WAVERLY — Needing to improve his mark to punch a ticket to the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, Gage Huyser (senior, Pella) won the heptathlon at the Wartburg Qualifier Saturday.

Huyser's winning total of 5,007 points puts him No. 5 Central's all-time list and No. 7 in Division III this season.

The women's distance medley relay quartet of Maddy Stevens (freshman, Grimes, Dallas Center-Grimes HS,
Olivia Phillips (freshman, Saint Charles, Interstate 35 HS), Kyra Cordes (freshman, Marion) and Peyton Steffen (senior, Marion) finished in 11 minutes, 45.35 seconds. The Dutch placed fifth in the meet, but after converting for running on a banked track, it's the No. 9 qualifying mark in the country.

Grant Miller (senior, Norwalk) was second in the men's 60-meter hurdles (8.16 seconds) and Ava Parkins (junior, Monmouth, Ill., Burlington Notre Dame [Iowa] HS),) was the runner-up in the women's 400-meter dash (57.11 seconds).
           
Official qualifying lists for next weekend's national meet in Birmingham, Alabama will be released Sunday.
 
Wartburg Qualifier results (top-10 finishes)
Men's 60-meter hurdles – 2. Grant Miller, 8.16
Women's 400-meter dash – 2. Ava Parkins, 57.11
Women's 800-meter run – 7. Kyra Cordes, 2:14.66
Men's high jump – 1. Gunner Meyer, 6-6; 2. Lance Bunde, 6-6
Men's weight throw – 10. Alex Zarlatanes, 53-9.75
Men's heptathlon – 1. Gage Huyser, 5,007 points
Women's distance medley relay – 5. Maddy Stevens/Olivia Phillips/Kyra Cordes/Peyton Steffen, 11:45.35
Women's 4x400-meter relay – 9. Alivia Roerdink/Kennedy Petersen/Emily McMartin/Ava Parkins, 3:59.01