The Dordt University men's cross country team claimed the school's first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) team title with a championship performance today (Nov.18) at the Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.
The third-ranked Defenders were in sixth place at the 1200m mark and closed ground to second with 2200m gone by. Dordt moved into the lead at the 4000m mark when they overtook The Master's (Calif.) and then held on to first place for the entirety of the second half of the race to win the title.Â
Peter Shippy made a crucial move to the front pack after 5000m to strengthen Dordt's lead until top-ranked and defending champion Milligan (Tenn.) made a charge over the final 1500m. Milligan closed to within 18 points with a 1000m remaining but Dordt pushed through and maintained its 18-point final margin of victory (97 - 115).Â
The Master's placed third (151) while Indiana Wesleyan and Saint Francis (Ill.) tied for fourth with 208 points.Â
This is the first team championship won by the Defenders and the first cross country national title won by a GPAC school. Head Coach
Nate Wolf was named the NAIA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, adding to his long list of accolades and his impressive coaches resume.
Joe Anderson, one of four Defender runners to earn All-American honors, was the top Dordt finisher for the fifth time this season. Anderson moved up throughout the race as he was in 43rd place at the first check-point (1170m) but finished 13th overall with an 8K time of 24:28. Anderson's finish was the third best at the NAIA Championship by a Dordt men's runner. He earns All-American honors for the first time and bettered his previous best finish at nationals by 44 spots.
Davis Tebben was the second Dordt runner to cross the finish line, doing so in 17th place and establishing a personal-best time of 24:35, three seconds faster than his previous PR run at the Defenders home meet this season. Tebben's previous best finish at nationals was 49th (2021) and like Anderson, is a first time NAIA All-American. He moved up 27 spots from being in 44th place at the 1200m mark.Â
Shippy, who made the big move late in the race to help the Defenders win the title, held on for an 18th place finish with a personal-best time of 24:36. Also a first time NAIA All-American in cross country, Shippy was 18 seconds faster than his previous career best run earlier this year at Dordt's home meet. The senior made up an incredible 68 spots throughout the race.
Eric Steiger finished the race in 23rd place and earns All-American honors for the second consecutive season (finished 34th last year). Steiger posted an 8K time of 24:40 and moved up 22 spots from the 1200m check to the finish line.
Ethan Summerhays was the fifth Dordt runner and the final counter toward the team score. Summerhays placed 45th overall, his best finish at the national championship, with a time of 25:00. The junior moved up from his 74th spot at the 1200m mark to 45th by race end, making up 29 spots.
Competing in his first national championship race,
Aidan Vorster ran a personal-best time of 25:02 and finished 50th overall. Vorster moved up 56 spots from the 1200m check to the finish line and bettered his previous best time (25:44) by 42 seconds.
Trey Engen completed the Defenders line-up with his best finish at the national meet, placing 148th with a time of 25:54.
With Anderson, Tebben, Shippy and Steiger all being named NAIA All-American, the number of Defender men's cross country runners to claim the national honor is now at eight.
The 2022 NAIA Individual champion was Abraham Chelangam (Oklahoma City) with an 8K time of 23:41, 24 seconds faster than his teammate, Shimales Abebe. 34 teams and 326 individual runners competed at this year's championship.
