Morningside Athletics
Mark Adkins, Sports Information Director

STORM LAKE – Sophomore Zac Ambrose (Dunlap, Iowa) climbed into National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ top five, while senior Aurora Arevalo (Lenox, Iowa) turned heads in her first pentathlon attempt Friday, Jan. 25 and Saturday, Jan. 26.

Ambrose, racing to the 1,000-meter run championship in 2:30.82, moved to fourth on the national performance list during action at Buena Vista University’s Dennis Young Classic. After claiming the 1,000 in better than three seconds, he came back to anchor Morningside College’s first-place finishing 4×400 team that featured him, junior Chase Hiser (Shenandoah, Iowa), junior Logan Roberts (Shenandoah, Iowa) and freshman Camden Beller (Sioux City, Iowa) edging Great Plains Athletic Conference rival Northwestern College by over two seconds with a 3:26.77.

The sophomore’s part in two event victories were part of five for the Mustangs that led them to a second-place team effort. Sophomore Connor Ritz (Sioux City, Iowa) roared to first in the 3000 (9:02.81) to beat the field by better than seven seconds; freshman Matt Yeager (Bondurant, Iowa) hit the line first in the 60 meters, clocking a 7.18; and junior Miles Gebel (Ida Grove, Iowa) led a top three places sweep in the long jump, going 21 feet, five and a quarter inches.

Morningside’s women, taking third on the team charts, got a strong weekend start with Arevalo. The senior won two of the five pentathlon events to produce 3,140 points, good for the spot and a slot on the national performance list first 15 at No. 12. The Maroon added event championships from freshman Emalee Fundermann (Anthon, Iowa) in the 1000 (3:18 flat) and the 4×800 meter relay quartet of Fundermann, sophomore Macie Moore (Elkhorn, Neb.), senior Rose Pelelo-Ray (LeMars, Iowa) and freshman Jenna Dirkx (Spencer, Iowa (9:42.45).

Head coach Dave Nash’s teams continue the indoor season Saturday, Feb. 2. They’re part of the team fields for the Dakota Wesleyan University Open.