PCM shows off strengths at Pekin indoor track meet

PELLA — The PCM track and field teams gave fans a first-look at their 2018 rosters at the Pekin Indoor meet on March 9. Both programs left Central College with plenty of success.

The PCM boys showed off its depth in the sprints, while the Mustang girls once again proved they’ll be competitive in relays.

All three of the wins by the PCM boys came in sprint relay events. The Mustangs also got second-place finishes by junior Cole Dustin in the 55-meter hurdles and junior Payton Strovers in the long jump.

Dustin and Strovers helped the Mustangs win the California Mile in 3 minutes, 22.89 seconds. Joining them on the eight-member relay team were senior Noah Anderson, juniors Wes Cummings, Jarron Trausch and Preston Van Wyk and freshmen Connor Bennett and Jacob Van Winkle.

The PCM boys, who were missing 14 athletes due to spring break, also won the 4x200 and 55-meter shuttle relay.

The foursome of Strovers, Cummings, Van Wyk and Anderson won the 4x200 in 1:37.65, and Strovers, Dustin, Van Wyk and Anderson won the shuttle relay in 26.89 seconds.

The 4x400 relay team of Cummings, Van Winkle, Anderson and Van Wyk finished second in the 4x400 in 3:52.08.

Dustin’s second-place finish in the 55 hurdles was clocked at 8.72. Junior Nick Buswell was fifth in the event with a time of 9.27.

Strovers was the runner-up in the long jump. His best leap was marked at 20 feet, one-half inch.

The PCM girls’ lone win came in the distance medley. The foursome of sophomore Kate McCarthy, senior Baylee Smith and juniors Paytan Schut and Kirstin Ives won the race in 14:54. Ives rallied her team with a strong anchor leg.

The Mustang girls were second in the 4x400 and third in the 4x200. The 4x400 relay team of Schut, McCarthy, sophomore Ashley Miller and sophomore Hannah McCarthy finished in 4:28.50.

The 4x200 team finished in 2:01.20, and that foursome included freshman Margo Chipps, senior Ashley Miller, sophomore Meghan Kinnamon and Hannah McCarthy.

The PCM girls, who were missing 12 athletes, grabbed four fourth-place finishes.

In the 4x800, the Mustang girls’ team of Smith, sophomore Sayde White and freshmen Emily Tuinstra and Kiara Landon was fourth with a time of 12:24.09.

The California Mile group finished fourth in 4:13.59.The team of eight runners included Hannah McCarthy, Miller, Chipps, Kinnamon, junior Rachel Jorgensen, sophomore Megan Cowman and freshmen Celeste Wagaman and Jaslyn Jones.

Wagaman was fourth in the high jump with a leap of 4-10. She was one of three jumpers to hit that height but dropped to third on most misses.

Cowman was fourth in the 55 hurdles as she finished in 10.2.