The Event: 

• the Dordt University women'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 46th-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 weight throw will take place at 11am (CST) on Friday
• prelims / finals for the shot put will take place at 10:30am 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:

• 97 teams will send at least one athlete to compete at the championship
• 520 athletes will compete in an individual event
• 19 teams will send 10-or-more athletes to compete, including Dordt with 17
  • Indiana Tech has the most with 22, followed by Marian (19) and Doane (18)
• 11 teams have 10-or-more entries
  • Doane leads the field with 21 entries, followed by Central Methodist (19)
• Dordt has 17 athletes / 14 entries competing at the 2026 championships

At Last Year's Indoor Championship:

• Dordt finished in a tie for 20th place overall in the team standings with 13 points
• this was the 10th time the Defenders placed in the top 20 at the indoor national championships
• Defender All-Americans (3 events):
  • Shelby Buwalda - 600m (8th)
  • Corinne Braun - 1000m (3rd)
  • 4x800 Relay (3rd place) - DeYoung, Heynen, Buwalda, Braun

In the Rankings:

• Dordt is ranked 12th 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 is one of three teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) ranked in the top 25 in the Feb.25 rating:
  • Doane - #2
  • Dordt - #12
  • Concordia - #17
• the Defenders hold a top 10 ranking in eight events
  • #10 - 400m
  • #5 - 600m
  • #4 - 800m
  • #2 - 1000m
  • #4 - Mile
  • #3 - 3000m
  • #10 - 5000m
  • #6 - Weight Throw
• all three Defender relay teams, 4x400, 4x800 and Distance Medley, are ranked among the top 10 in the NAIA
  • 4x400 - 8th
  • 4x800 - 7th
  • Distance Medley - 6th

Defenders Line-Up / Outlook:

