Mile posts: Items on Payton Mauldin, Gable Sieperda, Nate Mueller, Sam Pinkowski, Noah Jorgenson, Caroline McMartin
Editor's note: The Mile Posts blog will only include professional distance runners or triathletes and top post-collegiate athletes with a tie to Iowa, as well as college distance runners who were born in Iowa and who went to a school in Iowa.
It's the return of the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and postcollegiate distance runners and triathletes and with it comes a mix of indoor track and field, road races, Thanksgiving turkey trots and trail races.
We start with an incredible start to the indoor season from Dordt University senior Payton Mauldin. The 14-time Great Plains Athletic Conference champion and multi-time NAIA All-American set a new school record by taking the 600 meters in 1 minute, 17.51 seconds at the SDSU Holiday Invitational in Brookings, S.D. Mauldin broke his record from 2022 by about three-tenths of a second. The former Central Lyon-GLR prep great also earned an automatic qualifying time for NAIA nationals. Senior teammate and former Western Christian (Hull) prep teammate Cole Zevenbergen also hit the NAIA qualifying mark by taking second in 1:19.39. That time is No. 4 in program history.
South Dakota senior Dylan Blake, a former North Union prep, took runner-up honors in the 800 meters. Blake ran 1:53.84 to trail only North Dakota's Justice Dick (1:52.94).
Former Sioux City Heelan prep Madison Yochum of South Dakota placed third in the women's 600 meters. The senior ran 1:36.66. She was one spot ahead of Dordt junior and former Western Christian prep Emilee Heynen. Heynen ran 1:37.18.
Runablaze Iowa's Tyler Lance of Algona placed third in the men's 3,000. Lance ran 8:37.74. Dordt sophomore Craig Becker, a former Atlantic prep, ran 8:51.74 for 10th.
Also placing third in the women's 3,000 was Morningside College sophomore Courtney Sporrer. The former Logan-Magnolia athlete ran 10:27.77. Taking ninth was Dordt's Lucy Borkowski, a former Harlan Community prep, in 10:41.18. The winning time was 10:22.75 by Lulu Ehinger, running unattached.
On to a stellar field at the season-opening BU Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston. Running in an outstanding 5,000-meter men's field, Iowa State redshirt senior Gable Sieperda finished 48th overall in 13 minutes, 47.05 seconds. That time by the former Central Lyon-GLR prep is less than three seconds off his indoor best 13:44.75 at Arkansas in 2022. That time last year by Sieperda is No. 8 in Cyclone history.
Former Cyclone Titus Winders of the Minnesota Distance Elite team placed 74th in 13:55.38. Winders joined the MDE team earlier this fall. Iowa junior Max Murphy, like Sieperda coming off an appearance at NCAA Division I cross country nationals two weeks prior, claimed 141st place in 14:15.23. Murphy is a former Pleasant Valley prep from Bettendorf. He was two spots ahead of Merga Gemeda, who joined the MDE team earlier this year. Gemeda, a former Sioux City North prep and school-record holder for South Dakota, ran 14:15.34. The winner was recent NCAA cross country champion Graham Blanks of Harvard, who set an NCAA indoor record of 13:037.8.
In the women's 5,000, Iowa State senior Janette Schraft finished 85th in 16:30.00. That was the first college indoor 5,000 for Schraft, who is a former Glenwood and East Mills prep standout. Like the men's 5,000, the women's NCAA 5K record went down, at the hands of NCAA cross country champion Parker Valby of Florida. Valby ran 14:56.11.
Moving to the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic in Maryville, Mo., where a former ADM (Adel) prep set a meet record by the narrowest of margins. Sophomore Nate Mueller covered the 3,000 meters in 8:25.56, topping fellow sophomore Drew Atkins by .01 of a second. Mueller, an Iowa State transfer, also set a new best for the distance. The meet record had been 8:30.90 set in 2021.
In the 5,000, Northwest's Cooper Greenslade finished ninth in 15:29.79. The redshirt freshman and South Dakota State transfer is a former ADM prep as well. The winner was Dominick Beine of St. Mary (Kan.) in 14:47.48.
