PELLA — Commemorating the last year of Central College athletics, the Central Student-Athlete Advisory Council hosted the Dutchies this past Sunday night inside P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium.

For the second year in a row, SAAC hosted the Dutchies to honor the best in Dutch athletics from April 1, 2016 to March 1, 2017. Coaches nominated their student-athletes before a seven-member committee whittled it down to four finalists and eventually selecting a winner.
           
The Dutchies handed out nine awards ranging from Male and Female Athlete of the Year to the Moment of the Year.

Freshman Male Athlete of the Year—Setting the Iowa Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships record, Will Daniels (freshman, Geneseo, Ill.) won the heptathlon with a total of 4,753 points. He finished top-20 nationally in the heptathlon and high jump.

Freshman Female Athlete of the Year— Women's soccer forward Erin Manion (freshman, Delafield, Wis., Kettle Moraine HS) was named to the all-Iowa Conference first team after leading the team with 10 goals. Four of her goals were game-winning efforts.

Coaching Staff of the Year— Bouncing back from a 4-13 season in 2015, Garry Laidlaw and the men's soccer coaching staff guided Central to an 11-7 season in 2016. The quartet also earned the league's men's soccer staff of the year honors.

Male Record-Breaking Performance of the Year— A 25-point effort in the second half against Luther College on January 4^th pushed men's basketball player Colby Taylor (senior, Creston) past the 37-year old school record for points in a career. He reestablished the mark at 1,856 points, nearly 300 points higher than the previous best

Female Record-Breaking Performance of the Year— In the prelims at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the 4x100-meter relay team of Abi Davis '16 (Dowling Catholic HS), Ashlee Downs '16 (Urbandale), Monica Ruiz '16 (Hudson) and Hope Heitman (sophomore, Guttenberg, Clayton Ridge HS) surpassed the old standard set in 1982. The foursome placed seventh in a time of 47.38 seconds and received All-American recognition.

Male Athlete of the Year— Wide receiver Sam Markham (senior, Atlantic) earned All-American honors after snaring 105 catches for 1,215 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was an all-conference choice for the second time.

Female Athlete of the Year— Abi Davis wrapped up her stellar sprinting career for the track & field squad by qualifying for the national meet in four events, placing in the top-eight of the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams to secure All-American status.

Team of the Year—Rallying from a 19-stroke deficit on the final weekend of the Iowa Conference championships, the Central women's golf team clinched the program's first league title since 1990.

Moment of the Year— In the opening game of the football season, Kohle Helle (junior, Guttenberg, Clayton Ridge HS) took the 2-point conversion snap in overtime with the Dutch trailing 49-48. Helle rolled right and dove past the pylon to give Central 50-49 victory over Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.