The Event

• postseason begins for the No.1 Dordt University women's cross country team as they compete in the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championship this weekend.
• the 2026 championship will be held at the Defenders home cross country course on the campus of Dordt University
• Saturday's race (Nov.7) is set to begin at 11:30am

Meet Information:

• Distance: 6000m
• 11:30am start
• Defenders Cross Country Course
• 6K Course Map
• Watch (Dordt Media 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 2026 NAIA National Championship, held this year at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash.
• 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:

• Dordt has owned the No.1 ranking in the last three NAIA Coaches' polls, dating back to Oct.8
• the Defenders have been ranked among the top three all season, opening the year at No.3
• College of Saint Mary is the only other GPAC team recognized in the latest poll as the Flames are receiving votes

An Impressive Streak:  

• Dordt has been ranked among the top 25 for 106 consecutive polls, the longest current streak in the NAIA
• the Defenders have held a top 10 ranking in 77 of the 106 polls during their current streak
• Dordt has been ranked among the top 10 teams in 27 straight polls (dating back to Sept.22, 2022)

GPAC Championship History:

• the Defenders have won 12 GPAC titles (since the GPAC began in 2000), all since the 2012 season.
• they have claimed 10 of the last 12 titles, nine under current head coach Nate Wolf. 
• Dordt has won six straight conference titles
• GPAC Titles Under Wolf:
  • 2025 - 17pts
  • 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 nine GPAC individual titles
  • Corinne Braun (2x) - 2025, 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:

• Dordt University secured their sixth consecutive GPAC Championship in 2025
• the 2025 championship was run at Mahoney State Park near Ashland, Neb.
• Results |  Recap

The Defenders totaled 17 points, their best team score ever recorded at the championship and finished well ahead of second place Morningside - 76pts. 

The 17pts scored ranks as the second best team score all time at the GPAC Championship (Concordia - 2004)

• eight Defenders finished among the top 10 and all 10 Dordt runners earned all-conference honors by placing in the top 15
  • Corinne Braun - 1st: 21:21
  • Joy Koole - 2nd: 21:40
  • Addy Liston - 3rd: 21:45
  • Addy Crow - 5th: 21:54
  • Hannah Thong - 6th: 22:02
  • Isabella Webb - 8th: 22:22
  • Jaci Burtis - 9th: 22:28
  • Jenna Hursh - 10th: 22:29
  • Courtney Joiner - 13th: 22:42
  • Jessica Opfer - 14th: 22:48

Defender Notes:

• National Success
  • Dordt has qualified for the NAIA National Championship 14 consecutive seasons (since 2011)
  • the Defenders finished among the top 10 at the NAIA National Championship nine times, including five of the last six seasons

• The Line-Up (2026 Season Results):

  • Jeni Burtis
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • four races 
      • two top 25's
      • season-best time: 21:59 @ Augustana Invite
    • GPAC History
      • 2024 - 6th  (all-conference)
  • Addy Crow
    • 2026 Season Notes: 
      • four races
      • one top 10 finish
      • three top 25's 
      • season-best time: 22:39 @ Blazing Tiger Classic
    • GPAC History
      • 2025 - 5th  (all-conference)
  • Joy Koole
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • two wins, three top 10's
      • season-best time: 21:08 @ Augustan Invite
      • named GPAC Runner of the Week 3x
    • GPAC History
      • 2025 - 2nd  (all-conference)
  • Addy Liston
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • two top 10's
      • three top 25's
      • season-best time: 21:26 @ Augustana Invite
    • GPAC History
      • 2025 - 3rd  (all-conference)
  • Natalie Smith
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • four races
      • one top 25 finish
      • season-best time: 22:56 @ Augustana Invite
  • Raegan Sneider
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • one top 10 finish
      • two top 25's
      • season-best time: 23:39 @ Holiday Inn Express
  • Hannah Thong
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • one top 10 finish, two top 25's
      • season-best: 21:45 @ Augustana Invite
    • GPAC history:
      • 2026: 6th (all-conference)
      • 2024: 5th (all-conference)
  • Bailey Vander Griend
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • three races
      • two top 10's
      • three top 25's
      • season-best time: 21:13 @ Augustana Invite
  • Isabella Webb
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • four races
      • two top 25's
      • season-best time: 22:13 @ Augustana Invite
    • GPAC History:
      • 2025: 8th (all-conference)
      • 2024: 2nd (all-conference)
      • 2023: 10th (all-conference)
  • Katie Young
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • four races
      • two top 25's
      • season-best time: 22:22 @ Augustana Invite
  • Elyse Zwart
    • 2026 Season Notes:
      • four races
      • one top 10
      • three top 25's
      • season-best time: 22:15 @ Augustana Invite