DUBUQUE — Three individual champions and nine all-conference performers highlighted Friday's action at the American Rivers Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the Central College men's team.

Through eight events, Central is just off the pace with 73.5 points. Wartburg College leads with 74 points.

Sam Beatty (junior, Mount Pleasant) defended his outdoor high jump title, winning for the second year in a row after clearing the bar at 6 feet, 10.25 inches, a new personal-best mark for the junior who joined the team in March after basketball season was over.

"The more we get him jumping after basketball the better he gets," coach Brandon Sturman said. "These tougher competitions like today only get him better for the national meet."

Teammate Drake Lewis (senior, Lathrop, Mo.) tied for third with a high jump of 6-6.

Central took four of the eight scoring spots in the decathlon. Brody Klein (sophomore, Rainier, Wash.) led the way with a title-winning 6,413 points and sweeping the multi-event titles for 2022. He also won the indoor heptathlon crown. Reid Pakkebier (freshman, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) earned all-conference status with a runner-up total of 6,294 points.

"Brody dealt with some adversity the last time he did a decathlon," Sturman said. "He was able to overcome it and put together a strong meet with a bunch PRs."

Jaxon Thompson (sophomore, Marion, Linn-Mar HS) was fourth with 6,243 points and Nick Thompson (senior, Newhall, Benton HS) was eighth with 5,453 points.

"The multis carried some momentum into the day for our teams as a whole," Sturman said.

Long jumper Brock Lewis (senior, Lathrop, Mo.) reestablished his school record for the third time this season by reaching 24-10.5 on his second jump. He did not even use the three extra jumps he was awarded in the final and still was victorious.

"He had an even bigger jump on his first attempt but just barely fouled," Sturman said. "He backed up a little bit and hit the board well on his second jump."

Another school record fell as the 4x800-meter relay team of Adam Sylvia (junior, Rochester, Mass., Old Rochester HS), Jack Sagan (senior, Riverside, Riverside-Brookfield HS), Noah Jorgenson (sophomore, Sidney) and Will DeHaan (senior, DeWitt, Central DeWitt HS) crossed the line in 7 minutes, 36.91 seconds to finish second.

Discus thrower Theo Baldus (senior, St. Ansgar) finished runner-up with a toss of 161-6.
           
"It was really good for him," Sturman said. "He's still sitting No. 15 after today. Hopefully he can get a bigger mark at the last chance next week."

The Dutch also had scoring performances in the 3,000-meter steeplechase from Thatcher Krob (senior, Lisbon) and Caleb Silver (junior, Conrad, BCLUW HS). Krob was fifth in 9:19.48 and Silver was sixth in 9:23.71. Thomas Spoehr (senior, Bennington, Neb.) chipped in a point by fishing eighth in the shot put (47-0.75)

Lucas Heitz (junior, Adel, ADM HS) and Connor Miklos (sophomore, Lockport, Ill., Providence Catholic HS both qualified for Saturday's 110-meter hurdle finals. Heitz won the first heat in 15.04 seconds and Miklos took the final qualifying spot with a time of 15.78 seconds.

Also qualifying for a Saturday final was Jorgenson in the 800 meters (5th – 1:52.71), Nolan Reynolds (junior, Montezuma) in the 400 meters (6th – 49.42) and Carter Tryon (senior, Winterset) in the 400 hurdles (7^th – 56.54)

The third and final day of the conference meet starts Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with field events. The running events start at 1:30 p.m.