Sprinters, multi-eventers put Central women in regional track rankings

Central Dutch Athletics

PELLA —The Central College women’s track and field squad has nine top-10 mark within the Central Region, propelling the Dutch to No. 5 in the first U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Central Region poll of the season.

Rankings are based off placement in the National Descending Order Lists. Those lists are organized by top finishes of Division III athletes of the same region in each event that will be contested at the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships. 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.

In the pentathlon, Central has the top-four marks in the region led by Mary Gray’s (freshman, West Des Moines, Waukee HS) 2,891-point performance. Freshmen Kiki Pingel (Pella), Courtney Kruthoff (Erie, Ill.) and senior Merissa Larson (Maple Grove, Minn.) are the three spots behind Gray.

Gray is second in the 60-meter hurdles (9.28 seconds) while Kruthoff is second in the high jump (5 feet, 3 inches). Senior Kate Patton (Murray) is fourth in the 60-meter dash (7.99) and seventh in the 400-meter dash (1:00.23)

The fourth-place 4×400-meter relay team consists of Paige Doehrmann (sophomore, Lone Tree), Gray, Hope Heitman (junior, Guttenberg, Clayton Ridge HS) and Lynzie Miller (senior, Des Moines, Lincoln HS).

Nebraska Wesleyan University received the region’s top spot with league rivals University of Dubuque and Loras College taking the silver and bronze.

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