WAVERLY — Scoring across a variety of events was enough for the Central College men's track and field team to earn a foruth-place finish at the Wartburg Select Saturday.

Central had 89 total points while champion Wartburg College had 192.
           
Sophomore Will Daniels (Geneseo, Ill.) continued his stellar weekend by completing the final three events of the heptathlon and capturing first place with 5,158 points. Senior Reese Iversen (Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS) closed out the two-day event in sixth with 3,994 points.

"Depending on other meets from around the country, Will should have the best score in all of Division III again," coach Joe Dunham said.

The Dutch got a pair of top-three finishes from its throwers as Nathan Fitzgerald (junior, Elkader, Central HS) was second in the shot put (48 feer, 10.75 inches) while Michael Firkins (senior, Centerville) (51-9) was third in the weight throw. High jumper Caleb Cowles (freshman, Bloomfield, Davis County HS) added sixth-place finish (6-1.25)

Senior Ryan Kruse (St. Clair, Minn.) scored in three separate individual events. He tied for second in the pole vault (13-9.25) and was fourth in the 60-meter hurdles (8.58 seconds). He also added an eighth-place finish in the long jump (19-11.5)

Senior Hunter Pollpeter (Fort Madison) was right behind Kruse in the 60-meter hurdles (fifth place, 8.73 seconds). Freshman Tanner Johnson (Gallatin, Mo.) was fourth in the pole vault (13-3.5)

"Kruse had a big day in the hurdles," Dunham said. "Hunter has been running consistent and I'm proud of his effort today.

"Tanner pole vaulted really well. He's been vaulting consistently and getting better attempts. I've been pleased with his progression."

In the distance category, senior Mark Fairley (Dubuque) was the runner-up in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:46.21. Central had two of the top-five 800-meter run times as Kyle Pape (junior, Dubuque, Wahlert HS) was fourth (1:57.93) and Jon Specht (senior, Dubuque Hempstead) was fifth (1:57.94). Specht led off the distance medley relay team and Pape anchored as they placed third in 10:41.51 Cory Suedmeier (sophomore, Ankeny, Cetennial HS) and Preston Kizer (sophomore, Dubuque) ran the middle legs. Tanner Rathe's (senior, Marion, Linn-Mar HS) mile time of 4:30.07 was good for sixth.

Suedmeier ran the third leg of the fifth place 4x400-meter relay unit, joined by Mitchell Yaw (junior, Orange City, MOC-Floyd Valley HS), Blake Morgan (senior, Story City, Roland-Story HS) and Hunter Howe (senior, La Plata, Mo.). Howe and Morgan were also forth (1:26.47) and sixth (1:28.91 in the 600-meter run, respectively.
           
"Overall, it's one of those meets where we are just trying to progress and get geared up for the conference meet," Dunham said. "We've got three weeks to get the athletes ready to compete."

The Dutch track and field squad will head in multiple directions next weekend. The vast majority of the team is headed to Grinnell for the Darren Young Classic on Saturday. A small contingent of athletes are going north to Brookings, South Dakota for the South Dakota State University Indoor Classic on Friday and Saturday.