Two wrestling wins for Central in first competition
PELLA Finally back on the mats competing, the Central College wrestling team defeated Nebraska Wesleyan University 45-4 and the University of Dubuque 31-9 in a home triangular Saturday afternoon.
Central (2-0, 2-0 American Rivers Conference) hadn’t competed since the NCAA Division III Wrestling Central Region Championships on March 1, 2020.
“I think the theme of the day was excitement for our guys being able to compete and wrestle,” coach Eric Van Kley said. “The fact they channeled that into wrestling really well makes it sweeter. They’ve made tons of sacrifices over the last six months to get this opportunity today and it’s great to see them capitalize on it.”
The Central women’s basketball team hosted its home opener Saturday in an American Rivers Conference tilt with Loras. In a back-and-forth affair, the Dutch pulled away late for a 69-54 upset victory.
Central had a sluggish start offensively, and fell behind 14-4 early in the first quarter. But a 13-4 run to close the period got the Dutch to within 18-17 after the first 10 minutes. Central put together a strong second quarter, and held a 39-30 halftime lead. The lead swelled to as high as 46-32 midway through the third, but an 11-2 run got the Duhawks to within five points, as the Dutch shot just 23 percent in the period. Central used a 21-11 scoring surge in the fourth to secure the victory.