National track poll drops Dutch men one spot

Central Dutch Athletics

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — After a preseason ranking of No. 19, the Central College men’s track and field squad came in at No. 20 in the USTFCCCA Division III Indoor Track and Field Preseason National Team Computer Rankings Tuesday.

Points in the National Team Computer Rankings are based off placement in the National Descending Order Lists. The higher an athlete sits on the list, the more points he or she adds to his or her team’s total. These points do not reflect placement or scoring at the NCAA Championships, but is to show the individuals and teams that have the best chances at scoring well at said meet.

Currently possessing the nation’s best heptathlon score at 5,035 points, sophomore Will Daniels (Geneseo, Ill.) also has the 16th best high jump mark at 6 feet, 9 inches. Ryan Kruse (senior, St. Clair, Minn.) also has the country’s sixth-best heptathlon score (4,904 points).

Central also has three athletes in the top-30 based on data from last season. On the track, Mark Fairley (senior, Dubuque) is No. 25 in the 3,000-meter run (8:23.87). Shot putter Nathan Fitzgerald (junior, Elkader, Central HS) is No. 23 (51-6.75) and long jumper Justin Wimbish (senior, Glendale, Ariz., Apollo HS) is No. 28 (23-0.5).

North Central College (Ill.) passed Wisconsin-La Crosse this week to retake the No. 1 spot.

Regionally, Central is ranked No. 4 behind the University of Dubuque, Loras College and Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Central hosts the Dutch Athletics Classic Saturday, starting with field events at 11 a.m. and running events at 2 p.m.