The Dordt University women's track and field team competed at the Prairie Wolf Open held today at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb. The Defenders turned in several noteworthy performances, led by one first place finish (4x400 relay) and five entries that recorded a time in the program's all-time top 10.

• Results | PDF

Notes

• Jessica Opfer and Courtney Joiner posted a pair of top 10 finishes in the longest race of the day (5000m)
  • Opfer maintained a spot in the top five for the duration of the 5K race, moving up to fourth place for good at the 3200m mark
  • Opfer's time of 18:24 is a 2-second PR, ranks 8th fastest all-time at Dordt and is currently the second fastest in the GPAC
  • Joiner made a significant move early in the race, going from 8th place to sixth at the 1200m mark
  • Joiner crossed the finish line in 18:57
• another two Defenders, Macy Marshall and Jenna Hursh, placed in the top 10 in the mile
  • Marshall finished third with a time of 5:20.8, moving up two places with a 37.84 split on the final lap
  • Hursh placed ninth overall and completed the race in a personal-best time of 5:26.97, nearly five seconds faster than her previous best
• Shelby Buwalda led a group of three Defenders among the top five in the 600m
  • running in the first heat, Buwalda crossed the finish line first in her heat and with the second fastest time overall, 1:35.6
  • Buwalda was the fastest NAIA runner in the field
  • Arielle DeYoung and Kaitlyn Wercinski placed fourth and fifth, respectively, and ran personal best times
  • DeYoung (4th - 1:37.9) ran a PR by nearly two seconds
  • Wercinski (5th - 1:37.99) ran a PR by .2 of a second
• Addy Liston posted a top 10 finish (7th) in the 800m with a time of 2:20.04
• Corinne Braun ran a season-best time (2:57.25) and placed third in the 1000m
  • in fourth place with 200m left, Braun closed with a 34.14 split over the last 200m to overtake Kalyn Willingham (Wichita State)
  • Braun's time is the second fastest in the GPAC to date and hit the 'B' standard for the second time this season
• three Defenders placed in the top 10 of the 200m, led by Ayda Den Herder in fourth place with a career-best time of 26.05
  • Den Herder's time is fifth fastest in program history 
  • Ada Dekkers crossed the finish line in sixth place with a career-best time of 26.41, 10th fastest all-time
  • Anna Heynen placed seventh overall (26.53)
• Addy Crow recorded the highest individual finish by a Dordt runner at the meet, placing second in the 3000m
  • Crow held the second spot for the entirety of the race
  • the sophomore turned in a huge personal best time (10:18), 1:15 faster than her previous best
  • Crow's time ranks third fastest at Dordt
  • Jada Koerner finished third (10:32) with a personal-best time of 10:32
  • Elyse Zwart gave the Defenders a third top 10 finisher, placing sixth with a personal-best time of 10:50
• the Defenders won the final event, the 4x400 relay, with a time of 3:55.35, nearly two seconds faster than the second place team (Doane)
  • the team of Ayda Den Herder, Kaitlyn Wercinski, Ada Dekkers and Shelby Buwalda hit the 'B' standard for the second consecutive meet

Defender Winners (1):

• 4x400 Relay - Den Herder, Wercinski, Dekkers, Buwalda

All-Time Top 10's (5):

• Jessica Opfer - 5000m (8th)
• Arielle DeYoung - 600m (10th)
• Ayda Den Herder - 200m (5th)
• Ada Dekkers - 200m (10th)
• Addy Crow - 3000m (3rd)

Indoor Personal Bests (11):

• Jessica Opfer - 5000m
• Jenna Hursh - Mile
• Arielle DeYoung - 600m
• Kaitlyn Wercinski - 600m
• Elizabeth Hoogland - 800m
• Kyrin De Groot - 1000m
• Ayda Den Herder - 200m
• Ada Dekkers - 200m
• Addy Crow - 3000m
• Jada Koerner - 3000m
• Elyse Zwart - 3000m

Top 10 Finishes (16):

• 200m:
  • Ayda Den Herder - 4th: 26.05
  • Ada Dekkers - 6th: 26.41
  • Anna Heynen - 7th: 26.53
• 600m:
  • Shelby Buwalda - 2nd: 1:35.6
  • Arielle DeYoung - 4th: 1:37.91
  • Kaitlyn Wercinski - 5th: 1:37.99
• 800m:
  • Addy Liston - 7th: 2:20.04
• 1000m:
  • Corinne Braun - 3rd: 2:57.25
• Mile:
  • Macy Marshall - 3rd: 5:20.8
  • Jenna Hursh - 9th: 5:26
• 3000m:
  • Addy Crow - 2nd: 10:18
  • Jada Koerner - 3rd: 10:32
  • Elyse Zwart - 6th: 10:50
• 5000m:
  • Jessica Opfer - 4th: 18:24
  • Courtney Joiner - 6th: 18:57
• 4x400 Relay:
  • 1st: 3:55.35 (Den Herder, Wercinski, Dekkers, Buwalda)