Joy Koole placed in the top 10 in leading the Dordt University women's cross country team to a third place finish at the Augustana Invitational held today at the Yankton Trails Park in Sioux Falls, S.D.

• Results | PDF 

Dordt totaled 103 points and finished third in the team standings in a meet that featured squads from the NAIA, NCAA D-II and D-III divisions. The Defenders, ranked second in the latest NAIA Coaches' poll, were the top NAIA team, 228 points ahead of the second NAIA team, Concordia. 

Rogers State, the No.18 team in NCAA D-II, won the team title with 81 points, followed by Black Hills State (S.D.) with 86. 

Koole was the top Defenders runner for the second consecutive meet as the sophomore placed eighth overall with a personal-best, 8K time of 21:08, 12 seconds faster than her previous best. Koole, who won the Sunflower Open earlier this season, has placed in the top 10 in both meets this season. The sophomore's 6K time set the program record by seven seconds, previously held by Jessica Kampman from the 2023 season.

Bailey VanderGriend was the second Dordt runner to cross the finish line, placing 11th overall with an 8K time of 21:13. This was the first 8K that the freshman competed in and also was faster than the previous Defenders record.  Addy Liston finished 19th with a personal-best time of 21:26, six seconds faster than her previous best run last season at the NAIA National Championships.

Rounding out the Defenders top five were Hannah Thong (30th - 21:45) and Jeni Burtis (38th - 21:59), who both ran personal bests. 

Katie Hughes (Newman) won the individual title with a time of 20:16, followed by runner-up Lydia Franson (Jamestown), who came across the finish line in 20:38.

" It was great day for the women's team. They raced well in a competitive field of NCAA Division-II teams.  I thought that Jeni Burtis, Isabella Webb, Elyse Zwart, and Katie Young all had outstanding races that continue to develop the depth within the top 10 of the team.  Bailey VanderGriend had an outstanding first 6,000m race, leading the pack and working with Joy Koole for much of the race," commented Dordt Head Coach Nate Wolf.

By the Numbers:

• the Defenders total time (top five) was 1:47.34
• Dordt's 1-5 split was 51 seconds, 1:07 for the 1-7 split
• both Joy Koole and Bailey VanderGriend set the program record for a 6K time
• 18 Defenders ran 8K personal-bests:
  • Joy Koole
  • Addy Liston
  • Hannah Thong
  • Jeni Burtis
  • Elyse Zwart
  • Olivia Hoogland
  • Kyrin DeGroot
  • Macy Marshall
  • Elizabeth Hoogland
  • Abby Harding
  • Olivia Kraayenbrink
  • Emma Morey
  • Taylor VanderGriend
  • Addison Essebaggers
  • Jaidyn De Jong
  • Allegra Sullivan
  • Jada Abrahamson
  • Isabell Walker
• 263 total runners finished today's race
• Dordt totaled 37 finishers

Defender Notes:

• Koole's 6K time currently ranks third in the NAIA and set the Defenders record in the 6K distance
• VanderGriend's time today ranks second fastest in program history and third in the NAIA
• four additional Defenders, Addy Liston, Hannah Thong, Jeni Burtis and Isabella Webb, all rank among the top 25 in the NAIA