Van Gorp earns male athlete of the week, two other Central athletes get player of the week
Kale Purcell and Olivia Bohlen earn field events players of the week
Pella, IA (02/03/2025) — Joshua Van Gorp (5th-year, Pella, Pella Christian HS) has been named the American Rivers Conference male athlete of the week.
Van Gorp was also named men's basketball player of the week.
Kale Purcell (junior, Holton, Kan.) was named men's field events player of the week and Olivia Bohlen (junior, Belle Plaine) was named women's field events player of the week.
Van Gorp averaged 33 points and 10.5 rebounds in Central men's basketball 2-0 week defeating Simpson 85-60 Wednesday and Coe 75-73 Saturday. In the win against Coe, Van Gorp broke his own school and the American Rivers record for points in a game with 55. He added 15 rebounds. Van Gorp had 11 points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field against Simpson. This is Van Gorp's second time winning conference male athlete of the week this season.
The men's basketball team has two road games this week starting at Buena Vista University Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and finishing at Loras College Saturday at 4 p.m.
Purcell won the triple jump with a career-best 48 feet, 3.25-inch jump. He won the event at the Wartburg Indoor Select meet. This jump puts him ranked No. 4 in Division III this season. It was also Purcell's second time winning American Rivers field events player of the week this season.
Bohlen competed in the Dutch Winter Multi-Event in H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse. She won the pentathlon with a score of 3,476 points. Bohlen won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.15 seconds, and the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 2.25 inches. She also won the long jump and shot put. Her score places her No. 4 on the national qualifying list. This was Bohlen's first time receiving the conference field events player of the week award this season.
The men's and women's track team goes back to Waverly to compete in Friday Knight Lights hosted by Wartburg Friday at 3:30 p.m.