• Shelby Buwalda / Kaitlyn Wercinski - 600m
  • Prelims: Friday, 12:45pm (CST)
  • Finals: Saturday, 12:25pm - CST (8 advance)
  • Buwalda - ranked 2nd of the 25-runner field
  • Wercinski - ranked 22nd of the 25-runner field
  • Buwalda - 2x All-American / qualifier in the 600m
    • 2025 - 8th
    • 2024 - 6th
  • 4x NAIA Indoor All-American overall
    • 2025 - 600m (8th), 4x800 (3rd)
    • 2024 - 600m (6th)
    • 2023 - 4x800 (2nd)
  • Wercinski - 1st time qualifier in the 600m
    • qualified in the 4x400 last year
  • 5 All-Americans and 10 total returners from 2025
    • Danie Parriott - Doane (2nd), Autumn Nold - Evangel (5th), Diane Ondobo - Central Methodis (6th), Yanira Deana Paninka - St.Xavier (7th), Buwalda - 8th
  • top time: Alexandrea Clarke - St.Xavier: 1:32.3
• Corinne Braun / Addi Liston - 1000m
  • Prelims: Friday, 2:45pm (CST)
  • Finals: Saturday, 1:35pm - CST (8 advance)
  • Braun - ranked 7th of 20 runners (2:55.09)
  • Liston - ranked 10th of 20 runners (2:56)
  • Braun - 2x qualifier in the 1000m
    • All-American (3rd place) last season
    • 2x NAIA Indoor All-American overall
      • 2025 - 600m (3rd), 4x800 (3rd)
  • Liston - 1st time qualifier
    • All-American in cross country last fall
  • 5 All-Americans and 8 total returners from 2025
    • Calry Holadia - Saint Mary (Defending Champion), Braun (3rd), Madalenn Fee - Cottey (6th), Riley Morris - Eastern Oregon (7th), Summer Rempe - Marian (8th)
  • top time: Heidi Heldt - Olivet Nazarene: 2:48
  Addy Crow - Mile
  • Prelims: Friday, 10:45am (CST)
  • Finals: Saturday, 11:25am - CST (8 advance)
  • ranked 8th of 20 runners
  • 1st time qualifier in the event
  • All-American / National Qualifier in the steeplechase in 2025
  • 1 All-American, 3 returners from 2025
    • Katie Woods - Marian (3rd)
  • top time: Katie Woods - Marian: 4:42
• Jeni Burtis, Joy Koole, Hannah Thong - 3000m
  • Finals ONLY: Saturday, 2pm (CST)
  • Koole - ranked fourth of 20 runners (10:00)
  • Thong - ranked 17th of 20 runners (10:24)
  • Burtis - ranked 19th of 20 runners (10:27)
  • Koole - 1st time qualifier
    • All-American in XC last fall
  • Thong - 1st time qualifier
    • 2x national qualifier in XC
  • Burtis - 1st time qualifier in the event
    • qualifier in the distance medley last year
  • Defending Champion: Ellen-Mary Kearney - Milligan 
  • 3 All-Americans and 5 total returners from 2025
    • Kearney (champion), Alauna Carstens - Evergreen State (2nd), Alyssa Lovett - The Master's (8th)
  • top time: Kearney - 9:23)
  Fran Travis / Makenna Walhof - Weight Throw
  • Prelims / Finals: Friday, March 6  11am (CST)
  • Walhof - ranked 9th of 21 (17.86m)
  • Travis - ranked 21st of 21 (16.67m)
  • both Travis and Walhof are first time qualifiers in the event
  • Walhof was an All-American in the discus (outdoor) last season
  • Travis was a national qualifier in the discus and shot put last season
  • top mark: Kori Nagel - Dickinson State (19.40m)
  • 3 All-Americans, 9 total returners from 2025
    • Kori Nagel - Dickinson State (3rd), Maelie Hope - Aquinas (6th), Mia Knigge - Doane (8th)
• Fran Travis - Shot Put
  • Prelims / Finals: Saturday, March 7  10:30am (CST)
  • ranked 12th among the 20 qualifiers (13.70m)
  • 1st time qualifier at indoor nationals
  • national qualifier in the shot put for the 2025 outdoor season (17th)
  • GPAC Champion / School Record Holder in the event
  • top mark: Sydney Duncan - IU Kokomo (17.18m)
  • 2 All-Americans, 5 total returners from 2025
    • Sydney Duncan - Defending Champion; Kori Nagel (2nd)
• 4x400 Relay
  • Prelims: Thursday, 2:45pm (CST)
  • Finals: Saturday, 4:20pm-CST (8 advance)
  • ranked 8th of 23 teams (3:49)
  • Defenders qualified, did not place in top eight, last season (22nd place)
  • Defending Champion: Olivet Nazarene
  • fastest qualifying time: Life (3:44)
  • 7 All-Americans, 16 total teams return
    • Olivet Nazarene (1st), Madonna (2nd), Central Methodist (3rd), Indiana Tech (4th), Cornerstone (5th), Doane (6th), Marian (7th)
• 4x800 Relay
  • Prelims: Thursday, 1:45pm (CST)
  • Finals: Friday, 5:10pm (8 advance)
  • ranked 7th of 25 teams (9:15)
  • Defenders placed 3rd, earned All-American honors, last year
  • fastest qualifying time: Marian (9:04)
  • 6 All-American,16 total teams return
    • Marian (2nd), Dordt (3rd), Southeastern (4th), College of Saint Mary (5th), Madonna (6th), Grace (7th)
• Distance Medley
  • Prelims: Thursday, 3:45pm
  • Finals: Saturday, 3:40pm (10 advance)
  • ranked 6th of 21 teams (12:03)
  • Defenders qualified last year, did not advance to finals (14th)
  • fastest qualifying time: Marian (11:46)
  • Defending Champion: The Master's
  • 5 All-Americans, 12 total teams return
    • The Master's (1st), Taylor (2nd), Rocky Mountain (4th), Cumberlands (5th), St.Francis (6th)