Sophie Memmelaar (Escondido, Calif.) has signed a letter of intent to attend Dordt University and join the Defender women's cross country and track and field programs.  

Memmelaar competed in both cross country and track and field for Calvin Christian School. Memmelaar earned all-conference honors three years, claiming the accolades in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. She qualified for the California State Cross Country Championship as an individual as a senior.

"I am excited to welcome Sophie to our program," said Dordt University Head Cross Coach Nate Wolf.  "Sophie is a wonderful fit for the Dordt community and is a welcome addition to our distance squad.  I look forward to working with her the next four years."

Memmelaar has personal bests of 5:55 in the 1600m, 12:42 in the 3200m and 21:31 in the 5K. She plans to major in Human Resource Management at Dordt and is the daughter of Mark and Rachel Memmelaar.

"I chose to attend Dordt University because it is a place that is committed to educating students holistically with high-quality, faith-centered academics," said Memmelaar. "In addition, Dordt supports its students with a loving Christian community that I am excited to be part of."

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.