(Wednesday; December 28; Sioux Center, Iowa) Olivia Graber, a senior at Ankeny High School (Iowa), has announced her intention to attend Dordt and join the Defender track and cross country programs.  

"I am excited to welcome Olivia to our program.  She is a dedicated runner, a strong leader, and a fantastic teammate.  She is a great fit for Dordt University and our program. I look forward to the impact she can have across campus and on our team over the next four years," said Dordt cross country head coach and assistant track coach Nate Wolf.  

Graber has personal bests of 5:30 in the 1,500 meters, 11:53 in the 3,000 meters, 21:14 on a 5,000 meter cross country course and 2:38 in the 800 meters. She earned most valuable Hawkette honors, a pair of varsity letters and other athletic-academic honors during her career.  

"I chose to attend Dordt because of the biblical view they had on everything from academics to sports and I love the way the coaches believed in me and encouraged me from the beginning of the process," said Graber.  

Olivia is the daughter of Dustin and Sonya Graber of Ankeny, Iowa. She plans to study nursing at Dordt.  

Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Defender athletic program is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA).

U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,500 students.