Mile posts: Items on Emma Hoins, Chase Noche, Nehemia Too, Caroline McMartin, Merga Gemeda, Peter Shippy, Austin O'Brien

The Easter weekend of track and field was the perfect opportunity for two Northern Iowa athletes to snag their first collegiate wins in this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes.

Sophomore Emma Hoins captured the women's 3,000 steeplechase at the Fighting Illini Challenge at Demirjian Park in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday. The former Waverly-Shell Rock prep and Hawkeye Community College transfer ran the second-fastest time, 10 minutes, 34.86 seconds, in program history to cruise to the victory. Hoins claimed victory by nearly 30 seconds over Illinois freshman Maggie Gamboa. Placing fourth for the Panthers was senior Mia Rampton in 11:18.60. Rampton is a former Dubuque Senior athlete.

Sophomore Chase Noche also was a winner for the first time as a Panther in the 800 meters. The former Calamus-Wheatland runner clocked a career-best time of 1:50.92 to edge Illinois' Tadeas Placek by .11 for the victory in heat 1. Iowa's Martin Strong, a sophomore, ran a season-best 1:52.30 for seventh. Northern Iowa sophomore and former Dubuque Hempstead athlete David Holesinger was 13th in 1:53.85. Holesinger ran in heat 2.

Iowa sophomore Jaiden Itson finished sixth in the women's 800 in 2:10.73 in a competition won by Illinois junior Olivia Howell in 2:02.72.

More results from Northern Iowa included sophomore Brady Griebel finishing sixth in the men's 3,000 steeplechase in 9:55.09. Griebel is a former Bellevue prep. Illinois' Anthony Maida won the race in 9:14.44.

Panthyer sophomore Kate Crawford ran 17:29.57 to place seventh in the 5,000. Crawford is a former Guthrie Center prep. The winner was Northwestern's Katherine Hessler in 17:02.42.

Northern Iowa senior Paige Holub finished 15th in a deep women's 1,500 field. The former Monticello prep ran 4:40.15. Fellow Panther and sophomore Ella Popenhagen finished 19th in 4:43.76. Poppenhagen is a former Cedar Rapids Kennedy prep. Bradley's Amelia Lesher, a former North Polk prep, ran 4:47.97 for 27th. The winner was Northwestern's Anna Hightower in 4:27.96.

Eastern Illinois sophomore Ethan Black finished 15th in the 5,000 in 14:56.68. Black is a former Clinton High athlete.

Iowa freshman Hayden Kuhn, a former Linn-Mar prep, ran the 1,500 in 3:54.30 for 16th place. Sophomore teammate Aidan King ran a new personal-best 3:54.70 for 17th. The winner was Bradley's George Watson in 3:46.71.

Moving to the Dutch Invitational in Pella on Friday, where Iowa State senior Nehemia Too was a double winner. Too started by capturing the victory in the 1,500 in 3:48.58. Sophomore teammate Silas Winders, a Southern Indiana transfer, was runner-up in 3:49.27. Drake University freshman Juan Trasobares of Spain was third in 3:50.19. Former Dallas Center-Grimes prep and current Drake freshman Aidan Ramsey ended up fourth, just .02 behind Trasobares. Bulldog graduate student and former Southern Utah athlete Nate Osterstock was fifth in 3:52.38. Iowa State true freshman Seth Clevenger ended up sixth in 3:52.68.

Too then turned around and captured the win in the 800 meters in 1:51.64. Winders was runner-up in 1:54.24. Drake senior and Iowa Central Community College transfer Yiech Pur Biel was third in 1:54.87.

Drake sophomore Brendan Cain was a winner in the 3,000 steeplechase in a new best of 9:31.54. Cain, a former Sheldon High prep, won by nearly 30 seconds.

Small college runners also picked up victories at the event at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium. Central College junior Caroline McMartin cruised to victory by just over six seconds in the 1,500 after running 4:35.92. McMartin is a former Pella High athlete. Junior teammate Megan Johnson, a former Aplington-Parkersburg prep, was third in 4:45.55.

Central's Noah Jorgenson was a winner in the 3,000 meters, holding off senior teammate Adam Sylvia by .20 of a second for the win in 8:42.61. Jorgenson is a junior and former Southwest (Sidney) athlete. Simpson College sophomore and former Des Moines Lincoln runner Drew Klein took third in 8:44.52.

Drake freshman Katherine Lawson, running unattached, was a winner in the 3,000 meters after crossing the finish line in 10:15.41.

Former Iowa runner and current Cedar Rapids Prairie assistant track coach Matt Lorenz was runner-up in the 5,000 meters. Lorenz ran 14:47.52. Central senior and former BCLUW (Conrad) runner Caleb Silver ended up third in 14:49.21. Calvin Rohde of Concordia (Neb.) was the winner in 14:42.28.

Moving to the USD Early Bird meet in Vermillion, S.D., on Friday, where former Sioux City North athlete Merga Gemeda was a winner over a former fellow North Stars runner. The South Dakota fifth-year senior ran 3:54.18 for the 1,500 meters to edge Will Lohr by .6 of a second. That time was just one second off Gemeda's best for the distance. Lohr is a South Dakota State student who was running unattached. Dordt University senior Trey Engen, a former Algona High prep, was sixth in a new personal-best 3:57.37.

Dordt senior Peter Shippy picked up the 'A' standard for NAIA nationals by capturing runner-up honors in the 3,000 steeplechase. Shippy, a former Sioux Center prep, ran 9:21.35, a time that ranks third in the NAIA. Senior teammate Thaniel Schroeder was third in 9:24.04, a time good for the NAIA 'B' standard. Minnesota State's Carter Owen, a former Valley High runner, was sixth in 9:54.50. The winner was MSU-Moorhead's Adnew Stueven in 9:20.72.