Northwest's Taylor McCreedy also jumped into the school record books after placing second in the women's mile. The junior and former Atlantic prep and Iowa Central transfer ran 4:58.90 to top her previous best of 5:04.43. That time is No. 4 in Bearcat history. McCreedy was toped only by teammate Alyna Thibault's 4:58.21 effort.
In the women's 600, former Indianola prep Bailey Blake was fourth in 1:26.41. Blake is a junior at Northwest Missouri. The winner time was 1:22.67.
Turning to the roads briefly, where a few Iowa residents were trying to secure a spot in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in their final chance at the California International Marathon on Sunday in Sacramento. The top Iowan was former Wartburg College star Sam Pinkowski of Des Moines. The Runablaze Iowa standout, 25, ran 2:20:23 for 53rd place. Three spots behind Pinkowski was former Luther College and South Winneshiek standout Adam Bohach, 39. Running in his third attempt at the Trials standard in sixth months, the rural Cresco resident ran 2:20:44 for 56th place. Placing 77th in his second career marathon was former Morningside College five-time All-American Garret Ehlers, 32. The Morningside assistant coach from Ida Grove ran 2:22:39. And jumping into the marathon for a change of pace was three-time North American Ironman champion Matt Hanson, 38. The former Buena Vista University student and professor now living in Castle Rock, Colo., ran 2:22:57 for 83rd place. Former Iowa City resident Matt Dewald, 41, of Dakota Dunes, S.D., placed 122nd in 2:24:43. Running Wild Elite's Jay Welp, 31, placed 189th in 2:28:51. Welp lists Iowa City as his residence now after having moved to Illinois a couple years ago. Runablaze's MacCoy Benzen, 27, of Des Moines also ran 2:30:27.
In the women's race, former Grand View University national champion and Johnston prep star Obsie Birru, 34, of Phoenix placed 26th overall. Birru ran 2:39:53. Placing 104th among the women was former Iowa athlete and Linn-Mar prep Madeline Block of Marion. Block, 24, ran 2:47:44. The runners needed to run 2:18 or under for the men and 2:37:00 for the women to qualify for the Trials in Orlando in February.
Back to indoor track and the Frigid Bee Invitational on Saturday hosted by St. Ambrose University in Davenport. In the men's mile, Central College junior Noah Jorgenson set a new school record in a winning effort of 4:05.18. The former Sidney prep took down senior teammate Adam Sylvia's mark from a year ago. Sylvia still ran a new best of 4:06.47 for second place.
Also crushing a Central school record, her own, was Dutch junior Caroline McMartin. The former Pella High prep became the first Dutch athlete to break 17 minutes by running a winning 16:58.90 effort. McMartin took nearly 30 seconds off her previous best best. The recent cross country All-American and 12th-place finisher at nationals was chased to the finish line by junior teammate Megan Johnson. The former Aplington-Parkersburg prep who was 30th at NCAA cross country nationals ran 17:01.49 for second. Taking third was American Rivers Conference cross country champion Lexi Brown of Wartburg. The senior and former New London prep ran 17:16.96. Wartburg senior Jenna Morey, a former Spencer prep, ran 18:06.18 for fourth.
Wartburg junior Jack Kinzer soared into No. 4 on the program's 5,000-meter list by taking runner-up honors to his senior teammate, Christopher Collet. The former North Liberty prep ran 14:27.17. Next across the line was former Ankeny Centennial prep Tyler Schermerhorn. The Wartburg sophomore ran 14:28.50 for the fifth-best time in school history. In fourth was Wartburg senior Jacob Green in 14:36.09. Green is a former Cedar Rapids Kennedy prep. In sixth was Knights junior and former Cedar Falls prep Michael Goodenbour. He ran 15:05.46. Collet ran 14:22.45.
Winning the 800 meters was Wartburg junior Carter Cruise. The former Monticello prep was timed in 1:55.25.
