The Dordt University men's track and field team opened the 2026 Drake Relays this afternoon at the prestigious Blue Oval, Drake Stadium, in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Defenders lone entry on day one was the 4x800 relay and the team of
Luke Swanson,
Isaac Davelaar,
Anderson Schuttinga and
Kaden Van Wyngarden finished seventh out of 15 teams in the college division. The Defenders quartet ran a season-best time of 7:42.93, less than a second away from the 'B' standard and qualifying for the NAIA Outdoor Championships. Their time ranks No.2 in the GPAC, trailing only Hastings, who finished just ahead of the Defenders in today's race (7:42.54).
After the opening carry by
Luke Swanson, the Defender moved up five spots into seventh place after a 1:53 split by
Isaac Davelaar. Schuttinga (1:56) and Van Wyngarden (1:54) maintained the Defenders spot throughout the rest of the race.
Saint Ambrose (Iowa) won today's race with a time of 7:34, followed by Cornerstone (Mich.) at 7:37.
Friday's Lineup:
- 4x100 Relay prelims - 9:37am
- Pole Vault - Willem Den Hartog: Noon
- 4x1600 Relay - Noon
- 4x400 Relay prelims - 3:35pm
- Sprint Medley - 6:35pm
- 4x200 Relay - 8:10pm
