More track at Simpson for Central men
Central Dutch Athletics
INDIANOLA — Back on the campus of Simpson College competing for the second week in a row, the Central College men’s track and field team took part in the Kip Janvrin Open Friday.
The Dutch had participated in a triangular hosted by Simpson last Saturday.
No team scores were kept in the competition that featured a plethora of athletes from all levels of NCAA and NAIA competition as the meet is held in conjunction with the Drake Relays.
After running the 4×800-meter relay at the Drake Relays Friday morning, Preston Kizer (sophomore, Dubuque) placed fourth at Kip Janvrin in the 1,500-meter run in 4 minutes, 2.33 seconds.
“He had a big day,” Coach Joe Dunham said. “He’s just a sophomore and he’s getting better every time he races.”
Justin Wimbish (senior, Glendale, Ariz., Apollo HS) ran the third leg of Central’s 4×400-meter relay at Drake before he also made the move to Indianola for the Kip Janvrin Open where he was ninth in the 200-meter dash in 22.27 seconds.
“He looked pretty good,” Dunham said. “I thought it was great to see him coming back from competing at Drake and having a good race.”
Jon Specht (senior, Dubuque, Hempstead HS) also had a top-10 finish, clocking the 800-meter run in 1:57.30 and placing eighth.
Jordan Toomey (junior, Runnells, Southeast Polks HS) was the fastest of five Dutch athletes to complete new career-best times in the 5,000-meter run, placing 24th in 15:32.68
“They all attacked the race and made good moves throughout the race,” Dunham said.
Thursday throws day – Three of the four throwing events at the Kip Janvrin Open were contested Thursday and Nathan Fitzgerald’s (junior, Elkader, Central HS) seventh-place throw in the discus (147-4) was the best finish by any of Central’s men’s throwers.
Fitzgerald was also ninth in the shot put (49-3) and Michael Firkins (senior, Centerville) was 11th in the hammer throw (153-4).
Saturday morning, Central will wrap up the Drake Relays with teams in the men’s and women’s distance medley relay races. The women will run at 9 a.m. with the men to follow at 9:45 a.m.
The final regular season meet of the outdoor track and field season is next Saturday in Monmouth, Illinois at the Fighting Scot Invitational hosted by Monmouth College.
