The Event

• the No.1 rated Dordt University women's cross country team is scheduled to compete this weekend in their second of three home meets, the Holiday Inn Express Classic
• due to the size of the meet, there will be two 6K races, the Gold Division (9:45am) and the Black Division (11:05am)
• the gold division will feature no more than the top 10 runners from each of the teams competing; the black division race will feature all of the other runners from the teams
• both races will take place on the Defenders Cross Country Course on the campus of Dordt University

Meet Information

• Distance: 6000m
• 9:45am start (Gold) / 11:05am (Black)
• Defenders Cross Country Course (on campus)
• Course Map
• Entry List |
• Live Results (Dakota Timing)

Teams Competing

• 16 teams / 229 runners are scheduled to compete (NAIA unless noted)
  • #10 Benedictine 
  • Buena Vista (NCAA D-III)
  • (RV) College of Saint Mary
  • (RV) Concordia
  • Dakota State
  • #15 Doane
  • #1 Dordt
  • Midland
  • Morningside
  • Mount Marty
  • Northwestern
  • South Dakota Tech (NCAA D-II)
  • Southwest Minnesota State (NCAA D-II)
  • University of Sioux Falls (NCAA D-II)
  • Waldorf
  • Wayne State (NCAA D-II)

Defender Notes

• GPAC Success
  • Dordt has won six consecutive GPAC titles (2020-25), all under the direction of current head coach Nate Wolf
  • the Defenders have won eight of the last nine, 12 of the last 14, conference titles
• National Success
  • Dordt has qualified for the NAIA National Championship 14 consecutive seasons (since 2012)
  • the Defenders finished among the top 10 at the NAIA National Championship nine times, including five of the last six seasons
• In the Rankings
  • Dordt ascended to the No.1 spot in the latest edition of the NAIA Coaches' poll, released earlier this week by the NAIA (Oct.8)
  • this marks the first time in program history the Defenders have been rated No.1 (they were No.2 in the last poll and were also #2 in previous seasons)
  • Dordt replaced Milligan (Tenn.) in the top spot, and is followed by College of Idaho, Milligan, Cornerstone (Mich.) and Indiana Wesleyan
  • Dordt has appeared in the preseason coaches' poll every season since 2011
  • the Defenders have been ranked in the top 25 in 106 consecutive polls, the longest current streak in the NAIA
    • during this streak, Dordt has been ranked in the top 10 75 times
  • Dordt was picked to win the conference title based on the GPAC preseason coaches' poll released earlier this season
• About 2026
  • the Defenders return six of their top 10 runners and a total of 31 runners from last year
  • Roster Notes:
    • 45 total runners
      • 9 seniors
      • 10 juniors
      • 12 sophomores
      • 14 freshmen
• Schedule Outlook
  • this is the third meet of the regular season for the Defenders and the second with the 6K distance
  • following this weekend's competition, Dordt will have one final "tune-up" meet prior to the postseason and the GPAC Championship
  • Dordt will compete in the Blazing Tiger Classic at Mahoney State Park on Oct.24
  • the GPAC Championship will be held at the Defenders home course on Nov.7
  • the NAIA Championship returns to once again to Fort Vancouver, Washington at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site on Nov.20
• Coaching Staff
  • Nate Wolf returns for his 12th season as the head of the Dordt Cross Country program
  • Wolf is a 9x GPAC Coach of the Year, including six straight years
  • Wolf earned the USTFCCCA Regional Coach of the Year for the second time in 2025
  • 1st season - 2015
  • Jesse Veenstra and Emilee Heynen round out the Defenders coaching staff
• Notes
  • Dordt has finished among the top three teams in both meets this season
  • they won the Sunflower Open and placed third at the Augustana Invitational
  • the Defenders have been the top NAIA team in both meets
  • Joy Koole has been the top Dordt runner in each of the two meets
    • Koole was named the GPAC Runner of the Week after both performances
    • the sophomore was also named the NAIA Runner of the Week after her time at the Augustana Invitational
  • Addy Liston, Bailey VanderGriend and Hannah Thong have been the Defenders No.2 - No.4 runners in both meets
  • Natalie Smith was Dordt's No.5 runner at the Sunflower Open; Jeni Burtis was No.5 at Auggie
  • Koole and Thong lead the Defenders with six career top-10 finishes
  • Burtis, Liston and Isabella Webb have five career top five finishes