Mile posts: Items on Payton Mauldin, Isaiah Wittrock, Merga Gemeda, Kassie Parker, Alexina Teubel, Drake Hanson, Morgan Lawson
A team made up several Iowans is again on the hunt again for trophies, just three months removed from winning its first NAIA men's cross country championships.
The Dordt University men's track and field team captured its second Great Plains Athletic Conference championship in three years at the Walz Fieldhouse of Concordia University in Seward, Neb., on Saturday. The Defenders scored 204.5 points - on the strength of a dominant distance crew - to top Doane by 10.5 points and lead off this edition of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes.
Leading the charge was GPAC Men's Athlete of the Meet Payton Mauldin, who swept individual events from 400 to 800 meters. The senior and former George-Little Rock prep repeated as champion in the 600 meters and 800, running the 600 in 1:22.6 to edge teammate and former Western Christian (Hull) prep and Rock Valley native Cole Zevenbergen in the final by .57 of a second. Mauldin also won the 800 meters in 1:56.4. Both are NAIA nationals 'B' standards. Mauldin also added a title in the 400 meters in 48.81. All three finals were contested within 90 minutes of each other.
Dordt teammate Peyton Miller, a senior from Wellman, finished fourth in the 600-meter final in 1:23.54. Northwestern College sophomore Trey Engelmann, a former Alta-Aurelia prep, grabbed fifth place in 1:23.93.
Mauldin was joined atop the podium by a pair of fellow Defenders, Trey Engen and Joe Anderson. Engen established a GPAC Indoor record in the mile after running a winning 4:14.6 effort Saturday. Engen's time also is an NAIA 'A' standard for nationals. Junior teammate Peter Shippy, a former Sioux Center High athlete, ran to a runner-up finish in 4:15.35. He was .35 ahead of senior Joe Anderson, who also got the 'A' standard for nationals after placing third in 4:15.76.
Engen, a senior from Algona, added a victory in the 1,000 meters with a winning time of 2:32.6. Freshman teammate Sam May, a former MOC-Floyd Valley prep from Orange City, was second in a new personal-best 2:34.15.
Anderson came back in the second-to-last event of the day to claim a championship in the 3,000 final and clinch the team title for Dordt. Anderson ran 8:37.88, an 'A' standard for nationals, to top Shippy by 1.5 seconds. Shippy's runner-up 8:39.36 time is an NAIA 'B' standard. Graduate student Davis Tebben rounded out the top three in 8:44.21.
Tebben the previous day set a new fieldhouse record and repeated as NAIA champion after crossing the line in 14:58.49. Thaniel Schroeder finished runner-up in 15:14.99, with Aidan Vorster third in 15:20.45 to complete the Dordt sweep.
The Grand View University men's team likewise captured a team championship, in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, on Saturday in Maryville, Mo. The Vikings grabbed their fourth consecutive championship - and first under first-year coach Miradieu Joseph - by scoring 163.5 points. Grand View was 57 points clear of Mount Mercy.
The co-high points scorer was senior and Heart of America Track Athlete of the Meet Isaiah Wittrock. The former Pekin prep captured the 1,000 title, took runner-up honors in the 800 and led the Vikings to victory in the 4x800 and men's distance medley relays.
Wittrock's title in the 1,000 Saturday came in 2:29.13, edging fellow senior and former Oskaloosa High prep Carter Huyser by .09 of a second. William Penn freshman Jonah Heckenberg, a former Van Buren (Keosauqua) prep, was fourth in 2:31.25.
On Friday, the group of senior Ahren Davis (1,200), senior Kevin Curet (400), Huyser (800) and Wittrock (mile) ran a winning time of 10:25.01 to top Benedictine (Kan.) by 2.56 seconds. Davis is from Ankeny.
The day before, Grand View's 4x800 of sophomore Isaac Davis, freshman Nick Thompson, Huyser and Wittrock ran a winning time of 7:48.37 to earn the 'A' standard for nationals. Davis is from Clarion while Thompson is a freshman who attended West Marshall (State Center). The Vikings topped Park University by 3.17 seconds.
Huyser got the better of teammate Wittrock in the 800 final Saturday, running 1:54.92 for an NAIA 'B' time for nationals. Wittrock ran 1:55.45 for second.
