The Event:

• The Dordt University women's cross country team is set to run at the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championship this weekend in Ashland, Neb. The 2025 championship event will take place on Saturday, Nov.9 at Mahoney State Park with the 6K race to begin at 10:45am. 
• Fans who attend must purchase or have a current (2025) Nebraska State Park pass: Purchase at this link
• Head Coach Nate Wolf Interview | 

Meet Information:

• Distance: 6000m
• 10:45am start time
• Mahoney State Park
• 6K Course Map
• Watch (GPAC Network)
• Live Results (Black Squirrel Timing)

Teams Competing:

• 12 schools from the GPAC are scheduled to compete for the championship on Saturday; Briar Cliff, College of Saint Mary, Concordia, Dakota Wesleyan, Doane, Dordt, Hastings, Midland, Morningside, Mount Marty, Northwestern and Waldorf.

At Stake: 

• each team can run up to 10 runners with the top seven counting toward the team score. The team with the lowest point total will win the GPAC Championship and receive one of the two automatic bids to the 2025 NAIA National Championship that will be held on Nov.21 in Tallahassee, Fla. at the Apalachee Regional Park. The second place team will get the second auto bid.
• top 15 individual finishers earn all-conference honors; the top six individuals, not on a qualifying team and as long as they place in the top 20, will also advance to nationals. 

In the Rankings:

• the Defenders are the lone team from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) ranked in the top 25 in the latest NAIA Coaches' poll (Oct.30), entering the championship with a No.7 ranking.
• two additional GPAC teams, College of Saint Mary and Morningside, received votes
• Dordt has been ranked in every poll this season
• they were ninth in the preseason and climbed as high as sixth

An Impressive Streak:  

• Dordt has been ranked among the top 25 in 101 consecutive polls, the longest current streak in the NAIA
• during this time, Dordt has held a top 10 ranking 71x

GPAC Championship History:

• The Defenders have won 11 GPAC titles (since the GPAC began in 2000), all since the 2012 season. They have claimed 10 of the last 12 titles, eight under current head coach Nate Wolf. 
• Dordt has won five straight conference titles
• GPAC Titles Under Wolf:
  • 2024 -18pts
  • 2023 - 28pts
  • 2022 - 33pts
  • 2021 - 54pts
  • 2020 - 27pts
  • 2018 - 45pts
  • 2017 - 45pts
  • 2015 - 44pts
• Other GPAC Titles:
  • 2014 -31pts
  • 2013 - 35pts
  • 2012 - 25pts
• Prior to GPAC
  • 1998 SDIC
  • 1996 SDIC
  • 1995 SDIC
• seven defferent Dordt runners have won eight GPAC individual titles
  • Corinne Braun - 2024
  • Jessica (Kampman) Walczyk (2x) - 2023, 2022
  • Taylor (Anema) Droog - 2020
  • Olivia Couch - 2019
  • Annechiena Knevelbaard - 2018
  • Michelle Steiger - 2010
  • Jen Kempers - 2008

Last Year's Championship:

• The Dordt University women's cross country team secured their fifth straight GPAC Championship in 2024.
• The 2024 championship was run at Mahoney State Park near Ashland, Neb.
• Results | PDF

The Defenders totaled 18 points, their best team score ever recorded at the championship and finished well ahead of second place College of Saint Mary -77pts. This is the eighth conference championship in 10 years under Head Coach Nate Wolf and the Defenders 11th title in the last 13 years.

• four Defenders placed among the top five, six in the top 10, nine in the top 15 and all 10 among the top 35
  • Corinne Braun - 1st: 22:43
  • Isabella Webb - 2nd: 22:49
  • Jaci Burtis - 4th: 23:27
  • Hannah Thong - 5th: 23:30
  • Jeni Burtis - 6th: 23:32
  • Courtney Joiner - 10th: 23:57
  • Jessica Opfer - 13th: 24:10
  • Jada Koerner - 14th: 24:15
  • Olivia Hoogland - 15th: 24:15
  • Molly Hulstein - 35th: 25:27

Defender Notes:

• In the Rankings
  • the Defenders are the lone team from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) ranked in the top 25 in the latest NAIA Coaches' poll (Oct.30), entering the championship with a No.7 ranking.
  • two additional GPAC teams, College of Saint Mary and Morningside, received votes
  • Dordt has been ranked in every poll this season
  • they were ninth in the preseason and climbed as high as sixth
• GPAC Success
  • the Defenders have won 11 GPAC titles (since the GPAC began in 2000), all since the 2012 season
  • they have claimed 10 of the last 12 titles, eight under current head coach Nate Wolf. 
  • Dordt has won five straight conference titles
• National Success
  • Dordt has qualified for the NAIA National Championship 13 consecutive seasons (since 2011)
  • the Defenders finished among the top 10 at the NAIA National Championship eight times, including four of the last five seasons

• The Line-Up (2025 Season Results):

  • Corinne Braun
    • 2025 Season Notes:
      • three races 
      • one win
      • three top 25's
      • season-best time: 21:40 @ Mount Marty
    • GPAC History
      • 2024 - 1st (GPAC Champion)
  • Jaci Burtis 
    •  2025 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • one top 10 finish, 2 top 25's
      • season-best time: 21:57 @ Holiday Inn Express
    • GPAC History
      • 2024 - 4th (all-conference)
  • Addy Crow
    • 2025 Season Notes: 
      • three races
      • three top 25's 
      • season-best time: 21:49 @ Holiday Inn Express
  • Jenna Hursh
    • 2025 Season Notes:
      • four races
      • three top 10's
      • season-best time: 22:15 @ Holiday Inn Express
  • Courtney Joiner
    •  2025 Season Notes:
      • four races
      • two top 10's, two top 25's
      • season-best time: 22:33 @ Mount Marty
    • GPAC History
      • 2024 - 10th (all-conference)
      • 2023 - 19th
  • Joy Koole
    • 2025 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • one win; three top 10's
      • season-best time: 21:20 @ Holiday Inn Express
      • named GPAC Runner of the Week 2x
  • Addy Liston
    • 2025 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • three top 25's
      • season-best time: 21:32 @ Holiday Inn Express
  • Jessica Opfer  
    • 2025 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • one top 10 finish; three  top 25's
      • season-best time: 22:02 @ Holiday Inn Express
    • GPAC history:
      • 2024: 13th (all-conference)
      • 2023: 6th (all-conference)
      • 2022: 33rd
  • Hannah Thong
    • 2025 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • one top 10 finish, three top 25's
      • named GPAC Runner of the Week 1x
      • season-best: 21:49 @ Holiday Inn Express
    • GPAC history:
      • 2024: 5th (all-conference)
  • Isabella Webb
    • 2025 Season Notes:
      • two races
      • one top 25 finish
      • season-best time: 21:49 @ Holiday Inn Express
    • GPAC History:
      • 2024: 2nd (all-conference)
      • 2023: 10th (all-conference)