Brett Gifford (West Des Moines, Iowa) has signed a letter of intent to attend Dordt University and join the Defender men's cross country and track and field programs.  

Gifford competed in cross country and track and field for Dowling Catholic High School the last four years. Gifford was part of a cross country team that won the 4A state championship last fall. He finished 39th at the Central Iowa Metropolitan League (CIML) championship and was awarded the Unleashed Award in 2022.

"Brett comes from a premier Iowa distance program at Dowling Catholic," said Dordt University Head Cross Coach Nate Wolf.  "Brett's experience running for Coach Ives, coupled with his strong work ethic, will have him prepared to impact our program early in his college career.  He is a great fit for the Dordt campus and will excel as a student.  I look forward to working with him the next four years."

Gifford has personal bests of 2:08 in the 800m, 4:44 in the 1600m, 10:06 in the 3200m and 16:31 in the 5K. He plans to study Actuarial Science at Dordt and is the son of Jill and Nick.

"Dordt University is a great fit for what I am looking for in both academics and in athletics, commented Gifford, "They have a very strong Actuarial Science program that I am excited to be part of. In athletics, Dordt has one of the top cross country and track and field programs, one that has a championship culture."

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.