The Event: 

• the Dordt University men's track and field team will send 17 athletes to compete at the 2026 U.S. Marines NAIA Indoor National Championship this week in Gainesville, Fla.
• the 61st-annual championship is a three-day event, beginning Thursday, March 5 and will conclude on Saturday, March 7 with the awards ceremony at 6:15pm (EST).
• the championship is held at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center in Gainesville, Fla. for the second consecutive year

Championship Format:

• prelims for all three relays are on Thursday, March 5 with the top eight (relays) advancing to the finals on Friday (4x800) or Saturday (DMR and 4x400). 
• prelims for the individual races are on Friday with either eight or 10 athletes advancing to the finals on Saturday.
• prelims / finals for the long jump will take place at 3pm on Friday
• prelims / finals for the pole vault will take place at 1:15pm on Saturday
• top eight finishers in the finals are All-American and earn points for their team on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.
• the team with the most points after all 21 championship events (7 field, 11 track and 3 relays) are scored wins the team title.

A Look at the Championship, By the Numbers:

• 105 teams will send at least one athlete to compete at the championship
• 650 athletes will compete in an individual event
• 21 teams will send 10-or-more athletes to compete, including Dordt with 17
  • Indiana Tech has the most with 31, followed by No.1 Cumberlands (26) and defending champion Marian (23)
• 13 teams have 10-or-more entries
  • Indiana Tech has the most (26) followed by Cumberlands (20)
• Dordt has 17 athletes / 9 entries competing at the 2026 championships

At Last Year's Indoor Championship:

• Dordt finished in a tie for 11th place overall in the team standings with 18 points, third most among the GPAC teams (Doane - 3rd, Midland - 6th)
• this was the seventh consecutive indoor season that Dordt finished in the top 20 and sixth straight year in the top 15.
• National Titles (1):
  • Payton Mauldin - 
• Defender All-Americans (3 events):
  • Payton Mauldin - 600m (1st)
  • Isaac Davelaar - 600m (4th)
  • 4x400 Relay - Schmoll, Schober, Davelaar, Mauldin, De Haan (6th)

In the Rankings:

• Dordt is ranked 27th / receiving votes in the latest USTFCCCA rankings (Feb.25)
• the final poll will be announced on Sunday, March 8, following the conclusion of the NAIA Indoor National Championships
• Dordt moved out of the top 25 for the first time this season
• the Defenders accounted for 45.8 points, within two points of #26 Montant Tech and #25 Dickinson State
• Dordt is one of three teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) ranked in the top 30 in the  Feb.25 rating:
  • Doane - #15
  • Concordia - #19
  • Dordt - #27
• the Defenders hold a top 10 ranking in six events
  • #4 - 400m
  • #6 - 600m
  • #8 - 1000m
  • #6 - Mile
• two Defender relay teams, 4x400, 4x800, are ranked among the top 15 in the NAIA
  • 4x400 - 2nd
  • 4x800 - 13th

Defenders Line-Up / Outlook:

