The Event: 

• the Dordt University women's track and field team is set to compete in its final meet, the USD Twilight, prior to the NAIA National Championships
• the Defenders will send a limited number of entries to compete on Friday
• Friday's events will begin at 3pm (field) and 3:30pm (track)
• all of the events will take place at the Lillibridge Complex on the campus of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D.

How to Follow / Important Links:

• Live Results | courtesy of Dakota Timing
• Schedule of Events | Heat Sheets / Flight Sheets
• Watch ($$) 

Schedule Outlook:

• this is the final week of competition, prior to the NAIA Championships, for the Defenders during the outdoor season
• the outdoor season is made up of five weeks of the regular season where the Defenders have scheduled eight meets, leading up to the conference championship in week six
• the GPAC Championship was held last weekend in Fremont, Neb.
• this year's NAIA outdoor championship will be in Asheville, N.C.and runs from May 20-22

Last Time Out:

• the Defenders finished second out of 12 teams and two Defender entries won titles at the 2026 GPAC Outdoor Championships held last weekend in Fremont, Neb.
• GPAC Champions (6):
  • Makenna Walhof - Hammer
  • Jeni Burtis - 10,000m
  • 4x800 Relay (Arielle DeYoung, Olivia Hoogland, Elizabeth Hoogland, Corinne Braun)
  • Corinne Braun - 1500m
  • Shelby Buwalda - 800m
  • Joy Koole - 5000m
• National Qualifiers (6):
  • Shelby Buwalda - 800m (#14)
  • Kaitlyn Wercinski - 400m Hurdles (#20)
  • Makenna Walhof - Hammer (did not better NAIA standing)
  • Fran Travis - Hammer (did not better NAIA standing)
  • 4x100 Relay (#24) - Anna Heynen, Ada Dekkers, Kailee Altena, Jenna Balt
  • 4x800 Relay - Arielle DeYoung, Olivia Hoogland, Elizabeth Hoogland, Corinne Braun (did not better NAIA standing)
• Two School Records:
  • Corinne Braun - 1500m
  • 4x100 Relay - Anna Heynen, Ada Dekkers, Kailee Altena, Jenna Balt
• All-Time Top 10's:
  • Jenna Balt - 100m (#7)
  • Ada Dekkers - 200m (#10)
  • Anna Heynen - 400m (#5)
  • Ada Dekkers - 400m (#7)
  • Kaitlyn Wercinski - 400m Hurdles (#2)
  • Faith Minderhoud - 400m Hurdles (#8)
  • Avery Van Weerdhuizen - 400m Hurdles (#9)
  • Shelby Buwalda - 800m (#3)
  • Addy Liston - 800m (#10)
  • Corinne Braun - 1500m (#1)
  • Addy Liston - 1500m (#6)
  • Joy Koole - 5000m (#3)
  • Jeni Burtis - 5000m (#8)
  • Jenny Lumkes - Heptathlon (#3)
  • Tabitha Buwalda - Heptathlon (#8)
• 38 personal bests
• 36 all-conference entries:
  • 200m (1):
    • Kaitlee Altena - 7th: 25.39
  • 400m (3):
    • Anna Heynen - 3rd: 57.22
    • Ada Dekkers - 6th: 57.95
    • Ayda Den Herder - 8th: 58.38
  • 400m Hurdles (3):
    • Kaitlyn Wercinski - 2nd: 1:02.03
    • Faith Minderhoud - 7th: 1:05.5
    • Karly Champness - 8th: 1:05.7
  • 800m (3):
    • Shelby Buwalda - 1st: 2:12.2
    • Addy Liston - 5th: 2:14
    • Arielle DeYoung - 8th: 2:17
  • 1500m (2):
    • Corinne Braun - 1st: 4:36
    • Addy Liston - 3rd: 4:42
  • Steeplechase (4):
    • Macy Marshall - 2nd: 11:24
    • Jada Koerner - 4th: 11:45
    • Addy Crow - 5th: 12:01
    • Elyse Zwart - 6th: 12:05
  • 5000m (5):
    • Joy Koole - 1st: 17:45
    • Jeni Burtis - 3rd: 18:06
    • Isabella Webb - 4th: 18:20
    • Hannah Thong - 5th: 18:24
    • Jessica Opfer - 6th: 18:26
  • 10,000m (4):
    • Jeni Burtis - 1st: 37:53
    • Jessica Opfer - 2nd: 38:13
    • Hannah Thong - 3rd: 38:23
    • Courtney Joiner - 5th: 38:54
  • Discus (2):
    • Fran Travis - 2nd: 44.21m / 145-00
    • Makenna Walhof - 3rd: 42.65m / 139-11
  • Hammer (2):
    • Makenna Walhof - 1st: 54.34m / 178-03
    • Fran Travis - 2nd: 53.30m / 174-10
  • High Jump (1):
    • Ada Smies - 5th: 1.57m / 5-01.75
  • Long Jump (1):
    • Jenna Balt - 6th: 5.22m / 17-01.5
  • Shot Put (1):
    • Fran Travis - 8th: 11.96m / 39-03
  • Heptathlon (1):
    • Jenny Lumkes - 7th: 3,901pts
  • 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)

