PELLA — In his first appearance of the Central College men's track and field season at the Dutch Athletics Classic, high jumper Sam Beatty (senior, Mount Pleasant) set a new indoor personal best and likely sealed a trip to the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in March.

Central topped the team standings with 177.5 points in a field that included Simpson College, Iowa Wesleyan University, Missouri Valley College and Southwestern Community College.

"The biggest thing for me is that the majority of our team came back after break in shape," coach Brandon Sturman said. "They did the work over break to be able to continue building off what we did first semester."
           
Beatty cleared the bar at 6 feet, 8.75 inches to win the high jump. He's one of just four jumpers in Division III to reach that height so far this season.
           
"It's super exciting to hit a mark like that this early in the season," Sturman said. "He can relax a little bit the rest of the indoor season, retrain a few things and then hit big marks in conference."
           
Lucas Heitz (senior, Adel, ADM HS) had a new personal-best mark in the pole vault, winning with a mark of 13-5.25. Jaxon Thompson (junior, Marion, Linn-Mar HS) was second with 12-5.5
           
"Breaking 13 feet is exciting," Sturman said. "Pole vault is also a big event for Lucas in the heptathlon. If he can do that at the national meet, that gives him a chance to be an All-American."
           
Theo Baldus (fifth year, St. Ansgar) swept the throwing events, winning the shot put in 44-2.75 and the weight throw in 52-5.
           
"It's a good to see him build confidence and getting some extra reps," Sturman said.
           
Adam Sylvia (senior, Rochester, Mass., Old Rochester HS) was the 3,000-meter run winner in 8 minutes, 53.32 seconds. Cutler Owens (fifth year, Runnells, Southeast Polk HS) was second (8:56.42) and Caleb Silver (senior, Conrad, BCLUW HS) was third (9:01.12).
           
Noah Erickson (junior, Mount Vernon) led the way in the 200-meter dash in 23.51 seconds. Brian Hart (sophomore, Norwalk) was second (23.83 seconds) and Carson Zeitler (sophomore, Milton, Davis County HS) was third (23.96 seconds). Erickson and Zeitler ran the 4x400-meter relay team with Tanner Fry (sophomore, Osceola, Clarke HS) and Brody Klein (junior, Rainier, Wash.) in 3:39.75, finishing second.
           
Reid Pakkebier (sophomore, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) was second in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.33 seconds.
           
Central travels to the Prairie Wolf Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday, starting at 4:15 p.m.