Ahren Davis returned to place third in the mile final in a race won by Benedictine's David Mannella in 4:21.09. Mount Mercy junior Ryan Clancy was runner-up in 4:22.74, with Davis clocking 4:25.21.
Isaac Davis finished seventh in a very competitive 600 final Saturday. Davis ran 1:22.73 in that race.
Finally, in the 3,000 race walk, Grand View finished 2-4-5 to pick up valuable points. Sophomore Cole Bennett, from Ogden, was timed in 14:35.97 to score eight points. Freshman Nathan Limas, a former Roland-Story prep, was fourth in 14:45.60. Junior Seth Diser, a former Marshalltown prep, was fifth in 15:06.36. All were NAIA 'B' standards. The winner was Clarke junior and former North Polk prep Noah Church in an NAIA 'A' standard of 14:17.20. Freshman teammate Ben Vasquez was third in 14:40.76.
Moving to the NCAA Division I ranks, where former Sioux City North prep Merga Gemeda captured a victory during the Nebraska Tune-Up meet at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday. The South Dakota fifth-year senior ran a personal-best time of 4:08.24 in the mile to improve to third on the school's all-time list. Gemeda topped Augustana University's Colten Brand by .58 of a second. Placing sixth was South Dakota State's Will Lohr in a new best of 4:11.20. Lohr is a former Sioux City North prep.
Also for the Coyotes, junior Helen Gould finished runner-up in the women's mile. The former Valley High prep standout ran 4:59.05. The winner was Bekka Morgan, running unattached, in 4:53.55.
The Iowa State's men's distance medley relay ran the fourth-best time in program history to finish sixth in a loaded field at the Arkansas Qualifier on Friday. Jason Gomez (1,200), Cebastian Gentil (400), Darius Kipyego (800) and Nehemia Too (1,600) ran a 9:30.96 effort. Event champion Oklahoma State and Washington both broke the NCAA record amid the two heats contested inside the Randal Tyson Track Center. The Cowboys ran 9:16.40, with the Huskies clocking 9:16.65. The previous NCAA record was 9:19.42 set by Oregon in January of 2021 at the Tyson Center.
Cyclone junior Peter Smith captured a victory in the 800 meters in 1:47.84, an effort that was just .01 off his personal best. Smith topped Oklahoma's Anass Mghari by .61 of a second.
Also in Fayetteville, former Carlisle High great Ainsley Erzen of Arkansas finished seventh amid a strong field in the women's 800. The freshman ran 2:08.45. Former Griswold High and Wichita State star Rebekah Topham was 19th in 2:14.17. The winner was Arkansas' Britton Wilson in 2:02.13.
Moving to the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., where former Iowa All-American and Davenport Assumption standout Mallory (King) Lindaman finished ninth in prelims and third in heat 2 Friday after running 2:05.55 in the 800 meters. That time did not qualify Lindaman for the six-person final.
Also Friday, former Ballard (Huxley) and Minnesota star Abby Kohut-Jackson finished 11th in the 3,000 final. The Saint Louis graduate student ran 9:30.29 in a race won by Valerie Constien in 8:48.29.
Former Iowa State standout Daniel Nixon of the Atlanta Track Club was 15th in the 800 prelims after running 1:50.20.
At the British Indoor Championships at Birmingham, former Drake University and Missouri Valley champion Adam Fogg finished sixth in the 3,000. The Under Armour Mission Run Baltimore athlete clocked 8:00.39. James West was the winner in 7:49.78.
"After running 7:44 three weeks ago, I thought I was in the best shape of my life but I’ve struggled to get close to that again when it’s mattered most," Fogg wrote on Instagram. "Time to reset and bounce back for the outdoor season."
Iowa hosted the Iowa Open on Friday, and several Iowa natives came through with victories. Reigning NCAA Division III cross country champion Kassie Parker, a graduate student at Loras College, won the women's 1 mile Premier race in 4:51.73. That was a meet record by more than seven seconds for Parker, running unattached. Parker fought off Bradley's Peyton Schieppe by .42 of a second for the win. Former Ankeny Centennial prep Emma Gordon, a senior at Iowa, placed third in 4:55.55. Drake University graduate student Hannah Behunin, a former Northern Arizona runner, finished sixth in 5:01.56. Iowa junior and former Mount Pleasant prep Abby Ryon ran a new personal-best time of 5:01.96 for seventh place. Hawkeye senior Maddie Block also produced a new best for the distance after placing eighth in 5:04.39. Block is a former Linn-Mar prep. Iowa sophomore and former Johnston High prep Brooke McKee was ninth in 5:08.66. Former North Polk prep Amelia Lesher, a senior at Bradley, was 10th in 5:12.23.