All-Time Top 10's This Outdoor Season (33): 

• Kailee Altena - 100m (1st)
• Anna Heynen - 100m (T4th)
• Jenna Balt - 100m (7th)
• Avery Van Weerdhuizen - 100m Hurdles (10th)
• Kailee Altena - 200m (1st)
• Anna Heynen - 200m (7th)
• Ada Dekkers - 200m (10th)
• Anna Heynen - 400m (5th)
• Ada Dekkers - 400m (7th)
• Kaitlyn Wercinski - 400m Hurdles (2nd)
• Faith Minderhoud - 400m Hurdles (8th)
• Avery Van Weerdhuizen - 400m Hurdles (9th)
• Shelby Buwalda - 800m (3rd)
• Addy Liston - 800m (10th)
• Corinne Braun - 1500m (1st)
• Addy Liston - 1500m (#6)
• Joy Koole - 5000m (#3)
• Jeni Burtis - 5000m (#8)
• Jenny Lumkes - Heptathlon (#3)
• Tabitha Buwalda - Heptathlon (#8)
• Makenna Walhof - Hammer (1st)
• Fran Travis - Discus (1st)
• Fran Travis - Hammer (2nd)
• Hannah Thong - 10,000m (3rd)
• Jeni Burtis - 10,000m (4th)
• ???????Jessica Opfer - 10,000m (8th)
• Courtney Joiner - 10,000m (10th)
• Lynne Tormoehlen - Hammer (5th)
• Karly Champness - Pole Vault (8th)
• Ava Ingwersen - Javelin (9th)
• 4x100 Relay - 1st: Anna Heynen, Ada Dekkers, Kailee Altena, Jenna Balt
• 4x400 Relay  - 2nd Anna Heynen, Kaitlyn Wercinski, Ada Dekkers, Shelby Buwalda
• 4x800 Relay - 8th: Arielle DeYoung, Shelby Buwalda, Addy Liston, Corinne Braun

School Records for Outdoor Season (6):

• Kailee Altena - 100m
• Kailee Altena - 200m
• Corinne Braun - 1500m
• Makenna Walhof - Hammer
• Fran Travis - Discus
• 4x100 Relay

Top Performances This Outdoor Season / bold denotes last time out:

• 100m - Kailee Atlena: 11.90
• 100m Hurdles: Avery Van Weerdhuizen: 15.63
• 200m - Kailee Altena: 24.33
• 400m - Shelby Buwalda: 56.93
• 400m Hurdles: Kaitlyn Wercinski: 1:02
• 800m - Shelby Buwalda: 2:12
• 1500m - Corinne Braun: 4:36
• Steeplechase - Addy Crow: 11:20
• 5000m - Joy Koole: 17:45
• 10,000m - Hannah Thong: 37:15
• High Jump - Ada Smies: 1.59m / 5'02.5
• Pole Vault - Karly Champness: 2.93m / 9'07.25"
• Long Jump - Taydem Graden: 5.31m / 17'05.25"
• Triple Jump - n/a
• Shot Put - Fran Travis: 13.39m / 43'11.25"
• Discus - Fran Travis: 49.11m / 161'01"
• Hammer - Makenna Walhof: 56.46m / 185'03"
• Javelin -  Ava Ingwersen: 34.86m / 114'04"
• Heptathlon: Jenny Lumkes: 3,901pts
• 4x100 Relay: 46.94 (Heynen, Dekkers, Altena, Balt)
• 4x400 Relay: 3:46 (Heynen, Wercinski, Dekkers, Buwalda)
• 4x800 Relay: 9:07 (Braun, DeYoung, Liston, Buwalda)

NAIA Qualifiers (10):

• 4x100 relay - 24th in NAIA
• 4x400 relay - 7th in NAIA
• 4x800 relay - 4th in NAIA
• Shelby Buwalda - 800m (14th)
• Kaitlyn Wercinski - 400m Hurdles (20th)
• Addy Crow - Steeplechase (10th)
• Fran Travis - Discus (3rd)
• Makenna Walhof - Discus (6th)
• Makenna Walhof - Hammer (3rd)
• Fran Travis - Hammer (7th)