The Dordt University men's and women's cross country teams will have an opportunity to cap a successful fall season with strong performances at the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 7, at Dordt.

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The Defenders enter championship week with momentum, a deep group of contributors and the opportunity to compete for conference titles and national championship berths. Both teams have shown progress throughout the season, and head coach Nate Wolf believes there is still room for improvement as the postseason begins.

"We've had a really good fall," Wolf said. "I'm excited for this meet and hopefully a national meet to follow with both the men and the women."

The most recent competition for Dordt was the Blazing Tiger Invitational, where both teams had opportunities to evaluate their progress heading into the championship portion of the schedule. Wolf was pleased with the men's performance, particularly after the team had experienced some fatigue following its home meet in Sioux Center.

"I thought we ran well, and as I looked at the results, I kind of felt like we can run better, which is fun," Wolf said. "I feel like they can run better."

That assessment reflects the confidence Wolf has in the men's group as it approaches the GPAC meet. Dordt has been among the conference's leading teams throughout the season, with Doane and Concordia emerging as consistent challengers. Wolf expects those programs to be part of a competitive race for the top positions.

One of the most encouraging developments for the men's team has been the emergence of Trace Obbink as a distance runner. A  middle-distance runner in track and field, Obbink has developed into one of Dordt's important cross country contributors.

Wolf said Obbink's ability to compete in several events during his high school career provided an indication of his potential, but his continued development and durability have helped him take another step forward.

"When I recruited Trace, I told him there are very few athletes who have the capacity to run what he does in the 400, what he does in the two-mile and the events in between," Wolf said. "He's just become more durable, and we've been able to see that come out this year. It's been a really fun season to see him mature into the type of cross country runner he's become."

Wolf's development also provides an example for younger athletes in the program. Wolf pointed to the importance of consistency and working through the challenges that come with collegiate distance running.

He noted that Obbink and teammate Ezra Landman gained valuable confidence at last year's outdoor national track meet when they advanced to the finals of the 4x800-meter relay and demonstrated they could compete with the nation's best.

Wolf believes that experience has carried over into this season.

Dordt also expects contributions from runners such as Hudson Hamilton as the team looks to strengthen its scoring depth. Wolf said the men's roster is generally healthy heading into the championship, although one potential top-10 contributor has been dealing with an illness during the week.

The women's team has also demonstrated the value of its depth throughout the season. At the Blazing Tiger Invitational, Dordt elected to hold out several runners who had been training at a high level and dealing with various issues over the preceding weeks.

The athletes who entered the lineup responded well, giving Wolf another indication of the team's overall strength.

"That's one of the fun things about having depth," Wolf said. "It allows me to do what's best for each of them individually. It also allows us to have other athletes come in and step up and carry the success of the team forward."

One of the biggest bright spots was the performance of Elise Zwart, who emerged as Dordt's top runner at Blazing Tiger.

Wolf was encouraged by the confidence Zwart displayed in taking on that leadership role and handling the opportunity to lead the team.

Katie Young has also continued to mature throughout her freshman season. Wolf said Young has learned how to compete at the collegiate level while finding herself in positions that can influence the team's overall result.

The Defenders also continue to receive consistent performances from Addy Crowe, who has built on an outstanding previous season.

"She's just continually improved," Wolf said. "She doesn't have any practice that I would say is just this phenomenal practice, but it's always just a nice day. I think that translates for her into her races. She's consistent, she improves over the course of the year, and I think she's rounding into her top form as we get into the end of the season."

Graduate student Jeni Burtis is another runner Wolf believes is finishing the season particularly well. Burtis has completed much of her training independently while living at home, but Wolf said her workouts and racing have been the best of her collegiate career.

He is looking forward to seeing what she can accomplish at the conference championship.

Other contributors, including Joy Koole, Addie Liston, Vander Griend and Hannah Thong, give Dordt additional options as the team prepares for the postseason.

The GPAC championship should provide a strong test for both Dordt teams.

"Unfortunately, we may only get two teams from our women's side of the conference into the national meet," Wolf said. "But I really believe when I look at the national level that there's three, and maybe even four, teams that are the caliber of a top-25 team if they race the way that they can."

That depth should make Saturday's championship particularly competitive, with national qualifying opportunities adding to the significance of the team and individual races.

As the Defenders approach the end of the season, Wolf is mindful of the work that goes into preparing for championship competition. Much of that work begins during the summer, when athletes train independently before returning to campus for the fall schedule.

The coaching staff also recognizes that every athlete is at a different point in training, competition and personal development. Managing those individual needs while keeping the team moving forward is an important part of the postseason process.

Wolf said one of his biggest goals for the championship is to see athletes experience the benefits of their preparation.

"They do all this work, and a lot of it is by themselves in the summer. We get to this time of the school year, and they're stressed," Wolf said. "I just really want to see them be able to have the work that they put in come out in their races."

While team championships and national qualifying opportunities are important goals, Wolf also wants each athlete to recognize personal improvement and the rewards of a season's commitment.

"I want them to walk away from each of these meets at the end of the year and say, 'All the work that I put in, I was able to see a benefit from that,'" Wolf said.