The Event:

• the Dordt University men's track and field team is set to compete at the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference Indoor Championship this weekend (May 1-2)
• the two-day event will take place at Heedum Field on the campus of Midland  University in Fremont, Neb.
• day one features the first five events of the decathlon, prelims of both the 100m and 110m hurdles and the finals of four field events, 10K and 4x800 relay
• the majority of the competition will take place on Saturday, May 2, with the final five events of the decathlon at 9am, field events at noon and track events at 12:30pm
• the championship concludes with the awards ceremony around 6pm

The Competition:

• all GPAC schools that have track and field are scheduled to compete (11 teams)
• there are a total of 22 events (10 individual running events, 8 field events, 3 relays, 1 multi-event) scored at the championship, with the top eight individual places scoring points for their team (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1)
• the team with the most points after all of the events have finished wins the conference championship.
• the top eight finishers in each individual event earn all-conference honors; top three finishers in relays earn all-conference honors.

Last Year:

• Dordt University finished second out of 11 teams at last year's outdoor championship held at the Osborne Family Sports Complex in Hastings, Neb.
  • 2025 Results |   Recap
• the Defenders accounted for 156 points, well ahead (41pts) of third place Concordia
• Doane won the team title with 222 points
• Dordt won five titles, all on the track:
  • Ryan Schober - 100m
  • Ryan Schober - 200m
  • Kaden Van Wyngarden - 1500m
  • 4x100 relay (Levi Schelhaas, Logan Franken, Ryan Schober, Jacob Schmoll)
  • 4x400 relay (Ryan Schober, Scott Kroll, Isaac Davelaar, Noah Schroder)
• the Defenders scored points (top eight finish) in 18 of the 22 events, led by the 1500m (20pts) and 400m (17pts)
• Dordt scored double-digit points in 10 events; 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, steeple, 5000m, 10,000m, 4x100, 4x400 and pole vault
• the Defenders had the highest point total among the teams in nine events
  • 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m, Steeple, 5000m (tied), 10K, 4x100, 4x400
• 31 Defender entries earned all-conference honors, 25 individuals and two relays
  • 7 field events, 18 running events, 2 relays

Defenders Who Earned All-Conference Honors in 2025:

• Ryan Schober - 100m (GPAC Champion)
• Ryan Schober - 200m (GPAC Champion)
• Levi Schelhaas - 200m (7th)
• Levi Schelhaas - 400m (2nd)
• Noah Schroder - 400m (4th)
• Isaac Davelaar - 400m (5th)
• Kaden Van Wyngarden - 800m (6th)
• Kaden Van Wyngarden - 1500m (GPAC Champion)
• Justin Kroeze - 1500m (3rd)
• Luke Swanson  - 1500m (6th)
• Jonathan Breems - 1500m (8th)
• Levi Landman - Steeplechase (2nd)
• Isaac Fagan - Steeplechase (3rd)
• Aida Vorster - 5000m (2nd)
• Derrek Vander Leest - 5000m (5th)
• Aidan Vorster - 10,000m (3rd)
• Truman Johnson - 10,000m (4th)
• Derrek Vander Leest - 10,000m (8th)
• Derek Heynen - Discus (7th)
• Matt Haken - Hammer (6th)
• Tyler Vander Molen - Hammer (8th)
• Grant Busker - High Jump (8th)
• Ben Van Eps - Javelin (3rd)
• Micah Schaap - Long Jump (7th)
• Dayton Brunsting - Decathlon (3rd)
• Willem Den Hartog - Pole Vault (4th)
• Nathan Adams - Pole Vault (6th)
• Isaac Fergen - Pole Vault (7th)
• 4x100 Relay - (GPAC Champion) 
• 4x400 Relay - (GPAC Champion)

Defenders History at the GPAC Outdoor Championship:

• the Defenders have won two of the last three GPAC Outdoor titles
• Dordt has finished among the top two teams in each of the last six years the outdoor championship took place (note: 2020 championship was called off due to CoVID).
• the Defenders have placed among the top five in seven consecutive championships.
  • Last 12 Years of the championship:
    • 2025 - 2nd
    • 2024 - 1st
    • 2023 - 1st
    • 2022 - 2nd
    • 2021 - 2nd
    • 2020 - canceled due to CoVID
    • 2019 - 2nd
    • 2018 - 4th
    • 2017 - 6th
    • 2016 - 7th
    • 2015 - 8th
    • 2014 - 8th
    • 2013 - 8th

In the Rankings:

• the Defenders is receiving votes (39th) in the USTFCCCA / NAIA rankings released earlier this week\
• two teams from the conference in the top 25:
  • Doane - 14th
  • Concordia - 24th
• this is the highest rating for the Defenders this outdoor season, up five spots from last week

Dordt's Line-Up:

Listed below are the Defender athletes competing and in what event  Dordt has 69 (18 field / 48 individual running, 3 relays) entries competing in 21 of the 22 events (7 field events, 1 multi, 3 relays, 10 individual track)

• 100m (2)
  • Jacob Schmoll
  • Brady Terry
• 110m Hurdles (2):
  • Wyatt Tschida
  • Isaac Hartman
• 200m (2)
  • Isaiah Johnson
  • Levi Schelhaas
• 400m (4)
  • Ethan Miller
  • Jacob Schmoll
  • Noah Schroder
  • Levi Schelhaas
• 400m Hurdles (4):
  • Isaac Hartman
  • Wyatt Tschida
  • Scott Kroll
  • Will Gutzmer
• 800m (5)
  • Sam May
  • Casey Heinrichs
  • Ezra Landman
  • Trace Obbink
  • Anderson Schuttinga
• 1500m (8)
  • Tyler Rozenboom
  • Hudson Hamilton
  • Kaden Van Wyngarden
  • Jamison Velzke
  • Justin Kroeze
  • Jackson Prins
  • Luke Swanson
  • Jonathan Breems
• Steeplechase (7)
  • Tavin Schroeder
  • Joshua Daun
  • Levi Landman
  • Truman Johnson
  • Isaac Fagan
  • Lawson Burkhart
  • Sammy King
• 5000m (8)
  • Chase Kamp
  • Caleb Van Beek
  • Derrek Vander Leest
  • Brett Gifford
  • Steven Hebert
  • Luke Swanson
  • Tavin Schroeder
  • Ben Gosselink
• 10,000m (6)
  • Steven Hebert
  • Derrek Vander Leest
  • Chase Kamp
  • Brett Gifford
  • Isaac Vos
  • Justin Rygh
• 4x100 Relay
• 4x400 Relay
• 4x800 Relay
• High Jump (2)
  • Landon Fransman
  • Grant Busker
• Long Jump (1)
  • Micah Schaap 
• Pole Vault (5):
  • Willem Den Hartog
  • Micah Evenhouse
  • Nathan Adams
  • Isaac Fergen
  • Cody Brown 
• Discus (1)
  • Derek Heynen
• Shot Put (2):
  • Derek Heynen
  • Thomas Peltzer
• Hammer (3):
  • Derek Heynen
  • Ethan Hoolsema
  • Thomas Peltzer
• Javelin (2):
  • Ben Van Eps
  • Cade Vlietsra
• Decathlon (2):
  • Aidan Schaap
  • Nathan Adams