Strong senior class makes final push with Dutch women’s track and field team

PELLA – Guided by a deep and talented senior class, the Central College women’s track and field team is full of potential in 2024.

After garnering its first top-three finishes at American Rivers Conference Championships meets since 2016, the Dutch face a tall task to match that accomplishment. Central returned 24 previous varsity letterwinners but lost nine letterwinners including multiple all-conference performers.

“It’s going to be a challenging year,” coach Brandon Sturman said. “We had a great season last year, breaking a lot of records and doing some good things. But we’ve lost some depth and that’s going to be a challenge for us. We’re going to need people to step up and help fill those holes.”

The Dutch added nine new freshmen to the mix and Sturman sees promise in them.

“We do have some good freshmen,” Sturman said. “If they can develop over the season, they are capable of filling some of those holes, especially on relays.

The senior class features 12 athletes, including three All-Americans. The sophomore class goes 16 athletes deep, several of whom Sturman believes are poised to have a breakout season.

“We’re going to be relying a lot on our senior sophomore classes,” Sturman said. “Some of them might have to do more than they previously have at a conference meet for us to maintain our level and finish in the top three.

The indoor season started with the Dutch Holiday preview in December and ends with the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 8-9 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The outdoor season begins with the Central Invitational on March 28 and ends at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The indoor American Rivers Conference Championships are in Dubuque on February 23-24 and the outdoor league meet is in Lincoln, Nebraska May 9-11.

Distance and middle-distance
The Dutch women’s distance crew had a stellar 2023. Caroline McMartin (senior, Pella), Megan Johnson (senior, Parkersburg, Aplington-Parkersburg HS and Peyton Steffen (sophomore, Marion) were on the All-American distance medley relay team at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in March. During the outdoor season, McMartin was a national qualifier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 5,000-meter run with her and Johnson earning All-American honors in the steeplechase. McMartin and Johnson were also the 1-2 punch for the cross country team that finished ninth at the national meet in Novemeber with Addison Parrott (junior Danville) giving Central three individual All-Americans. Across the three conference championship events, the women’s distance group had 15 all-conference performances.

“When we recruited Caroline, her and (associate head coach) Dunham sat down and set a goal of getting to nationals,” Sturman said. “She’s reached all those goals and exceeded them. She’s just on a different level this year.

“Megan came here to do basketball and track but decided to commit full time to running and her growth and development over the last four years has been unbelievable.

Sara Goodenbour (junior, Cedar Falls), Leah Bontrager (sophomore, Wellman, Hillcrest Academy) and Lindsey Davidson (senior, Northwood, Northwood-Kensett HS) gathered national experience with the cross country team this fall with Goodenbour, Bontrager and Kira Hooper (junior, Henderson, N.C., Citrus Valley HS [Calif.]) also earning all-conference accolades. Seniors Abby Alberti (Harlan), Layken Bytnar (Bettendorf), Kate Hoogensen (Ankeny, Centennial HS) and Alyssa Mayhew (North Aurora, Ill., West Aurora HS) have also earned varsity letters in the past.

“If they can do what they did in cross country, we’ll have seven to 10 girls that can score for us across multiple events at a conference meet,” Sturman said.

In the mid-distance races, senior Hadyn Miller (Iowa Falls, Iowa Falls-Alden HS) has fully recovered from the injury that cost her most of her sophomore season. Both Miller and Riley Packer (sophomore, Erie, Ill.) can contribute in the 400s and 800s.

“We have a lot of big goals for Hadyn,” Sturman said. “She could maybe be a contender for the distance medley relay and help us at the conference meet.”

Sprints
Abbi Roerdink (senior, Tiffin, Ohio, Hopewell-Loudon HS) is the most decorated member of Central’s sprints group. She ran the 400-meter leg of Central’s All-American distance medley relay at the indoor national meet in 2023. She’s placed in the 400-meter dash at the last three conference meets, including an all-league performance outdoors in 2023.

