The Dordt University men's cross country team kicked off its 2025 season with a dominant performance at the Sunflower XC Open, claiming the team championship on their home course Saturday morning.
Led by sophomore
Truman Johnson, who finished second overall with a time of
26:19.29, the Defenders placed five runners in the top 10 to score an impressive
24 points, well ahead of runner-up Dakota State (46 points). Dordt's top five runners all finished within 45 seconds of each other, showcasing the team's depth.
"Truman Johnson had a strong race to kick off his sophomore year," said Dordt University Head Coach Nate Wolf. "He was controlled throughout the race, executing a solid race plan and showing his early season fitness.
Senior
Luke Swanson followed closely in fourth place (26:29.74), with sophomore
Trace Obbink (6th, 26:37.27), senior
Derrek Vander Leest (8th, 26:43.02), and senior
Chase Kamp (9th, 26:47.74) rounding out the scoring five.
Freshman
Hudson Hamilton and senior
Sam May also cracked the top 11, finishing 10th and 11th, respectively, further demonstrating the strength and depth of Dordt's roster.
"The men's team opened up with a strong collective performance. It was great to see the pack take form and move well throughout the race. A 1-5 spread of 28 seconds and a 1-7 spread of 42 seconds is a strong start to the season for the team."
The Defenders outpaced Dakota State, Northwestern (Iowa), and Mount Marty (S.D.), who finished third and fourth, respectively.
By the Numbers:
- Dordt's team time: 2:12.57 with an average time of 26:35
- Defenders 1-5 split: 28 seconds
- Defenders 1-7 split: 42 seconds
- both Levi Bird and Lawson Burkhardt ran personal-bests; Bird was 32 seconds faster than his previous best and Burkhardt bettered his time by less than a second
- 12 Defenders recorded their best finish:
- a total of 81 runners competed today
- 39 Defenders competed today
Defender Notes:
Up Next:
- the Defenders will send a partial squad to compete at the Roy Griak Invite on Friday, Sept. 19
