Ziskovsky Helps Fuel Top-20 Women’s Track Finish

Senior Jill Ziskovsky earned all-America honors seven times in her career and led the 4x400-meter relay unit to a second-place national finish.

The records kept falling as the Central women’s track and field squad pulled off a 17th-place effort at the NCAA Division III championships in Delaware, Ohio May 26-28.

Senior Jill Ziskovsky, who gained all-America honors seven times in her Central career, closed by placing fifth in the NCAA heptathlon with a personal best 4,758 points, while junior Caitlin Wilson was eighth with 4,630. Ziskovsky then led off Central’s 4×400-meter relay unit, which lowered the school record four times during the year and streaked to a surprising second-place national finish. The unit of Ziskovsky, senior Emily Teas, sophomore Rachel Purdy and sophomore Felicia Coleman finished in 3:45.30, nearly six seconds under the school mark at the start of the year.

Junior transfer Morgan Darrow was also a national qualifier in the hammer throw and shot put. She won Iowa Conference titles in both events, while Ziskovsky was the heptathlon champ.

The Dutch were third in the league team standings, just a point behind second-place Luther. Central’s 17th-place NCAA effort was the program’s ninth top-25 national team finish and its best since taking 14th in 2004.

Ziskovsky, the team MVP for the third straight year, was also Central’s top female student athlete, graduating with a 3.95 grade point average. She received CoSIDA Academic All-America honors for the second straight year.