Central sweeps track and field team titles at Grinnell

Dutch men sit atop nine teams

by Joseph Flaherty

Pella, IA (02/17/2025) — In its first event of the season with team scoring, the Central College men's and women's track and field programs were both the champions of the Darren Young Classic hosted by Grinnell College Saturday.

Central topped the nine-team field in both genders. The women tabulated 149 points to outpace the host's total of 117. The men squeezed past Grinnell 139 to 135.

The men were dominant in the 60-meter hurdles with seven of the eight athletes in the finals wearing Central uniforms and totaling 38 points. Gunner Meyer (junior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS) finished first in 8.12 seconds but Grant Miller (junior, Norwalk) had the faster time at 8.02 seconds in a preliminary race.

Kale Purcell (senior, Holton, Kan.) swept the men's horizontal jumps again, winning the triple jump in a meet record of 47 feet, 10 inches and taking the long jump at 21-11.5.

Junior Mary Gustason (Marion, Linn-Mar HS) sprinted past the field in the women's 60-meter dash in a new personal-best time of 7.89 seconds. Classmate Emily McMartin (Pella) gave Central another title in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.73 seconds.

In the distance races on Friday night, Central secured 10 points from Teah Miller (sophomore, Iowa Falls, Iowa Falls-Alden HS) in the mile with a time of 5:21.09. Peyton Madison (freshman, Eldridge, North Scott HS) was second in 5:30.73.

Amber Vroman (senior, Seneca, Ill.) matched her best mark of the season in the women's pole vault at 11-1.75 and was the meet champion.

Central's is back in Waverly next Saturday for the Liz Wuertz Invitational hosted by Wartburg College starting at 10:30 a.m.

Top-eight finishes - men

200 meters - 2. Connor Miklos, 22.44

400 meters - 2. Jrake Van Hemert, 50.99

800 meters - 5. Alex Volden, 2:01.24; 7. James Brant, 2:01.39; 8. Mason Back, 2:01.50

Mile - 2. Mason Back, 4:23.94; 7. James Brant, 4:31.09

5000 meters - 4. William Wadsley, 15:36.54

4x400 relay - 1. Central A, 3:24.39; 3. Central B, 3:29.94; 5. Central C, 3:33.94; 8. Central D, 3:42.13

60-meter hurdles - 1. Gunner Meyer, 8.12; 2. Grant Miller, 8.20; 3. Reid Pakkebier, 8.21; 4. Connor Miklos, 8.29; 5. Kale Hobart, 8.36; 7. Zeke Nelson, 8.64; 8. Gage Huyser, 8.74

Weight throw - 5. Alex Zarlatanes, 50-11.50; 8. Sam Stoecker, 47-6.25

Long jump - 1. Kale Purcell, 21-11.50; 3. Owen Tomko, 20-10; 6. Grant Miller, 20-6.5

Triple jump - 1. Kale Purcell, 47-10; 3. Jackson Tavegia, 41-8.75

Pole vault - 4. TJ DiSessa, 13-7

High jump - 2. Gunner Meyer, 6-2.25

Reid

Pakkebier