Central College

Dutch men win distance medley relay at Drake Relays

Central also knocks off school record

by Joseph Flaherty

Pella, IA (04/28/2025) — DES MOINES - Capping off a solid appearance at the Drake Relays, the Central College men's track & field team won the Iowa College Division of the distance medley relay Saturday morning.

Clocking in at 10 minutes, 6.15 seconds, Derek Webster (senior, Norwalk), Alex Volden (freshman, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS), Kaleb Brand (fifth year, Mount Vernon) and Jack Brown (sophomore, Norwalk) teamed up for the title. Their time set a new standard in the Iowa College distance medley relay.

"They ran amazing," coach Brandon Sturman said. "It's a cool experience to run at Drake, but to win and break a meet record is really cool. I couldn't be prouder of what they accomplished."

The school record fell in the men's shuttle hurdle relay, as Gunner Meyer (junior, Fairbank, Wapsie Valley HS), Reid Pakkebier (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS), Grant Miller (junior, Norwalk) and Kale Hobart (sophomore, Mason City) finished in 58.18 seconds. That's nearly two seconds faster than the previous mark and good for a fourth-place finish. The University of Iowa was the winner in 57.26.

"We were able to put it all together and run a clean race," Sturman said. "We finished behind some solid Division I schools. We don't run this event often, so it's an opportunity to do something special."

Dropping two and a half seconds off its qualifying time, the Dutch women's 4x400-meter relay team took seventh in 3:48.91. The quartet of Lizzy Van Utrecht (sophomore, Ottumwa, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont HS), Alivia Roerdink (sophomore, Tiffin, Ohio, Hopewell-Loudon HS), Emily McMartin (junior, Pella) and Ava Parkins (sophomore, Monmouth, Ill., Burlington Notre Dame [Iowa] HS) is now fifth in school history.

"We have big goals to get back to the national meet," Sturman said. "I was proud to make finals, but they took advantage of the opportunity and the good weather and ran a little faster than we were at this time last year."

Central closes out the regular season with a triangular against Wartburg College and Simpson College in Waverly next Friday.

Kaleb

Brand