Current Northern Iowa assistant track coach Alexina (Wilson) Teubel was the winner of the women's 800 Premier race. The former UNI great easily ran a new meet record by after being timed in 2:07.13. Iowa sophomore Amber Aesoph, a former Sioux City Heelan prep, was runner-up in a new season best of 2:10.54.
Drake sophomore and Wichita State transfer Carmen Krawczynski Gonzalez was the winner of the womne's 3,000 in a new meet record of 10.00.27.
Northern Iowa sophomore Drake Hanson was a winner for a second consecutive week in the 800 Premier race, running a new career-best time of 1:49.88. That time also was a new meet record for the former Southeast Polk prep. Freshman teammate Jayden Dickson was second in 1:54.49, while Drake senior Yiech Pur Biel was third in 1:54.67. Dickson is a former Earlham prep while Biel transferred from Iowa Central.
Iowa student and former Pleasant Valley star Max Murphy, running unattached, easily claimed victory in the mile Premier event. Murphy ran a new meet record of 4:05.72 to top Iowa sophomore Aidan King, also running unattached, by 8.02 seconds. Another Hawkeye running unattached, Jack Pendergast, was fifth in 4:20.24. Pendergast ran for Cedar Rapids Prairie. Former Cedar Falls prep Brayden Burnett was sixth in 4:21.03 while Iowa sophomore Ian Geisler grabbed seventh in 4:22.67. Both were running unattached.
The University of Minnesota hosted the Snowshoe Open and former Ames High product Noah Kohut-Jackson took runner-up honors in the mile. The Minnesota student, running unattached, ran 4:10.78. The winner was Leo Goodman in 4:09.79.
Two former Iowa Central stars led the West Texas A&M women to their 10th consecutive Lone Star Conference Indoor title at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas. Senior Florance Uwajeneza led a 1-2 finish with a 10:03.80 clocking in the 3,000 final in the next-to-last event. In second was former Triton and fellow senior Eleonora Curtabbi in 10:12.49. Curtabbi earlier had won the women's mile title in 5:00.99. Together, they helped the Buffs score 248 points.
The Iowa Central teams took home both the NCJAA Region XI men's and women's titles on the campus of Buena Vista University on Saturday. The Triton men scored 271 points to top Iowa Western by 49 points. The women edged Iowa Western, 232-225.
Helping fuel the Triton men's title was sophomore Yared Kidane, a winner in the men's 800 final Saturday. Kidane ran a meet record and NJCAA qualifying 1:53.29 to score 10 points. Indian Hills' Cole Reinders also earned an NCAA qualifying time with a runner-up finish in 1:55.22.
In the 5,000 final Friday, Iowa Western star freshman Jacinto Gaspar picked up an NJCAA qualifier after winning the 5,000 in 15:16.22. Hawkeye Community College's D'Artagnon Beaver was runner-up in 15:23.82, which also gets him to nationals. Iowa Central's Brady Hogan rounded out the podium in 15:24.76, a time that sends him to nationals.
Indian Hills showed its strength again in the men's 1,000 and 600. Sophomore Rivaldo Marshall set a facility record and NCAA qualifying time after running 2:25.93 in the 1,000 Saturday. Iowa Western freshman Mohammed Kowa was runner-up in 2:27.43, with Indian Hills freshman Mohammed Al-Yafaee running 2:28.32 for third. All times were under the facility mark.
In the 600, Indian Hills standout freshman Tyrice Taylor earned a national qualifier with a victory in 1:20.58. Iowa Central's Tafari Bishop was second in 1:21.38. Hawkeye's Blake Osborn took third in 1:21.63. All three were nationals qualifiers. Osborn is a former Benton Community High athlete.
In the men's mile, Kowa set a meet record with a national qualifying time of 4:14.67. Iowa Central's Housem Hrabi was just .21 of a second back. Gaspar grabbed third in 4:16.78, with Iowa Central sophomore Zander Cobb fourth in 4:21.01. All were nationals qualifiers.
