Storm men fourth at IIAC Championship

The Simpson men's track and field team put forth all-conference performances in eight events and won three on the way to a fourth-place finish at the Iowa Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at J. Leslie Rollins Stadium on Saturday.

Central won the meet with 210 points, followed by Wartburg (120), Luther (108.50) and Simpson (93.50). Loras took fifth (86), followed by Cornell (65), Coe (51), Dubuque (47) and Buena Vista (37).

The Storm provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in two events.

"It is gratifying to finish as well as we could finish and score as many points as we could," head coach Dave Cleveland said. "To send out this group of seniors with a performance like this is special. The energy was great and to have so many people contribute was special."

Senior Marty Rounds (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Jefferson) put together one of the best performances of his career, winning the 100-meter hurdles in an NCAA provisional-qualifying time of 14.79 while taking fourth in the 100 meters (11.14) and the 200 meters and anchoring the winning 4x400-meter relay team (3:19.15).

The Storm fared well in the jumps, led by a first-place finish in the triple by freshman John Cord (Atlantic, Iowa/Atlantic). Cord defeated the meet's co-Most Valuable Performer, Kurtis Brondyke from Central in his final attempt.

Cord also took third in the long jump (22-3 ½), one place behind Wardell Watkins (Olathe, Kan./Northwest). Watkins placed second with a provisional-qualifying leap of 23-2. Watkins added a third-place finish in the triple jump (44-3 ¼).

Jake Darrington (Louisburg, Kan./Louisburg) took home all-conference honors with a second-place performance in the javelin (186-8) and Scott Danielson (Dayton, Iowa/Southeast Webster-Grand) placed third in the shot put (49-8 ½).

Simpson saved its best for last, as the team of Kyle Yarkosky (Albia, Iowa/Albia), Brandon Christensen (Clive, Iowa/West Des Moines Valley), Legrand Bien-Aime (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Stranahan) and Rounds led the 4x400-meter relay from wire-to-wire, winning the event and securing fourth-place in the team standings.

Simpson athletes will have two final opportunities to qualify for the national meet. On Wednesday, May 19 the Storm travel to the Central Last Chance Meet in Pella, Iowa and go to the North Central Last Chance Meet in Naperville, Ill. May 21-22. The NCAA Division III Championships take place May 27-29 at Baldwin-Wallace College in Cleveland, Ohio.