Jonathan Panknen, who competes in track and field and football for Pella Community High School (Iowa), has announced his intention to attend Dordt University and compete in the Defenders track and field program.
PANKNEN NOTES:
- School: Pella Community High School
- Hometown: Pella, Iowa
- Parents: Sean and Amanda Panknen
- Intended Field of Study: Business Administration - Finance / Economics
- Events: Shot Put and Discus
- Personal Best Times / Marks:
- Shot Put - 40'09"
- Discus - 156'08"
- Honors:
- Football:
- earned second team all-district honors two years
- named to the Academic All-State team - 1x
- earned Academic All-District honors - 3x
- part of two state runner-up teams in class 4A (2024, 2025)
- Track and Field
- ranks ninth all-time at Pella in discus
- earned academic all-conference honors two years
- Why Dordt:
- "I chose to attend Dordt because I really appreciated the heart that the school has for God. The business department impressed me with its strong academics and the marketplace experience of its professors. I am also excited for the athletic opportunities that I will have at Dordt."
Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive Christian college rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Defender athletic program is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA).
U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review all list Dordt on their best colleges lists. Dordt is home to approximately 1,500 students.
