Wins by Martin, Yeager pace Storm at outdoor season opener

PELLA, Iowa – Lauren Martin won the 100-meter dash and Nick Yaeger won the 3,000-meter steeplechase to lead the Simpson track and field teams at the outdoor season-opening Central Invitational on Thursday.

The men placed fourth of eight teams with 92 points while the women took seventh of nine with 59 points.

Martin broke the tape in 12.66 seconds, earning her first career win in the 100 meters. Yeager finished his first steeplechase since 2013 in 9:51.46, a 22-second personal record.

Trevor McKee and Isaac Frazier added second-place efforts for the men's team with McKee running a 57.81 in the 400-meter hurdles and Frazier clearing 6-5 1/2 in the high jump. Dylan Kalinay came in third in the 110-meter high hurdles (14.98) and Bayley Fleshner placed third in the 100-meter hurdles for the women (15.19).

All of Simpson's relay teams placed third. On the men's side, the team of Kalinay, Davey Jergens, Tate Tufte and Triston Twedt ran 43.71 in the 4x100 and Brice Sheeder, Tufte, Twedt and McKee ran 3:31.52 in the 4x400. The women's 4x100 relay squad of Fleshner, Martin, Sarah Ney and Sarah Galbraith ran 50.29 and the 4x400 team of Martin, Jessica Gronke, Courtney Neuendorf and Galbraith ran 4:15.91.

Simpson is off for the Easter Holiday and returns to action next weekend, April 10-11, at the Jim Duncan Invitational in Des Moines.

Women's Team Standings
1. Central, 143.5; 2. Mount Mercy, 118; 3. Loras, 95; 4. Clarke, 89.5; 5. Winona State, 85; 6. William Penn, 78; 7. Simpson, 59; 8. Waldorf, 15; 9. Faith Baptist, 2

Men's Team Standings
1. Loras, 212; 2. William Penn, 174; 3. Central, 119; 4. Simpson, 89; 5. Clarke, 46; 6. Mount Mercy, 37; 7. Waldorf, 13; 8. Faith Baptist, 2

Women's Top Performances
100 – 1. Lauren Martin, 12.66; 8. Sarah Ney, 13.52
200 – 8. Sarah Ney, 27.66; 10. Lauren Martin, 27.97
400 – 5. Keeghan Corcoran, 1:07.52
800 – 12. Jessica Gronke, 2:36.83
1500 – 6. Courtney Neuendorf, 5:12.83; 8. Lesley Roquet, 5:22.16
100 hurdles – 3. Bayley Fleshner, 15.19
400 hurdles – 7. Sarah Galbraith, 1:12.43
4x100 relay – 3. Fleshner/Martin/Ney/Galbraith, 50.29
4x400 relay – 3. Martin/Gronke/Neuendorf/Galbraith, 4:15.91
High jump – 5. Sarah Galbraith, 1.43m
Pole vault – 3. Audrey Lovan, 2.15m
Long jump – 7. Bayley Fleshner, 4.78m
Triple jump – 6. Elisa Wildy, 10.31m
Javelin throw – 9. Hannah Moulds, 27.53m

Men's Top Performances
100 – 5. Davey Jergens, 11.34
200 – 6. Dylan Kalinay, 22.74
400 – 5. Brice Sheeder, 50.64; 6. Jack Fritzjunker, 52.88
800 – 7. Cody Alexander, 2:02.74
1500 – 7. Miles Kirts, 4:15.35; 9. Ian McKenzie, 4:17.93; 10. Blake Willadsen, 4:20.47
110 hurdles – 3. Dylan Kalinay, 14.98
400 hurdles – 2. Trevor McKee, 57.81
3000 steeplechase – 1. Nick Yaeger, 9:51.46
4x100 relay – 3. Kalinay/Jergens/Tufte/Twedt, 43.71
4x400 – 3. Sheeder/Tufte/Twedt/McKee, 3:31.52
High jump – 2. Isaac Frazier, 1.97m
Pole vault – 4. Mitch Stoltzman, 3.95m
Long jump – 5. Brandt Seward, 6.07m
Shot put – Koltin Pfaffle, 12.16m