Five Central athletes win league honor

Central College

PELLA—Five Central College athletes have gained Iowa Conference player of the week honors. The Dutch received recognition in men’s and women’s track and field, men’s golf and men’s tennis.

Junior Tyler Crouse (Hedrick, Pekin HS) is the conference men’s field athlete of the week. Crouse won the discus and provisionally qualified for the NCAA Division III championships in his first outdoor meet of the season at the Augustana College (Ill.) Viking Olympics. His toss of 165 feet, seven inches was well beyond the qualifying mark of 157-6.

On the women’s side, Morgan Darrow (Newell, Storm Lake HS) received the league’s field athlete of the week award. Darrow provisionally qualified for the NCAA championships with a winning shot put mark of 43-0.5, over a foot beyond the provisional standard.

Sophomore Mel McDermott (Britt, West Hancock HS) is the women’s track athlete of the week. McDermott won the 5,000 meter run with a personal-best time of 18:19.27. She improved her time by 40 seconds and beat the runner-up by 20 seconds.

In men’s golf, junior Brent Messmore (Hudson) was cited. Messmore fired a team-best 72 to finish third, two strokes behind the medalists, at the Dutch Desert Shootout in Maricopa, Ariz. March 16. The season’s first award covers performances throughout the month. Central took second place in the tourney with 300, one stroke back of Mesa (Ariz.) Community College.

Senior Dan Bowser (Fort Dodge) is the men’s tennis athlete of the week. Bowser helped the Dutch snap an eight-match losing streak with a 9-0 win over Wartburg College Saturday. Bowser paired with Seth Harris (junior, Waverly, Neb.) to take an 8-5 victory at No. 1 doubles before winning 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.