MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Saving her best 3,000-meter steeplechase race for last, Central College women's track and field senior Megan Johnson (senior, Parkersburg, Aplington-Parkersburg HS) won the national title at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships Friday.

Running the seventh-fastest time in Division III history, Johnson bested the field by nearly 10 seconds in 10 minutes, 13.46 seconds. She becomes Central's first female individual national champion since Alicia Whisner won the javelin throw in 2007.

"Megan ran amazing," coach Brandon Sturman said. "It's awesome to have seen her make the strides and improvements she's made over the last four years and she deserves everything she's earned, including this national championship."

Johnson was joined on the All-American podium by teammates Caroline McMartin (1senior, Pella) and Addison Parrott (junior, Danville) who finished second (10:22.61) and seventh (10:37.31), respectively. It's the first time since 2002 three Dutch women were individual All-Americans in the same event.
           
"It's a testament to the work they are putting in together and with Coach Dunham," Sturman said. "They repeated their success from cross country, and it was exciting to watch. It's something special that you don't see very often."
           
Climbing up eight spots in the men's decathlon, Gavin Smith (sophomore, Audubon) also earned a podium finish and first team All-American honors with 6,808 points and a sixth-place outing.  His was the fourth All-American performance by a Dutch decathlete since 2018. 
           
"He had a great day two," Sturman said. "He gutted it out in the 1500 meters to move up a few spots. It's awesome to see him have this much success."

Kale Hobart (freshman, Mason City) was also 17th in the decathlon (6,312 points) with teammates Reid Pakkebier (junior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) and Gage Huyser (sophomore, Pella) close behind. Pakkebier had 6,311 points in 18th place and Huyser had 6,099 in 20th.
           
Olivia Bohlen's (sophomore, Belle Plaine) 12th-place finish in the heptathlon earned her second team All-American accolades with a two-day total of 4,654 points. She gives the Dutch women their first All-American in the heptathlon since Jill Ziskovsky was fifth in 2011.
           
"Olivia did a great job," Sturman said. "She did good today but some other of the competitors just did a little bit better. She had to run the 800 with one shoe after her foot got stepped on 20 meters into the race. She's young and has two more years to come back here."

In preliminary races Friday, Abbi Roerdink (senior, Tiffin, Ohio, Hopewell-Loudon HS) was 13th in the women's 400-meter dash (56.31 seconds) and Noah Jorgenson (senior, Sidney) was 22nd in the men's 800-meter run (1:55.91). Roerdink merited second time All-American honors for her placement

"Abbi has had a great season and career," Sturman said. "She's come a long way since her freshman year. It wasn't how we wanted it to end, but she gave it everything she had."

Central has five individuals across four events on Saturday on the final day of competition Saturday.