Coe College senior Lewis Klemen set a new school record at Grinnell on Friday. The former Cedar Rapids Washington prep ran the 3,000 in a winning time of 8:38.67. The old record was 8:38.67 set by Brad O'Neil from 2007.
At the NCAA Division I Liberty Kickoff in Virginia, Liberty University's Marie Hostetler finished 10th in the women's 3,000. The former Mid-Prairie prep and junior ran 10:25.01.
At Illinois State's John Coughlin Invite, former Dowling Catholic prep Tyler Schweizer placed fifth in the 3,000. The Saint Louis University athlete ran 8:59.31.
Finishing last weekend's results with trail racing, where the Sycamore 8 trail race from Johnston to Des Moines was held Saturday. Runablaze swept the top two spots, with former Dubuque Senior and Iowa Central athlete Blake Whalen, 28, of Des Moines taking victory in 43:28 over the eight-mile course. Exactly 1:30 behind Whalen was former Johnston prep and Iowa Central teammate Tyson Wieland, 29, of Des Moines.
At the Ugly Sweater 5K road race in Bloomfield on Saturday, Runablaze's Angela Chaney, 36, was the overall and female winner. The former Central College and Norwalk prep standout ran 18:58.05.
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 25-26
The annual Des Moines Turkey Trot downtown always brings out thousands of runners and the race on Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 23 was no exception. Runablaze Iowa's Sam Pinkowski, 25, topped a strong field to claim the longer five-mile title in 25:43. Pinkowski is a former Wartburg College standout who resides in Des Moines. He topped Wheaton College junior and former Des Moines Christian prep Jacob Fopma by 31 seconds. Fopma, 21, is from Urbandale. His brother, Noah, also a junior at Wheaton and a former Des Moines Christian prep, was third in 26:54. Former Carlisle prep Hunter Snyder, who finished his senior season at the University of Dubuque this fall, was fourth in 28:25. Snyder, 22, is from Norwalk. Rounding out the top five was former Dowling Catholic prep Tyler Schweizer, now competing for Saint Louis University. The Urbandale native, 20, ran 28:44.
In the far more populous 5K, former Dowling Catholic standout Kelsey Schweizer was the women's winner in 17:54. Schweizer, 22, of Urbandale recently completed her senior season at Missouri. She won by just one second over Lily Johnson, 23, of Blair, Neb. In third was Simpson College junior Teghan Booth, 20, in 18:47. Booth is a former Valley prep from West Des Moines. She topped Jodi Smith, 45, of Ames by one second.
Mitchell Small, 24, of Urbandale was the overall winner in 15:30. He topped University of Iowa sophomore Carson Houg, 20, who is a former Des Moines Christian prep from Urbandale, by 15 seconds. Taking third place was Milwaukee sophomore Carter Eckhoff in 15:51. Eckhoff, 19, is a former Johnston athlete from Urbandale. He topped Adam Gray, who completed his freshman season at Cedar Rapids Kennedy this fall, by one second. Gray is 15. Levi Hill, a freshman at Northern Iowa who competed for Ankeny High, placed sixth in 16:05. Hill is 18 years old. Current Pella High athlete Canaan Dunham, 16, placed eighth in 16:18. Josiah Wittenberg, a former Pella High prep who is now a sophomore at Dordt University, ended up ninth in 16:20. He is 20. Rounding out the top 10 was former Council Bluffs Lewis Central prep and current Wartburg junior Connor Lancial, 21. Lancial, who lists Grimes as his home now, ran 16:26.
Moving to the Cedar Rapids Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving. And showing she's in fine shape was Northern Iowa head cross country coach Alexina (Wilson) Teubel. The U.S. track and field Olympics trials qualifier, Runablaze athlete and former Mount Vernon/Lisbon prep great ran 17:05.39 to take the women's title. Teubel, 30, is based in Cedar Rapids. Finishing runner-up was former Tipton prep Ashley (Miller) Carreon in 18:29.45. Carreon, 34, is now based in Moore, Okla.
