July 16, 2025

Mustangs try to fill spots left by experienced graduates

By Ben Frotscher

PCM’s boys track team opens the outdoor season Friday at Roland-Story. Members of the team are (front row, from left) Jake Potter and Josh Van Genderen. Second row: Andrew McCarthy, Nate Vande Wall, Troy Vittetoe, Jackson Winegar, Luke Cummings, Jaydon Hernandez, Blake McWilliams and Nash Rowland. Third row: Jake Van Wyk, Zach Uhlenhopp, Hutch Burns, Alex Amadeo, Bo Clymer, Hunter Reed, Matt Chizek and Will Van Zee. Back row: Glenn Gillespie, Jordan Van Roekel, Sam Munson, Jesse McAtee, Sean O’Connor, Ethan Kain and Alex Dahms. Not picture: Brandon Reeve. (Ben Frotscher)

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MONROE — PCM’s boys track program may have only lost five seniors from last season, but those graduates carried a lot of weight over the past four years.

They were all state qualifiers.

The Mustangs try to fill those voids as the team opens the season Friday at Roland-Story.

“When you lose five seniors who scored a lot of points for numerous years, it’s just kind of the way that goes,” PCM coach Ben Anderson said, who enters his seventh season as head coach. “Hopefully we’ll find some gems in there.”

PCM graduated all four of its runners from the state qualifying shuttle hurdle relay team, which placed fourth in Des Moines — Rand Hazelton, Joe Gilson, Tyler Norwood and Cole Reese.

Gilson was a qualifier in 110-meter hurdles as well. Also gone is three-time state qualifier Brian Miller in the sprint events.

But PCM returns two state qualifiers from last season, which is where Anderson will start building his team. Senior Jake Potter was a state qualifier in the 3,200 and junior Jordan Van Roekel made it to Des Moines in both the 400-meter dash and 400 hurdles.

“You start with ones that were really close last year, like Jordan Van Roekel who ran at state in the 400 and 400 hurdles,” Anderson said. “Our 4x400 team broke a school record by six seconds. Jake Potter went to the state cross country meet. We can get some stuff in the distance races.”

That 4x400-meter relay team lost just one senior — Reese — but returns Van Roekel and juniors Bo Clymer and Hutch Burns.

Anderson looks for junior Sean O’Connor to fill in nicely in the mid-sprints, junior Andrew McCarthy to be influential throughout the lineup and sophomore Hunter Reed in the hurdles. Junior Jesse McAtee also will be a good asset for the team.

“Jesse is a kid I look to that can run just about any race, and we just have to find his niche,” Anderson said. “I’m excited for the 25 kids that are out. We have young kids. We will have to have kids pull more weight than they are used to.”

Anderson said his team will be strongest in the 200s and 400s, along with relays. He said the team is lacking depth in the field events.

As for the team, last season, PCM was fourth in the Heart of Iowa Large School Division, including winning its home Mustang Track Classic.

This season, PCM looks to be competitive with the best teams in the conference.

“I just want us to go out there and be competitive in what you’re running and go out there and give it your best,” Anderson said. “We will be doing our best to fill out an entire meet.”

Anderson expects CMB, JSPC (Jefferson) and Bondurant-Farrar to be tough in the Large School Division. JSPC won the division last season, while Bondurant-Farrar won the district meet.

“Wherever we go, it’s going to be tough,” Anderson said. “We always hope we are near the top. With a lot of hard work, we can get up there in that top 3.”