The Event:

• the Dordt University women'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 four events of the heptathlon, prelims of both the 100m and 100m 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 three events of the heptathlon 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 (12 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 third out of 12 teams at last year's outdoor championship held at the Osborne Family Sports Complex in Hastings, Neb.
  • 2025 Results |   Recap
• the Defenders accounted for 149 points, 14 in back of second place Concordia (163)
• Doane won the team title with 222 points
• Dordt won three titles, all on the track:
  • Courtney Joiner - 10,000m
  • Corinne Braun - 1500m
  • 4x400 relay (Lindsay Grau, Kaitlyn Wercinski, Kailee Altena, Shelby Buwalda)
• the Defenders scored points (top eight finish) in 15 of the 22 events, led by the 1500m and steeplechase with 21 points each
• Dordt scored double-digit points in six events; discus, 4x400 relay, 10,000m, 5000m, steeplechase, 1500m
• the Defenders had the highest point total among the 12 teams in five events
  • 1500m, Steeple, 5000m, 10K, 4x400
• 27 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:

• Kaitlyn Wercinski - 400m (4th)
• Shelby Buwalda - 400m (6th)
• Kaitlyn Wercinski - 400m hurdles (3rd)
• Lydia Herman - 400m hurdles (6th)
• Emilee Heynen - 800m (4th)
• Arielle DeYoung - 800m (8th)
• Corinne Braun - 1500m (GPAC Champion)
• Jaci Burtis - 1500m (2nd)
• Olivia Hoogland - 1500m (6th)
• Molly Mulder - Steeplechase (2nd)
• Addy Crow - Steeplechase (3rd)
• Jada Koerner - Steeeplechase (4th)
• Samantha Anema - Steeplechase (7th)
• Isabella Webb - 5000m (2nd)
• Hannah Thong - 5000m (3rd)
• Courtney Joiner - 5000m (4th)
• Courtney Joiner - 10,000m (GPAC Champion)
• Hannah Thong - 10,000m (2nd)
• Makenna Walhof - Discus (2nd)
• Fran Travis - Discus (4th)
• Maren Hettinga - Hammer (6th)
• Makenna Walhof - Hammer (7th)
• Ada Smies - High Jump (7th)
• Kendra DeWolde - Javelin (3rd)
• Fran Travis - Shot Put (6th)
• 4x400 Relay - GPAC Champion (Lindsay Grau, Kaitlyn Wercinski, Kailee Altena, Shelby Buwalda)
• 4x800 Relay - 3rd (Arielle DeYoung, Olivia Hoogland, Jenna Hursh, Ashlynn Davis)

Defenders History at the GPAC Outdoor Championship:

• Dordt has finished among the top five teams at the GPAC Outdoor Championship 12 consecutive years (since 2013) and 15 total since the GPAC's inception (2001). They have placed among the top three in each of the last five outdoor championships.
  • The Streak of Top Five Finishes (12):
    • 2025 - 3rd
    • 2024 - 3rd
    • 2023 - 2nd
    • 2022 - 3rd
    • 2021 - 3rd
    • 2020 - canceled due to CoVID
    • 2019 - 4th
    • 2018 - 5th
    • 2017 - 4th
    • 2016 - 4th
    • 2015 - 3rd
    • 2014 - 4th
    • 2013 - 3rd

In the Rankings:

• the Defenders are ranked seventh in the USTFCCCA / NAIA rankings released earlier this week\
• Dordt is one of three teams from the conference in the top 25:
  • Doane - 3rd
  • Dordt - 7th
  • Concordia - 11th
• this is the highest rating for the Defenders this outdoor season, up seven spots from last week

Dordt's Line-Up:

Listed below are the Defender athletes competing and in what event  Dordt has 81 (16 field / 62 individual running, 3 relays) entries competing in 21 of the 22 events (7 field events, 1 multi, 3 relays, 10 individual track)

• 100m (5)
  • Lindsay Grau
  • Jenna Balt
  • Kailee Altena 
  • Leah Klock 
  • Allie Houser 
• 100m Hurdles (3):
  • Avery Van Weerdhuizen
  • Faith Minderhoud
  • Sierra Scholten 
• 200m (7)
  • Anna Heynen 
  • Kailee Altena 
  • Ada Dekkers 
  • Leah Klock 
  • Kayla Van Otterloo
  • Jenna Balt
  • Miella Struble
• 400m (7)
  • Ayda Den Herder 
  • Ada Dekkers 
  • Anna Heynen 
  • Lindsay Grau 
  • Emily Noteboom
  • Kayla Van Otterloo
  • Leah Klock
• 400m Hurdles (6):
  • Lydia Herman
  • Sierra Scholten
  • Avery Van Weerdhuizen
  • Karly Champness
  • Faith Minderhoud
  • Kaitlyn Wercinski
• 800m (6)
  • Abby Harding
  • Addy Liston
  • Raegan Snieder
  • Arielle DeYoung
  • Shelby Buwalda
  • Ashlynn Davis
• 1500m (8)
  • Kyrin DeGroot
  • Elizabeth Hoogland
  • Sarah May
  • Olivia Kraayenbrink
  • Addy Liston
  • Corinne Braun
  • Raegan Snieder
  • Olivia Hoogland
• Steeplechase (4)
  • Macy Marshall 
  • Jada Koerner 
  • Addy Crow
  • Elyse Zwart
• 5000m (8)
  • Jeni Burtis
  • Jessica Opfer
  • Hannah Thong 
  • Isabella Webb 
  • Courtney Joiner 
  • Jenna Hursh
  • Eden Sullivan
  • Joy Koole
• 10,000m (8)
  • Jeni Burtis
  • Jessica Opfer
  • Hannah Thong 
  • Courtney Joiner 
  • Eden Sullivan
  • Olivia Graber
  • Jada Abrahamson
  • Sophie Memmelaar
• 4x100 Relay
• 4x400 Relay
• 4x800 Relay
• High Jump (2)
  • Ada Smies 
  • Claudia Heethuis
• Long Jump (1)
  • Jenna Balt 
• Pole Vault (1):
  • Karly Champness 
• Discus (2)
  • Makenna Walhof
  • Fran Travis
• Shot Put (1):
  • Fran Travis 
• Hammer (4):
  • Makenna Walhof
  • Fran Travis
  • Lynne Tormoehlen
  • Maren Hettinga
• Javelin (3):
  • Ava Ingwersen
  • Morgan Groen
  • Hannah Graves
• Heptathlon (2):
  • Jenny Lumkes 
  • Tabitha Buwlada