Gaspar, in his third race of the weekend, won the 3,000 in 8:46.37. That also is an NCAA qualifier for the freshman from Portugal.
Former Atlantic High prep Taylor McCreedy won a pair of titles for Iowa Central in the mile and 3,000, with her 10:53.49 effort in the latter getting the sophomore to nationals.
Moving back to NAIA conference meets, where St. Ambrose senior Nolan Rudd led St. Ambrose University's charge to second place in the CCAC Indoor championships. Rudd captured the 3,000 title in 8:35.40, winning by more than five seconds, and also missed a title in the mile by .07 of a second. Rudd was edged by St. Francis' Pedro Ocampo. Rudd also placed third in the 1,000 final in 2:32.44 in a race won by Ocampo in 2:31.80. The Bees scored 201.5 points to trail only Olivet Nazarene (268.50).
Former Iowa Central standout Milos Pendic of Trinity Christian became a CCAC champion in the 5,000. The junior ran 15:03.57 to win by more than four seconds over St. Francis' Michael Reif.
In the women's competition, St. Ambrose's Megan Jansett placed third in the 600 final. The senior and graduate student ran 1:39.95 to trail winner Tori Orton of Olivet Nazarene by only .51 of a second. Jansett also owns the NAIA 'A' standard for nationals.
Returning to the Heart of America meet, senior standout Morgan Lawson was a double winner for Grand View. Lawson opened Friday by winning the 5,000 in l8:01.07, a time that earns her the 'A' standard for nationals. Lawson won by more than six seconds. The next day, the former Ottumwa High standout won the 3,000 by just over two seconds after running 10:43.36. Grand View also was boosted by a runner-up finish from Paige Thompson in the 3,000 race walk. The junior and former Sigourney/Keota prep finished in 16:50.30.
Returning to the GPAC meet, where Dordt's Emilee Heynen and Jessica Kampman claimed individual titles to help the Defenders finish third in the team race. Heynen ran 2:17.8 in the 800 final to defend her title and earn an NAIA 'A' standard for nationals. Heynen is from Sioux Center.
Kampman, a senior, won the 3,000 title in 10:29.39 to earn a 'B' standard for nationals. Kampman won by more than 23 seconds. Earlier, Kampman had placed second in the mile after running 5:10.78, which is a 'B' standard for nationals. The race was won by Concordia's Rylee Haecker in 5:10.67.
Dordt's Mike Kooistra came in second in the 600 meters in 1:36.37, a season-best time that auto-qualified the senior for nationals. Doane's Annika Pingel was the winner in 1:35.47. Dordt finished third in the team race with 103 points. Concordia was the winner for the eighth straight season with 241.5 points.
The Iowa Central teams took home both the NCJAA Region XI men's and women's titles on the campus of Buena Vista University on Saturday. The Triton men scored 271 points to top Iowa Western by 49 points. The women edged Iowa Western, 232-225.
Helping fuel the Triton men's title was sophomore Yared Kidane, a winner in the men's 800 final Saturday. Kidane ran a meet record and NJCAA qualifying 1:53.29 to score 10 points. Indian Hills' Cole Reinders also earned an NCAA qualifying time with a runner-up finish in 1:55.22.
In the 5,000 final Friday, Iowa Western star freshman Jacinto Gaspar picked up an NJCAA qualifier after winning the 5,000 in 15:16.22. Hawkeye Community College's D'Artagnon Beaver was runner-up in 15:23.82, which also gets him to nationals. Iowa Central's Brady Hogan rounded out the podium in 15:24.76, a time that sends him to nationals.
Indian Hills showed its strength again in the men's 1,000 and 600. Sophomore Rivaldo Marshall set a facility record and NCAA qualifying time after running 2:25.93 in the 1,000 Saturday. Iowa Western freshman Mohammed Kowa was runner-up in 2:27.43, with Indian Hills freshman Mohammed Al-Yafaee running 2:28.32 for third. All times were under the facility mark.
In the 600, Indian Hills standout freshman Tyrice Taylor earned a national qualifier with a victory in 1:20.58. Iowa Central's Tafari Bishop was second in 1:21.38. Hawkeye's Blake Osborn took third in 1:21.63. All three were nationals qualifiers. Osborn is a former Benton Community High athlete.