The overall and men's winner also ran for Tipton and that was Caleb Shumaker. The Northern Iowa junior, 21, covered the distance in 15:56.19 to win by more than 25 seconds. Taking second was Central College junior Ben DeValk. The former Solon athlete ran 16:21.73. Shumaker's junior teammate, Brady Griebel, rounded out the top three by running 16:40.05. Griebel ran for Bellevue.
At the 51st annual Turkey Trot five-mile race in Dubuque on Thanksgiving, Runablaze's Blake Whalen took runner-up honors after running 25:48. Whalen, 28, and a Des Moines resident, is a former Dubuque Senior and Iowa Central athlete. His brother, Will, was fifth overall. The former Loras College athlete ran 27:39. The winner was Cameron Miller, 29, of Arlington, Va. Finishing third in a tough women's competition was Runablaze's Elaina Biechler, 37, of Dubuque. She is a former Coe College star. The women's winning time was 26:21 by Laura Cushman, 28, of Durango, Colo.
Runablaze's Elaina Biechler of Dubuque finished 11th in 18:20. Biechler is a former Coe College star. Jodi Smith, an Ames High assistant girls cross country coach, finished 12th in 18:25. Former Iowa and Johnston High athlete Jessica McKee of Johnston grabbed 13th place in 18:38. Former Cedar Falls prep and Northwest Missouri State record holder Caroline Cunningham, 20 weeks pregnant, ended up 14th in 19:04. Cunningham still resides in Maryville, Mo.
In the 2.5-mile race, former Dubuque Wahlert and Central College runner Kyle Pape was the overall winner in 12:43, a 5:05 pace. He topped his Crown Running teammate Michael Eyres by 17 seconds. Eyres is a former Dubuque Hempstead prep and Luther College athlete.
Former Davenport Central and Loras College athlete Mason Tope finished 33rd overall at the Manchester Road Race in Manchester, Conn., on Thanksgiving. Tope, 27, of Birmingham, Ala., covered the 4.75-mile distance in 24:11. The winner was former Michigan State standout Morgan Beadlescomb, 25, in 21:12.
Runablaze's Jen Van Otterloo, 37, of Sioux Center was the women's winner and second overall at the Orange City Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving. The former Dordt standout ran 18:43 to win by 1:07.
Waukee resident Zachary Katzman, also a Runablaze athlete, was the overall winner at the inaugural Waukee Turkey Trot on Nov. 23. Katzman, 25, ran 16:38.2.
Wittenberg four days earlier finished runner-up at the Turkey Trails 5K race at Gray's Lake on Nov. 19. The Pella native ran 16:02.97 to just miss a win by 1.43 seconds to Derrek Vander Leest, 19, of Sioux Falls.
Turning to the trails and the Legend of the Fall 4-mile race at Regina High School in Iowa City on Thanksgiving, where former Luther College and Iowa City High prep Quenton Max, 23, of Iowa City was the overall winner in 20:27. Taking runner-up honors was Northern Arizona University freshman and former City High prep Ford Washburn in 20:54. Washburn, 19, redshirted this past cross country season. Brett Rosauer, 33, of Iowa City took third in 21:05. The women's winner was former Iowa City West prep and Iowa runner Gabby Skopec, 24, of Coralville in 24:44.
At the YMCA McCarthy Bush Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, Wartburg sophomore Conner Sattler was the overall winner in 16:25. Sattler is a former Clinton High prep.
GOING BACK: Former Iowa and Ottumwa prep star Kevin Lewis of the Minnesota Distance Elite team finished 13th overall at the Philadelphia Half Marathon on Nov. 18. Lewis ran 1:07:57.
Brian Thorn, 39, of Manchester set a new course record at the fifth Stuffed Turkey Endurance races at Jester Park in Granger on Nov. 18. Thorn covered the 100-mile course in 17:32:04 to top Matthew Bradner, 38, of Ames by 26:05. Bradner's time was second best in race history.
MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at bergeson@registermedia.com.
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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Payton Mauldin, Gable Sieperda, Nate Mueller, Sam Pinkowski, Noah Jorgenson, Caroline McMartin
