The Dordt University women's track and field team crowned six champions at the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Outdoor Championships held this weekend at Heedum Field in Fremont, Neb.
One day after
Makenna Walhof,
Jeni Burtis and the 4x800 relay (
Arielle DeYoung,
Olivia Hoogland,
Elizabeth Hoogland,
Corinne Braun) won conference titles on Friday night, the Defenders claimed three more titles on the final day of the two-day championship.
Corinne Braun was the first Defenders entry to win a title on Saturday as the sophomore won the 1500m championship for the second consecutive year with a program-record time of 4:36.76, breaking the previous record by 2.5 seconds held by Justine Van Zee (2017). In fifth place heading into the final lap, Braun ran a 66 second split over her last 400m and won by four seconds over Kara Muller of College of Saint Mary. This was the second conference title for Braun at the 2026 championships as she anchored the Defenders 4x800 relay to the title on Friday. Braun pushed her GPAC title total to four; 1500m outdoor (2x - 2025,2026), 4x800 relay outdoor (2026) and mile indoor (2026)
Shelby Buwalda claimed her second conference title in an individual event, first at the outdoor championship, with an impressive win in the 800m. Buwalda was in second place and 1.5 seconds behind Danie Parriott (Doane) after a 64 second split on the opening 400m. The senior, however, closed with a 67 second split and passed Parriott with 200m left to win by nearly three seconds. Buwalda ran a personal-best time of 2:12.2, third best in program history, and hit the NAIA 'B' standard where she has the 14th fastest time in the NAIA. Buwalda is now a 5x GPAC champion; 600m indoor (2026, 800m outdoor (2026), 4x400 outdoor (2025), 4x800 outdoor (2023), 4x800 indoor (2024).
- top five outdoor 800m times in program history:
- 1. Katie Bonnema - 2:08.58 (2014)
- 2. Sarah Pluim - 2:11.68 (1997)
- 3. Shelby Buwalda - 2:12.20 (2026)
- 4. Frances Ton - 2:12.30 (1992)
- 5. Emilee Heynen - 2:13.34 (2023)
Joy Koole led from start to finish in winning the 5000m for her second ever GPAC title. Koole, who won the 3000m at the GPAC Indoor Championships in February, ran a personal-best time of 17:45, 15 seconds faster than her previous best, and finished 20 seconds ahead of second place Courtney Sporrer (Morningside). The freshman's time ranks third fastest in program history, trailing only Jessica Kampman (17:21 - 2024) and Michelle Steiger (17:33 - 2011). Koole ran consistant splits from 1:25 - 1:27 for most of the race and closed with her fastest 400m split (1:21).
Dordt accounted for 194 points and finished second among the 12 teams competing. Doane won the team title with 250.5 points with Concordia a distant third with 139 points. This is the 13th consecutive year the Defenders have finished among the top five teams at the GPAC Outdoor Championships and the sixth straight year they placed among the top three teams.
Notes:
- the Defenders 4x100 relay team finished third with a program record time of 46.94, breaking the previous best by .06 second (previous record set in 2011 by Kendra Kroeze, Crystal Vander Zee, Jenna Brouwer and Briana Vander Woude)
- Kaitlyn Wercinski bettered her NAIA Qualifying time and finished second in the 400m hurdles
- Wercinski ran a personal-best time of 1:02.03 and moved up to 20th in the NAIA
- the sophomore trailed only Adrianna Rodencal (Concordia) who won the event with a GPAC-record time of 58.36
- the Defenders had three place in the top eight of the 400m hurdles, joining Wercinski are Faith Minderhoud (7th) and Karly Champness (8th)
- Minderhoud's time ranks eighth fastest in program history
- all three Defenders, along with Avery Van Weerdhuizen, ran personal best times in the event
- Dordt had five runners place and score points in the 5000m
- the Defenders scored well with four among the top eight finishers in the steeplechase
- Addy Liston ran personal-best times and placed in the 800m (5th) and 1500m (3rd)
- three Defenders, Anna Heynen, Ayda Den Herder and Ada Dekkers, placed in the top eight in the 400m
- Heynen (3rd) ran a personal best time of 57.22
- Dekkers (6th) ran a personal best time of 57.95
- Den Herder placed eighth with a time of 58.38
- Kailee Altena finished seventh in the 200m (25.39)
- Jenny Lumkes and Tabitha Buwalda had career-best and all-time top 10 point totals in the heptathlon
- Lumkes finished seventh with 3,901pts and bests in the 100m hurdles and 800m
- Buwalda accounted for 3,578pts, eighth best all-time
- Fran Travis recorded a pair of all-conference showings, finishing second in the discus and eighth in the shot put
- Makenna Walhof, a day after winning the GPAC title in the hammer, finished third in the discus
- Ada Smies (5th) and Jenna Balt (6th) scored points in the high jump and long jump, respectively.
The Defenders scored points (top 8 finishers) in 17 of the 22 events scored; scoring notes listed below:
- Dordt scored 42 points in field events,, led by the hammer throw (18) and discus (14)
- Dordt scored points in all three relays and tied Doane for the most with 22
- 10 - 4x800, 6 in both the 4x100 and 4x400
- the Defenders totaled 130 points in the running events, led by both the 5000m and 10,000m with 28
National Qualifying Times / Marks - National Ranking in ( ) - 6
School Record (2):
All-Time Outdoor Top 10's:
Personal Bests (38):
Defenders in the Top Eight / All-Conference; Relays - Top Three (36):
- 200m (1):
- Kaitlee Altena - 7th: 25.39
- 400m (3):
- 400m Hurdles (3):
- 800m (3):
- 1500m (2):
- Steeplechase (4):
- 5000m (5):
- 10,000m (4):
- Discus (2):
- Hammer (2):
- High Jump (1):
- Long Jump (1):
- Shot Put (1):
- Heptathlon (1):
- 4x100 Relay - 3rd: 46.94 (Heynen, Dekkers, Altena, Balt)
- 4x400 Relay - 3rd: 3:55 (Wercinski, Noteboom, Dekkers, Buwalda)
- 4x800 Relay - 1st: 9:20 (DeYoung, Hoogland, Hoogland, Braun)
