PELLA — A team championship at the Dutch Athletics Classic Saturday started off the Central College men's track and field team's spring season on the right foot.
Central scored 168 points, while Truman State University (Mo.) had 159 in second place. Despite the solid team performance, first-year coach
Brandon Sturman said there is still a lot of room for improvement.
"All around, the times aren't where we need them to," he said. "Everyone is competing well in their heats. I still think they are beat up and sore from the last two weeks. We pushed them pretty hard coming back from break."
A time of 52.39 in the 400-meter run was good for a first-place finish by
Mitchell Yaw (senior, Orange City, MOC-Floyd Valley HS). He ran the opening leg of the top 4x400-meter relay team that finished first in 3:31.36. He was joined by junior
Cory Suedmeier (Ankeny, Centennial HS) and freshmen
Carter Tryon (Winterset) and
Alec Stahl (Steamboat Rock, AGWSR HS).
"Those four did good," Sturman said. "That was exciting for them to win by a lot."
Suedmeier also placed third in the 200-meter dash in 23.51.
"Cory did really well," Sturman said. "He had a two-tenths of a second PR in the 200."
Nathan Fitzgerald (senior, Elkader, Central HS) had second-place marks in the shot put (46-2) and weight throw (48-11.5)
"That was a nice PR for him in the weight throw." Sturman said. "He hasn't been practicing as long as everybody else because of football."
Will Daniels (junior, Geneseo, Ill.) shared a high jump title (6-6.75) and won the pole vault (13-11.25).
Jeremy Fopma (freshman, Marion) and Kyle Pape (senior, Dubuque, Wahlert Catholic HS) ran the fastest times in the mile and 3,000-meter runs, respectively. Fopma crossed the line in 4:30.93 and Pape ran his 15 laps in 9:09.25
Bryant Seuferer (junior, Milo, Southeast Warren HS) was second in the mile (4:34.90) and
Daniel Sunvold (junior, Monroe, Southeast Polk HS) was third in the 3,000 (9:24.12).
Central will be headed west to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Prairie Wolf Invitational on Friday.
