The Dordt University men's 4x800 relay team qualified for finals to highlight the Defenders first day at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships held at the Karl Straus Track on the campus of UNC Asheville. The 3-day championship is being held for the first time in Asheville, N.C.

• Results | 

The Defenders, seeded 21st among the 27 teams who qualified for the championship, won their heat to secure a spot in the 8-team final on Thursday. Dordt was in first place after the opening 1:52  carry from junior Isaac Davelaar and remained among the top three teams for the entire race.With less a half second separating Dordt, Indiana Wesleyan and Life (Ga.) going into the anchor leg, Kaden Van Wyngarden ran a 1:51 split over the final 800m to come across the line first by .02 ahead of IWU. Dordt's time of 7:31 is a season-best by eight seconds and was the ninth fastest overall time in the prelim. Marian, the 2026 Indoor National Champion, and Rio Grande ran the fastest time (7:27.90).

Landon Fransman finished 14th among 26 entries in the high jump in the final of two Defender entries on day one of the championship. Competing in his first NAIA Championship, Fransman cleared the opening height (1.98m / 6-6) on his first attempt and then missed on his three attempts at 2.03m. Keondre Glover (Life) and Isaac Burns (Mount Vernon Nazarene) both cleared 2.15m but Glover won the tie-break to claim the national title. 

Advancing to Finals:

• 4x800 relay

Dordt Results:

• High Jump:
  • Landon Fransman - 14th: 1.98m / 6-6
• 4x800 Relay:
  • won their heat, 9th fastest time overall; advanced to finals
  • season-best time of 7:31
  • Davelaar, Obbink, Landman, Van Wyngarden