The Dordt University women's track and field team qualified two individuals and one relay for the NAIA Outdoor National Championships on a great night for the Defenders at the Mount Marty Twilight held this evening in Yankton, S.D.

• Results | PDF

Defender Notes:

• the Defenders 4x400 relay team hit the 'A' standard with a season-best time of 3:53.8, over six seconds faster than their previous season-best time
  • they won today's race by nearly eight seconds
  • the Defenders time ranks 8th in the NAIA and is the 12th fastest in program history
  • relay members are: Kailee Altena, Ayda Den Herder, Lindsay Grau, Shelby Buwalda
• Molly Mulder hit the 'B' standard and won the steeplechase
  • Mulder's time of 11:25 is a personal-best and ranks 19th in the NAIA
  • Mulder's time is the sixth fastest in program history
• Makenna Walhof set the school record and hit the 'B' standard in the discus
  • Walhof finished third out of 18 throwers in today's competition
  • the freshman broke the school record on her second attempt with a mark of 43.10m / 141-05
  • Walhof eclipsed the old record held by Robin Pals (140'11.25) from 1988
  • Walhof ranks 28th in the NAIA
• Maren Hettinga had a personal-best mark and finished 10th in the discus
  • Hettinga's toss of 38.85m ranks 8th all-time
• Molly Zylstra finished as the runner-up in the javelin with a personal-best mark of 33.91m / 111-03
  • Zylstra's mark ranks 10th best all-time at Dordt
• Ayda Den Herder and Bailey Beckman had personal-bests and finished second and third in the long jump
  • Den Herder placed second (5.58m) and ranks fourth all-time at Dordt
  • Beckman, competing for just the third time this season, turned in a mark of 5.41m and is seventh all-time
• Paige Decker placed fourth and had a personal-best in the triple jump
  • Decker eclipsed a jump of over 11m for the first time, officially measuring 11.02m
  • the senior ranks fourth all-time at Dordt
• eight Defenders had marks / times in the top 15 all-time
• 22 Defenders had personal-bests
• 17 Defenders finished in the top five

National Qualifiers (3):

• Molly Mulder - Steeplechase
• Makenna Walhof - Discus
• 4x400 Relay (Altena, Den Herder, Grau, Buwalda)

School Records (1):

• Makenna Walhof - Discus

Defender Winners (2):

• Molly Mulder - Steeplechase
• 4x400 Relay

Times / Marks in the All-Time Top 15 (8):

• Molly Mulder - Steeplechase (6th)
• Makenna Walhof - Discus (1st)
• Maren Hettinga - Discus (8th)
• Molly Zylstra - Javelin (10th)
• Ayda Den Herder - Long Jump (4th)
• Bailey Beckman - Long Jump (7th)
• Paige Decker - Triple Jump (4th)
• 4x400 Relay - 12th

Personal Bests (22):

• Caitlin Vander Kooy - 100m
• Faith Minderhoud - 100m Hurdles
• Joscelin Jasper - 100m Hurdles
• Anna Herman - 200m
• Emma Rusk - 200m
• Miella Struble - 400m
• Jaiden Groeneweg - 400m
• Emma Byker - 400m
• Lydia Herman - 400m Hurdles
• Annaka Hook - 800m
• Addison Essebaggers - 800m
• Kayla Lammers - 1500m
• Molly Mulder - Steeplechase
• Ellia Janda - 5000m
• Makenna Walhof - Discus
• Maren Hettinga - Discus
• Molly Zylstra - Javelin
• Faith Measel - Javelin
• Ayda Den Herder - Long Jump
• Bailey Beckman - Long Jump
• Celia Vanderwoude - Long Jump
• Paige Decker - Triple Jump

Defenders in the Top 5 (17):

• 400m:
  • Miella Struble - 4th: 1:03.18
  • Jaiden Groeneweg - 5th: 1:03.5
• 400m Hurdles:
  • Lydia Herman - 5th: 1:09.66
• 800m:
  • Annaka Hook - 5th: 2:31.86
• 1500m:
  • Olivia Graber - 2nd: 5:13.74
  • Kayla Lammers - 5th: 5:27.45
• Steeplechase:
  • Molly Mulder - 1st: 11:25
• 5000m:
  • Ellie Janda - 2nd: 19:41
• Discus:
  • Makenna Walhof - 3rd: 43.10 / 141-05
• Hammer:
  • Jenna Gleason - 4th: 49.21m / 161-05
• Javelin:
  • Molly Zylstra - 2nd: 33.91m / 111-03
• Long Jump:
  • Ayda Den Herder - 2nd: 5.58m / 18-03.75
  • Bailey Beckman - 3rd: 5.41m / 17-09
• Triple Jump:
  • Paige Decker - 4th: 11.02m / 36-02
• 4x100 Relay - 4th: 50.48
  • Minderhoud, Vander Kooy, De Lay, Herman
• 4x400 Relay - 1st: 3:35.83
  • Altena, Den Herder, Grau, Buwalda
• 4x400 Relay - 3rd: 4:21.88
  • Groeneweg, Byker, Evenhouse, Struble