Former Central Lyon-GLR prep Joe Anderson of Dordt was a winner in the 5,000 meters, hitting the NAIA 'B' standard in the process. The Defenders senior ran 14:44.60 to cruise to victory by 10.10 seconds.

Payton Mauldin, another former Central Lyon-GLR prep, ran the top time in the NAIA while taking runner-up honors in the 800 meters. The senior's 1:50.19 effort is good for the NAIA 'A' standard. He was behind two MSU-Moorhead runners, including winner Jared Gregoire (1:49.71).

Also earning the 'A' standard for Dordt was graduate student Davis Tebben in the 10,000. Tebben ran 30:49.78 in a race won by unattached athlete Garret Ehlers in 30:45.84.

South Dakota fourth-year junior Madison Jochum grabbed two wins over the weekend. The former Sioux City Heelan prep won the 800 meters by 1.1 second on Friday in 2:15.00. Jochum the next day won the 400 meters in 57.53 seconds.

Dordt senior Jessica Kampman ran the No. 4 time in Defenders history during a winning effort in the 10,000. Kampman's 37:42.53 time is good for the NAIA 'B' standard.

Also getting the 'B' standard for NAIA nationals after placing fourth in the 3,000 steeplechase was Dordt junior Taylor Anema. Her time of 11:22.76 is sixth best in the NAIA and the No. 2 time in program history.

Omaha freshman Kamryn Ensley finished 11th in a competitive 1,500.

Omaha freshman and former Valley High standout Kamryn Ensley finished third in the women's 1,500. The former Valley High standout ran 4:47.67. Iowa Central sophomore Chloe Garcia Grafing grabbed 14th in 4:51.83. The winner was Sioux Falls' Khot Juac in 4:32.56.

Iowa Central's Taylor McCreedy, a former Atlantic runner, was third in the 5,000 in 18:12.56.

Several Wartburg College athletes were winners at the Ashton May Invitational on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Friday. Knights junior Christopher Collet, the reigning NCAA Division III steeplechase champion, was the winner in the 1,500 in 3:50.15. Collet was .58 ahead of Oshkosh's Steven Potter.

Junior teammate Wyat Schmidt captured the win in the 800 meters after clocking 1:51.97. The former Northeast of Preston athlete won by 1.52 seconds.

Knights freshman Lance Sobaski, a former Washington High prep, ran a strong 9:17.82 to place fourth in the 3,000 steeplechase. Sophomore teammate Clay Pehl, a former Madrid athlete from Ankeny, ran 9:28.62 for seventh.

In the 5,000, Runablaze's Adam Bohach of Cresco took third in 15:20.68. Bohach is a former Luther College runner. The winner was Zach Slevin of La Crosse in 15:15.81.

Earning third in the women's 1,500 was multi-time Wartburg All-American Aubrie Fisher. The former AGWSR of Ackley prep and Knights junior ran 4:37.91. Former New London prep Lexi Brown, a Wartburg junior, was sixth in 4:39.88. Brown was fourth nationally in the NCAA Division III indoor mile. In 11th for Wartburg was sophomore Ellie Meyer, a former Iowa Falls-Alden athlete. Meyer ran 4:46.16.

Runablaze's Flannery Cerbin-Bohach was runner-up in the 5,000. The former Luther College runner from Cresco was timed in 17:53.46, less than two seconds behind winner Allison Hendrickson, also running unattached.

In action at the K.T. Woodman College Classic in Wichita, Kan., former Iowa Central star Aspel Kiprob ran 14:16.02 for third place. Kiprob is now a sophomore at NCAA Division II East Central (Okla.). Former Center Point-Urbana prep Myles Bach, a sophomore at Nebraska-Kearney, was 13th in 14:44.17. The winner was Tulsa's Charlie Krasnoff in 14:15.13.

Indian Hills freshman Cole Reinders took sixth in the 800 meters in 1:53.68. The winner was Butler Community College's Wail Bourahli in 1:51.79.

Former North Iowa Area Community College runner Sarah Bertry of the host Wichita State team grabbed runner-up honors in 36:07.07 in the 10,000. The winner was Tulsa's Avery Hill in 35:58.74.

Grinnell College junior Brian Goodell cruised to victory in the 3,000 steeplechase at the Rittgers Invitational on Friday hosted by Coe College. Goodell ran 9:26.76, a time that ranks third best in program history. He won by nearly 35 seconds. His freshman teammate, Keely Miyamoto, was a winner in the women's 5,000 in 18:17.36.

Illinois State's Mattison Plummer ended up runner-up in the 3,000 steeplechase at the Joe Walker Invite in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday. The Illinois State sophomore and former Southeast Polk prep ran 10:39.27.

Closing out track and field with the 15th annual David Suenram Gorilla Classic in Pittsburg, Kan., where former Iowa Western standout Samuel Hydro finished fifth in the 800 in 1:53.12.

Finishing with the roads, where Runablaze Iowa's Austin O'Brien, 30, repeated as champion at the Loop the Lake 8K at Gray's Lake Park in Des Moines on Saturday. The former Central College and Pleasant Valley High star ran 25:22.79. Rob Semelroth, 48, was runner-up in 27:46.73.

GOING BACK: Scott Gall, 48, of Cedar Falls claimed the overall title at the Fool's 5K on April 1 at George Wyth State Park in Cedar Falls/Waterloo. Gall ran 16:23. The women's winner was Runablaze's Flannery Cerbin-Bohach, 36, in 18:07.

MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at bergeson@registermedia.com.

Want to hear more about distance running in Iowa. Listen to my podcast here: https://anchor.fm/lance-bergeson8

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Emma Hoins, Chase Noche, Nehemia Too, Caroline McMartin, Merga Gemeda, Peter Shippy, Austin O'Brien