LINCOLN, NEBRASKA—It was a six-win weekend for the Central College women's track and field squad which secured third place at the American Rivers Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska Saturday.
           
After winning a pair of events Friday, Central finished first in four more Saturday, racking up 165.5 points and nearly chasing down second-place Loras College, which had 186.5. Wartburg College topped the field with 234.5 while Nebraska Wesleyan University was fourth at 117.5. Central scored 103 points in last year's conference meet.
           
"We were just 21 ponts away (from second place)," coach Brandon Sturman said. "And then you look at the spreadsheet and see where we're missing. Those are areas we need to continue to work on as a staff and program to grow. But we're not far off and hopefully we can keep moving forward."
           
Abbi Roerdink (senior, Tiffin, Ohio, Hopewell-Loudon HS) broke a 40-year-old school record in claiming the 400-meter crown in 55.75 seconds, eclipsing former NCAA champion Nancy Cisar's 1984 mark of 55.79 seconds.
                
Then Roerdink anchored Central's 4x400-meter relay unit which won with a season-best 3:49.26, joined by Lizzy Van Utrecht (freshman, Ottumwa, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont HS), Emily McMartin (sophomore, Pella) and Ava Parkins (freshman, Monmouth, Ill., Burlington Notre Dame HS).
           
"It was a tight race for a little while but that's what we want," Sturman said. "It was really an awesome performance."
           
It was a satisfying, albeit exhausting, day for Roerdink.
           
"Abbi's come a long way since her freshman year," coach Brandon Sturman said. "At the end of last year, we sat down and this was her goal, to get the school record. She did it indoors and then she wanted to run faster outdoors and help the 4x400 do their thing. I'm really proud and happy that she was able to break both the indoor and outdoor records."
           
Sturman is hopeful there are more Roerdink records still ahead as the Dutch are well-positioned in both the 400 and 4x400 for berths in the NCAA Division III meet May 23-25 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
           
Meanwhile the Dutch distance crew raked in points for Central Saturday. Caroline McMartin (senior, Pella) led a Central near-sweep of the 1,500 meters, winning in a school-record 4 minutes, 29.24 seconds, breaking the mark Megan Johnson (senior, Parkersburg, Aplington-Parkersburg HS) set earlier this season. Saturday Johnson crossed the line in second in 4:30.38. Johnson had edged fellow all-America honoree McMartin Friday night in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Peyton Steffen (sophomore, Marion) was third in 4:31.71 while Addison Parrott (junior, Danville) was sixth in 4:42.31, giving the Dutch 27 points in the event.
           
In another productive event, Johnson came back to win the 5,000 meters on short rest in 17:09.13 with McMartin third (17:25.25), Parrott fourth (17:54.26) and Lindsey Davidson (senior, Northwood, Northwood-Kensett HS) sixth (18:45.87).
           
"We've talked about them all year, but our distance runners had an amazing weekend," Sturman said. "Today it started in the 1,500. Caroline, Megan and Peyton went out hard. Their goal was to kind of use that race to help Peyton also qualify (for the national meet). They went out fast and Caroline was able to make a move at the end to win. But that was an awesome effort for those three to double back off of yesterday."
                 
Amber Vroman (junior, Seneca, Ill.) was second in the pole vault at 10 feet, 9 inches with Leah Howard (sophomore, Auburn, N.Y.)  was fifth at 9-9.25.
           
"Everyone's goal is to win the conference championship and unfortunately for Amber, it didn't happen that way," Sturman said. "But she had a great, great season and I was really happy for her to get an all-conference performance out of it."
           
The Dutch were third in the 4x100-meter relay in 47.45 seconds with Mary Gustason (sophomore, Marion, Linn-Mar HS), Roerdink, Emily McMartin and Parkins. Emily McMartin was also sixth in the 100 meters (12.49 seconds) with Parkins eighth (12.60 seconds) while McMartin was fifth in the 200 meters (25.39 seconds). Steffen was fourth in the 800 (2:18.62).
           
"I tip my hat to Emily McMartin," Sturman said. "She had a long weekend. She had the (100 and 200) yesterday, and today she had the (100, 200 and 4x100) and then was able to come back and run that 4x400 for us on a pretty hot day."
           
Olivia Bohlen (sophomore, Belle Plaine) was third in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.97 seconds. Abby Gruver (senior, Sully, Lynnville-Sully HS) was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:04.37).
           
"I was really happy for Abby," Sturman said. "She's come a long way since her freshman year. It was awesome for her to be able to finish with another lifetime best."
           
Sturman expects about 20 Central athletes will head to a last-chance meet at the Augustana Qualifier in Rock Island, Illinois Thursday as they prepare for the NCAA meet.