team. Wrestlers Gage Linahon (junior, Newton) and Cael Cox (sophomore, Ankeny) round out the eight Central honorees.
The four women’s golfers on the list made up the majority of Central’s conference championship from the fall season. The women advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships, finishing 22nd through two days before missing the cut.
Wendel and McGriff helped the men’s golf team place third at the American Rivers Conference Championships. The team also won its home Ryerson Classic on April 27.
Linahon finished the season 23-8 at 197 pounds, placing second at the Lower Midwest Regional and qualifying for the national meet. Cox finished 11-13 after taking over as the starter at 133 pounds in January.
Central’s honorees:
Men’s golf (2)
Cole McGriff, so., men’s golf, Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell HS, philosophy, 3.88
Lucas Wendel, sr., men’s golf, Le Claire, Iowa/Pleasant Valley HS, biology, 3.85
Women’s golf (4)
Madison Clark, senior, Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic, computer science, 3.68
Lydia Grond, sophomore, Hull, Iowa/Boyden-Hull, undeclared, 3.73
Thea Lunning, senior, Mason City, Iowa/Mason City, biology, 4.00
Delaney Underwood, senior, Mitchellville, Iowa/Colfax-Mingo, biology, 3.91
Wrestling (2)
Cael Cox, so., Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny, undeclared, 3.99
Gage Linahon, jr., Newton, Iowa/Newton HS, accounting, 3.99