In the men's mile, Kowa set a meet record with a national qualifying time of 4:14.67. Iowa Central's Housem Hrabi was just .21 of a second back. Gaspar grabbed third in 4:16.78, with Iowa Central sophomore Zander Cobb fourth in 4:21.01. All were nationals qualifiers.
Gaspar, in his third race of the weekend, won the 3,000 in 8:46.37. That also is an NCAA qualifier for the freshman from Portugal.
Former Atlantic High prep Taylor McCreedy won a pair of titles for Iowa Central in the mile and 3,000, with her 10:53.49 effort in the latter getting the sophomore to nationals.
Northwest Missouri State's Bailey Blake claimed a victory in the women's 800 at the Last Chance Meet in Maryville, Mo. The sophomore and former Indianola High prep earned an NCAA Division II nationals provisional qualifying time with her 2:12.18 effort.
The Loras and Wartburg College teams sent some individuals to the Indoor Eagle Open at UW-La Crosse on Friday. Sophomore Ryan Harvey led a 1-2-3 Loras finish in the mile. He ran 4:12.72, wit junior Carlos Dannenfelser second in a new personal-best 4:15.63 and sophomore Jacob Belha third in a new best of 4:16.26. Both landed in the top 10 in Duhawks history. Dannenfelser is a former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep.
Also, in the 800, Loras senior Wyatt Kelly was a winner in 1:54.72. Kelly is a former Hudson prep.
Wartburg's distance medley relay ran to a winning time of 9:53.64 that stands as sixth-best nationally. The runners were sophomore Jack Kinzer (1,200), junior Jensen Clapp (400), fifth-year senior Wyatt Schmidt (800) and junior Christopher Collet. Kinzer is a former North Liberty prep. Clapp is from Grundy Center while Schmidt ran for Northeast of Preston.
The Wartburg women's distance medley relay team of Ellie Meyer, junior Rachel Nagel, freshman Haley Meyer and junior Aubrie Fisher took second behind La Crosse in 11:48.97, an effort that is sixth best nationally. Ellie Meyer, a sophomore, is a former Iowa Falls-Alden prep. Nagel ran for Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Haley Meyer is a former Kee (Lansing) prep. Fisher went to AGWSR (Ackley).
The next day at the Liz Wuertz Invite in Waverly, Central College junior Caroline McMcMartin took down the school record, breaking 5 minutes for the first time with a 4:58.62 effort. McMartin is a former Pella High athlete. Ellie Meyer returned to take second in 5:04.70 while McMartin's teammate, former Aplington-Parkersburg prep and sophomore Megan Johnson, was third in 5:04.82. McMartin now owns three school records this season.
"Caroline is on fire, I don't know how else to say it," coach Brandon Sturman said on Central's athletics website. "(Associate head coach Joe) Dunham is doing a phenomenal job with her. She's doing everything she needs to do on and off the track."
In the men's mile, Central senior Adam Sylvia was a winner as well, running 4:16.28. Simpson College sophomore Drew Klein was runner-up in 4:21.90. The former Des Moines Lincoln runner is now No. 9 on the Storm's all-time list.
Collet came back to cruise to a win in the 3,000. The reigning NCAA outdoor 3,000 steeplechase champion ran 8:13.89 to win by more than 40 seconds.
Schmidt also was a winner in the 800 meters, taking a time of 1:55.08.
Former Wartburg runner Dallas Wright, running unattached, took a victory in the 600 meters in 1:22.75. The former Carlisle prep won by almost two seconds.
Finishing with the roads, where former Iowa State runner Tyler Jermann took runner-up honors in the Austin Half Marathon on Sunday. The Minnesota Distance Elite athlete ran 1:05:16 and was beaten to the finish by only Brendan Gregg, who ran 1:04:45.
In Iowa, at the Freezefest 5K in Marion on Saturday, Matt Lorenz, 23, was the overall winner in 15:18. The resident of Swisher and former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep was the Fifth Season 8K winner in July. The women's winner was former Elaina Biechler, 36, of Dubuque. The former Mount Pleasant prep and Coe College standout ran 18:09.
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 Payton Mauldin, Isaiah Wittrock, Merga Gemeda, Kassie Parker, Alexina Teubel, Drake Hanson, Morgan Lawson
