The Dordt University men's cross country team swept both the team and individual titles at their second and final home meet of the season, the Holiday Inn Express Classic, held this morning on the Defenders Cross Country Course.
The Defenders won the team championship for the third time this season, totaling 34 points to edge out GPAC-rivals Doane (56pts) and Concordia (83pts). All three teams are ranked / earning votes in the latest edition of the NAIA Coaches' poll.
Bellevue (115pts) and Benedictine (121pts), another team recognized in the latest coaches' poll, round out the top five teams.
Defenders senior
Aidan Vorster was the first runner to cross the finish line, winning his first individual title of the season. Vorster completed the 8K course with a season-best time of 24:49, just nine seconds from matching his personal best time. Vorster moved to the front of the lead pack with around 2000m left in the race and won by five seconds over Doane's Thomas Oliver.
Craig Becker, running in his first meet of the season, returned to competition with an impressive fourth place finish and a time of 24:59.
Tage Hulstein continued his outstanding junior season, placing seventh overall with a personal-best time of 25:15, 11 seconds faster than his previous best.
Luke Swanson was right behind Hulstein in the final standings, placing ninth with a season-best time of 25:25 and giving the Defenders four runners in the top 10.
Josiah Wittenberg was the fifth and final Defenders runner to count towards their team score, crossing the finish line in 13th place with a huge personal-best time of 25:42, almost a minute (59 seconds) faster than his previous best.
Truman Johnson (15th - 25:42) and
Levi Landman (24th - 26:00) round out Dordt's top seven.
"On a beautiful day, the men raced very well ," said Dordt University Head Coach Nate Wolf. "They were pushed by a ranked Doane team and a strong overall field of runners to a season's best performance. We feel our best racing is ahead of us and are excited for our next race at the Blazing Tiger."
Defender Notes:
- Dordt has won all three of its meets this season, taking first at both home events and at the Wildcat Classic
- the Defenders 1-5 split was 53 seconds; 1-7 was 1:11
- four Dordt runners finished in the top 10; six in the top 20
- Vorster's time today ranks first in the GPAC this season by 32 seconds
- Becker (4th) and Hulstein (7th) rank among the GPAC's top 10 with today's time
- this was Vorster's team-leading ninth top 10 finish for his career, third of the season
- Becker posted his fifth career top 10 finish and first of the season
- Hulstein has placed among the top 10 in all three meets this season, four in his career
- Swanson recorded his second top 10 finish of the season
- 18 Defenders ran a personal best, led by Justin Kroeze, who ran a time that was 2:26 faster than his previous best
- eight Dordt runners turned in season-bests
- Dordt will compete next at the Blazing Tiger Classic on Oct. 26
