Gray wins first pentathlon of the season for Central
CRETE, NEB. — The Central College indoor women’s track and field team took the top-two spots at the Doane Happy Holidays Multi-Event pentathlon Friday, led by Mary Gray’s (junior, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) championship performance.
Gray scored 3,257 points across the five events for the individual title. Teammate Kiki Pingel (junior, Pella) was the runner-up in the 10-athlete field with 3,227 points.
Gray, who qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in the pentathlon last year, improved her score from this meet last season by 143 points.
“She’s significantly better right now than she was a year ago at this time,” associate head coach Jim Fuller said. “She did have a PR in the high jump (4 feet, 11.75 inches) and she also had a really solid day in the long jump and shot put.
With a new personal-best score, Pingel moved up to No. 9 all-time at Central. She had new career-best marks in the 60-meter hurdles (9.45 seconds), shot put (32-3.75) and long jump (16-7).
“It’s a really good start for her,” Fuller said. “She did some really good things but I thought she hurdled very well.”
Also competing for the Central women were Krissa Larson (junior, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) in eighth place (2,417 points) and Malory Jones (freshman, Fairfield) in 10th (2,235 points).
“Krissa hit the first hurdle really well and almost crashed,” Fuller said. “She did everything else pretty well. Malory is learning new things and working at it. She’s a good athlete and she’ll get there.”
In the men’s heptathlon, freshman Lucas Heitz (Adel, ADM HS) had a solid second day, moving up from 10th to sixth with 4,026 points. He’s already No. 9 on Central’s all-time top-10 list.
“He would have been third at conference last year with that score,” Fuller said. “I think he’s really on his way to becoming a decathlete.
Sophomore Nick Thompson (Newhall, Benton HS) closed out the meet in ninth with 3,672 points.
“Nick had a rough hurdle race but vaulted well and had a solid 1,000,” Fuller said. “Everything was new to him when he started last year and now he’s getting there.”
