Sioux Center, Iowa – The Dordt University men’s track and field team received All-Academic distinction by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) and 12 Defenders earned All-Academic Athlete honors for the 2024-25 indoor and outdoor seasons.
Criteria for a team to be named an All-Academic Team:
- The cumulative GPA for all student-athletes on the institution’s eligibility certificate for Indoor and/or Outdoor Track & Field must be 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, certifiable by either Faculty Rep or Compliance Coordinator or Registrar’s Office.
- The cumulative GPA of all student-athletes on the institution’s eligibility certificate for Indoor and/or Outdoor Track & Field must be computed by the following method:
- Total the cumulative number of semester hours or quarter hours earned for all student-athletes on the eligibility certificate including the most recent grading period;
- Total the cumulative number of quality points earned by all student-athletes, including the most recent grading period;
- Divide the cumulative number of quality points earned by the cumulative number of semester or quarter hours earned.
- Institutions utilizing a different GPA scale than 4.0 then must convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale using the standard conversion method [GPA/Scale x 4.0].
The Defenders, under the direction of Head Coach Craid Heynen achieved a 3.40 team GPA, highest among the 11 teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and tied for ninth best in the NAIA.
A total of 12 Defenders earned All-Academic individual honors for this past season, tied with Concordia for the most among GPAC teams. Criteria to be named an NAIA All-Academic Athlete:
- Minimum cumulative grade point average of a 3.25 on a 4.0 scale through the end of the semester of competition.
- Must have completed at least 24 semester hours/36 quarter hours through the end of the semester of competition at the institution.
- Transfer students and/or graduate students are to include only grades earned at the current nominating institution.
- The student-athlete must have achieved an automatic or provisional qualifying mark (individual or relay event) for either the indoor season or outdoor season.
The following is a list of the 15 Defenders who earned the academic honor, along with their listed major and what events they met a provisional / auto mark:
- Logan Franken 4×100 relay (outdoor) / Accounting major
- Justin Kroeze 4×800 relay (indoor and outdoor) / Secondary Education major
- Ezra Landman 4×800 relay (indoor) / Exercise Science major
- Sam May Distance Medley (indoor), 4×800 relay (outdoor) / Biology major
- Luke Nikkel 4×100 relay (outdoor) / Nursing major
- Trace Obbink Distance Medley (indoor), 4×800 relay (outdoor) / Business and Marketing major
- Micah Schaap 4×400 relay (outdoor) / Graphic Design and Art major
- Levi Schellhaas 4×400 relay (outdoor) / Business Marketing major
- Jacob Schmoll 4×400 relay (indoor), 4×100 relay (outdoor), 4×400 relay (outdoor) / Nursing major
- Ryan Schober Distance Medley (indoor), 4×400 relay (indoor), 4×100 relay (outdoor), 4×400 relay (outdoor) / Agriculture major
- Luke Swanson 1000m (indoor), 4×800 relay (indoor and outdoor) / Engineering major
- Josiah Wittenberg 4×800 relay (indoor and outdoor) / Exercise Science major
KIWA Staff Photo
