The Dordt University women's track and field team won three titles on the first day of the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Outdoor Championships. The two-day championship is being held at Heedum Field in Fremont, Neb. and hosted by Midland University. 

• Results | 

Notes:

• the 4x800 relay was the first Defenders entry to win the conference championship, crossing the finish line with a NAIA provisional time of 9:20
  • in second place behind Morningside heading into the final carry, Corinne Braun ran a 2:14 over the final two laps to help lead the Defenders to the win by just over three seconds
  • Defender relay members: Braun, Arielle DeYoung, Olivia Hoogland, Elizabeth Hoogland
• Makenna Walhof and Fran Travis swept the top two spots and earned 18 points in the hammer
  • Walhof posted a mark of 54.34m / 178-03 and once again hit the NAIA provisional standard
  • Travis, in fifth place after the prelims, moved into second place with a toss of 53.40m / 174-10 on her second attempt in finals
  • Travis also hit the provisional standard 
• Jeni Burtis won gold in the final event on day one, crossing the finish line first in the 10,000m on Friday night
  • running among the top four for the first half of the race, Burtis moved into first place for good around the 5000m mark
  • Burtis closed the race with her second fastest 400m split (1:29) and clocked a 37:53 overall
• the Defenders had four runners finish in the top five and scored 28 points in the 10,000m
  • Jessica Opfer (2nd), Hannah Thong (3rd) and Courtney Joiner (5th) joined Burtis on the podium
• Jenna Balt finished sixth and earned all-conference honors in the long jump
  • Balt qualified for finals with a 5.18m mark on her second attempt of prelims
  • the junior bettered her mark on the first attempt of finals, jumping an outdoor personal-best 5.22m / 17-01.50
• Jenny Lumkes and Tabitha Buwalda are in eighth and 12th place, respectively, after four of seven events in the heptathlon
  • Lumkes had two personal bests (shot put and 100m hurdles) and has 2,421 points
  • Buwalda had personal bests in both the 100m hurdles and high jump and has 2,095 points

GPAC Championships (3):

• Makenna Walhof - Hammer
• Jeni Burtis - 10,000m
• 4x800 Relay (Arielle DeYoung, Olivia Hoogland, Elizabeth Hoogland, Corinne Braun)

NAIA Qualifying Times / Marks (3):

• Makenna Walhof - Hammer
• Fran Travis - Hammer
• 4x800 Relay

All-Conference Entries (8):

• 10,000m (4):
  • Jeni Burtis - GPAC Champion: 37:53
  • Jessica Opfer - 2nd: 38:13
  • Hannah Thong - 3rd: 38:23
  • Courtney Joiner - 5th: 38:54
• Hammer (2):
  • Makenna Walhof - GPAC Champion: 54.34m / 178-03
  • Fran Travis - 2nd: 53.30m / 174-10
• Long Jump (1):
  • Jenna Balt - 6th: 5.22m / 17-10.5
• 4x800 Relay - GPAC Champion: 9:20 
  • DeYoung, Hoogland, Hoogland, Braun

All-Time Outdoor Top 10's:

• Jenna Balt - 100m (7th)

Outdoor Personal Bests (8): 

• Jenna Balt - 100m
• Jenna Balt - Long Jump
• Sierra Scholten - 100m Hurdles
• Jenny Lumkes - 100m Hurdles (Heptathlon)
• Jenny Lumkes - Shot Put (Heptathlon)
• Tabitha Buwalda - 100m Hurdles (Heptathlon)
• Tabitha Buwalda - High Jump (Heptathlon)
• Olivia Graber - 10,000m