Joy Koole has once again earned a pair of honors as the sophomore was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week.

This is the second time Koole has earned the GPAC honor this season and the first for the NAIA (she was named the USTFCCCA National Runner of the Week on Sept.15). 

• GPAC Press Release | PDF
• NAIA Press Release | PDF

Notes: 

• this is the fourth installment of the weekly honor within the GPAC and the NAIA
• Koole was the first NAIA runner to come across the finish line at the Augustana Invitational last weekend in Sioux Falls, S.D.
• the sophomore finished eighth overall in a field that consisted of runners from the NAIA, NCAA D-II and NCAA D-III
• Koole's time of 21:08 established a program record in the 6K, seven seconds faster than the previous record time
• Koole's time is the third fastest in the NAIA this season
• Koole helped lead the second-ranked Defenders to a third place finish overall and tops among NAIA teams competing
• this is the fourth time Koole earned the GPAC honor
  • Sept.15 in 2026
  • Sept.17 and Oct.16 in 2025
• Koole is a returning All-American for the Defenders
• Dordt will not compete this weekend; up next - Holiday Inn Express Classic on October 10