With the postponement of the fall season, it’s been a different kind of year for the Central College football program in Pella. 

For two-sport sophomore Grant Boyse, the new schedule presented a unique challenge, as the April football games fell right in the middle of his spring track season. 

After the indoor track season wrapped up, Boyse put running on hold, picked up his pads and took the field. 

“It was a little bit challenging because I had to switch up my whole routine,” the former Mid-Prairie athlete explained. “Football is a little bit more labor intensive.”

Boyse can show up at 3:45 for a 4 o’clock track practice, but football practice begins with 30-45 minutes of film study before the physical work begins. And then the practice itself is longer.

When Boyse is done with football for the day — back in his dorm room at seven, he has his responsibilities as a student, studying actuarial science. 

While his football schedule was time consuming, the move to practices on turf was actually a welcome change physically as Boyse had been developing shin splints prior to April. 

The Dutch had just a two-game schedule, plus a scrimmage with Buena Vista. 

Central defeated Nebraska Weslyan 37-19 in Lincoln, and the Dutch were 49-14 winners over rival Simpson at home in Pella. Central College was able to play the game in front of a large group of fans without restrictions on attendance. 

“They came in, and there was a little bit of talk between the teams and it was pretty heated through the first few quarters, but we came on top,” said Boyse, who played defensive back and special teams during the spring season.

“That was probably one of the biggest highlights,” he said. “Just beating Simpson because they’re a rival, and they’re close. And it was nice to get a victory there.”

While the spring schedule didn’t totally make up for missing the fall season, a positive for the Central squad is that all of this year’s seniors plan to come back for a fifth year. 

“So it was just another two whole games that we got to build up for the fall,” he explained.

“We had some injuries, and some guys sitting out, so there were a lot of different positions that got to see new faces — that would help build depth for the fall.”

Now Boyse is onto outdoor track after a great finish to the indoor season in February. While the NCAA Division III Championships were canceled, Wartburg college hosted the Division III Elite Indoor Championships in Waverly to give the best Division III athletes a chance to compete. 

Boyse ran a career-best split of 50.33 on the third leg of the Central men’s 4x400-meter relay, which finished sixth overall. The time of 3:22.30 was good enough to qualify the Dutch for the Drake Relays on Saturday, April 24. 

Boyse took over a full second off of his split from a fourth-place finish at the American Rivers Indoor Track & Field Championships just five days earlier. 

“I took it a little easier that week and I got my body rested a lot better,” Boyse said about his new personal record in the 4x400.  

“My biggest thing is — I always have a kick at the end, but sometimes I struggle to get out quick enough. And I think I focused more on getting out fast in that race. We had good competition, so we went out there and dropped some time because I went out faster than I usually do, which improved my time.” 

Boyse will be back in action on Friday, April 30 when Central College hosts Simpson and Nebraska Weslyan for a triangular on the track in Pella.