Gulf Shores, Alabama — The Dordt Defenders had a banner day at the NAIA National Track and Field Championship by sweeping the 4×800 relay events.
The Dordt women clocked a 9:06.54 in the early evening to beat their nearest competitor by nearly 2.5 seconds. Bethany Ten Haken and Anmarie Stuit each ran 2:17 and Annika Rick responded with a 2:16 on the third leg and Mika Kooistra put the race away with a 2:14 to give the Dordt women the relay championship.
The Defender men followed and defended their 2019 title with a time of 7:30.55 two win the event by over two seconds. Anthony Ghiorso ran the first leg in 1:56 and gave to Trey Engen who clocked a 1:53 split. Payton Mauldin and Matthew Van Eps had carries of 1:51 and 1:49 to take the lead and hold on. For Van Eps it was his fifth national title in both indoor and outdoor individually and on a relay.
Earlier in the day Van Eps locked up a spot in the 800 finals on Friday with a time of 1:51.91 as he took second in the final heat of three.
Emma Bakker ran the open 400 and finished 11th in the prelims with a time of 57.2 and won’t compete in the finals.
Also running in the prelims but not making the finals was Davis Tebben in the 5,000 where he ran 15:20 and finished 29th in the field.
The women’s 4×400 of Anmarie Stuit, Bakker, Rick and Kooistra will run in the finals on Friday after recording a time of 3:49.49 and got in with the fourth place finish in heat one.
The men’s 4×400 was met with disappointment as they ran the eighth fastest time in the race but won’t make the finals as the runner-up finisher in another heat will get in the finals with a slower time. Luke Wagner, Cole Zevenbergen, Micah Brands and Payton Mauldin ran the four laps in 3:14.31 and Mauldin ran the anchor leg in 47.2.