“We’re pushing the envelope with Abbi,” Sturman said. “She’s super motivated after last year. I’d love to see her get to nationals as an individual. I think she deserves it and is talented enough to do it.”

Abby Gruver (senior, Sully, Lynnville-Sully HS) and Lauren Brown (senior, Underwood) have scored in conference championship action on a variety of relays and give this group an even more veteran presence.

Sophomore Emily McMartin (Pella) scored three times in conference meets as a freshman and Sturman thinks she has some yet untapped potential.

“I’m hoping to see Emily broaden her horizons,” he said. “She’s been known as a short sprinter but I think she has the ability to go up to the 400. The 200 is her best event but I think going up to the 400 will make her a better 200 runner. She’s as fast as she needs to be, she just needs to believe in herself.”

Mary Gustason (sophomore, Marion, Linn-Mar HS) earned a varsity letter as a freshman focusing on the shortest sprints.

“She’s a true short-sprint specialist,” Sturman said. “The 60 and the 100 are going to be her strength.”

Sophomore Sabryn Egli (Saint Charles, Interstate 35 HS) as well as freshmen Ava Parkins (Monmouth, Ill., Burlington Notre Dame HS) and Lizzy Van Utrecht (Ottumwa, Eddyville-Blakesburg HS) gives Sturman even more options to fill out relays.

Multi-events
As a freshman, Olivia Bohlen (sophomore, Belle Plaine) made a quick impact at the conference level by taking second indoors in the pentathlon and winning the heptathlon outdoors.

“In her first meet, she already hit some PRs in the events she struggled with last year,” Sturman said. “She has all the tools and ability, she just needs to do it all at the same meet. We’re looking forward to seeing what she can do.”

Karsyn Lamm (junior, Mount Pleasant) took a year off from the multis after doing it as a freshman and alongside freshman Sage Austin (Carlisle) gives Bohlen partners to work with in training and meets.

Jumps
Setting the indoor and outdoor pole vault records last season, Amber Vroman (junior, Seneca, Ill.) had a disappointing end to her season when an injury in warmups cost her a chance at a league title at the outdoor conference meet. She’s hungry to get to the top of the podium after finishing second indoors.

“Amber is making progress,” Sturman said. “It’s going to be slow and steady. She’s going to have to work her back to where she left off.”

She’ll be joined in the pole vault by Leah Howard (sophomore, Auburn, N.Y.).

“We’re looking forward to seeing Lake make some strides,” Sturman said.

Abigail White (junior, Centerville) has made steady improvements in the high jump and leads the Dutch in that event.

“Abigail has a lot of really good tools,” Sturman said. “She can be special.”

Jasmyn Williams (sophomore, Denver, Colo., Arvada West HS) gave the Dutch a boost in the long jump, coming on the scene after basketball season and placing fourth at the outdoor conference meet. She’s slated to rejoin the team after basketball season again and aspires of taking her talents to the national meet.

All the multi-event athletes could give the Dutch more options especially Bohlen and Lamm in the long jump.

Hurdles
Gruver and Bohlen will shoulder most of the load in hurdle events. Bohlen scored points at the conference meet in the 60-meter hurdles (indoors) and 100-meter (outdoors) while Gruver is a two-time place winner in the 400-meter hurdles outdoors. Lamm and Austin will do some individual hurdle races as well.

“We don’t have a ton of depth in the hurdles,” Sturman said. “We’ll have to rely on the few people we have there.”

Throwing events
Allison Van Gorp (junior, Pella, Pella Christian HS) will not compete during the indoor season as she finishes her season with the basketball program but the two-time varsity letterwinner was an all-conference discus thrower outdoors as a freshman and finished seventh as a sophomore.

“Hopefully she can build off her first two years and get to the national meet,” Sturman said. “That’s been her goal every year.

Juniors Kira Baldus (St. Ansgar) and Morgan Devereaux (Pocahontas, Pocahontas Area HS) will be looked towards to give Central a boost, especially indoors.

“They both work super hard,” Sturman said. “They made some strides at the December meet and hopefully they can build off that.”