• Isaac Davelaar / Bennett Wassenaar - 600m
  • Prelims: Friday, 1:15pm (CST)
  • Finals: Saturday, 12:35pm - CST (8 advance)
  • Davelaar - ranked third (1:18.29) of 25 runners
  • Wassenaar - ranked 23rd (1:20.27) of 25 runners
  • Davelaar - 2x qualifier in the 600m
    • All-American in the 600m last season (4th place)
    • 4x NAIA Indoor All-American overall
      • 2025 - 600m, 4x400 (6th)
      • 2024 - 800m (5th), 4x800 (2nd)
  • Wassenaar - 1st time qualifier
  • 3 All-Americans and 58 total returners from 2025
    • Davelaar (4th), Eric Materna (Marian - 3rd), Kenzie Knowles (St.Thomas - 7th)
  • top time: Luis Peralta, 1:17.5 (Milligan)
• Willem Den Hartog - Pole Vault
  • Prelims / Finals: Saturday, March 7 12:15pm (CST)
  • ranked T13th among the 21 qualifiers (4.75m)
  • 1st time qualifier 
  • won GPAC title during the 2026 Indoor Season
  • top mark: Ridge Willard (Indiana Wesleyan - 5.05m)
  • 2 All-Americans, 5 total returners from 2025
    • Carson Le Bel (Southern Oregon - 4th), Ridge Willard (Indiana Wesleyan - 6th)
• Micah Schaap - Long Jump
  • Prelims / Finals: Friday, March 6, 2pm (CST)
  • ranked T19th among the 32 qualifiers (7.21m)
  • 1st time indoor qualifier in long jump
    • has qualified in triple jump (2024), Distance Medley (2024), 4x400 relay (2023)
  • 4x all-conference in long jump (indoor)
  • top mark: Elijah Smith (St.Thomas - 7.82m)
  • 4 All-Americans, 11 total returners from 2025
    • Kaleo Wellman (Bushnell - 7.31m)
    • Maxwell Wordui (Lindsey Wilson - 4th)
    • Khalil Carr (Life - 7th)
    • Luke Rader (Shawnee State - 8th)
• Levi Schelhaas - 400m
  • Prelims: Friday, March 6, 12:25pm (CST)
  • Finals: Saturday, March 7 12:15pm (CST)
  • ranked 13th among the 22 qualifiers (47.98)
  • 2x indoor qualifier (400m)
    • 2024 - 16th (prelims)
  • 4x indoor qualifier (all events), 2x All-American
    • 2024 - 200m (19th), 400m (16th), 4x400 relay (champions)
    • 2023 - 4x400 relay (4th)
  • top time: Netanel Dorothea (Madonna - 46.88)
  • 2 All-Americans, 4 total returners from 2025
    • Tyrece Grant (Texas Wesleyan - 2nd), Jan Busam (Huntington - 7th)
• Kaden Van Wyngarden - Mile
  • Prelims: Firday, March 6, 11:05am (CST)
  • Finals: Saturday, March 7 11:35am (CST)
  • ranked 10th among the 20 qualifiers (4:11.9)
  • 1st time qualifier in mile
  • qualified in the distance medley in 2025 (19th)
  • top time: Justin Kiplagat (Trinity Western - 4:02)
  • 3 All-Americans, 6 total returners from 2025
    • Camden Khon (Spring Arbor - 4th), Michael Grigsby (Doane - 6th), Giulio Romano (Indiana Tech - 8th)
• 4x400 Relay
  • Prelims: Thursday, 3:15pm (CST)
  • Finals: Saturday, 4:40pm-CST (8 advance)
  • ranked 3rd of 31 teams (3:13.3)
  • Dordt finished sixth last year, national champion in 2024
  • fastest qualifying time: Huntington (Ind.) 3:10.00
  • 6 All-American, 17 total teams return
    • Huntington (5th) , Dordt (6th) , Marian (defending champion), Cumberlands (3rd), Southeastern (8th), Life (4th)
• 4x800 Relay
  • Prelims: Thursday, 2:15pm
  • Finals: Friday, 5:25pm (8 advance)
  • ranked 12th of 22 teams (7:42)
  • Dordt qualified last year
  • fastest qualifying time: Spring Arbor (7:30)
  • 6 All-American,16 total teams return
    • Milligan - defending champion
    • Milligan (1st), Kansas Wesleyan (4th), Dakota State (6th), Marian (2nd), Rio Grande (5th), Cornerstone (3rd)
• Distance Medley
  • Prelims: Thursday, 4:45pm
  • Finals: Saturday, 4pm (10 advance)
  • ranked 20th of 22 teams (10:09)
  • Dordt qualified the last five years, has not advanced to finals since 2021 (5th place)
  • fastest qualifying time: Cumberlands (9:54.17)
  • 7 All-Americans, 11 total teams return
    • Marian - defending champion
    • Marian (1st), Cumberlands (2nd), Spring Arbor (3rd), Oklahoma City (4th), Olivet Nazarene (5th), Indiana Wesleyan (6th), The Master's (7th)