Sioux Center, Iowa — The Dordt Defender men’s track and field program claimed its first ever GPAC Indoor Track and Field Championship with its performance Saturday, February 20 at the Dordt Rec Center.
The championship began on Friday, February 19 with the first four events of the pentathlon and culminated with a full day of action on Saturday, February 20.
Dordt totaled 184 points to win the title and Doane, the defending champion, was second with 152 points. Unlike last year’s event in Mitchell, South Dakota which came down to the final events, this one was really decided in the middle distances where Dordt used its depth to separate itself from the field.
Jacob Vander Plaats claimed the Outstanding Male Athlete honor after scoring 24 points. Vander Plaats claimed first in the mile, third in the 1,000 and second in the 3,000 to help cement the title for Dordt.
The Defenders had two individual champions in the mile (Vander Plaats) and the 600 (Payton Mauldin) and won both the 4×800 and 4×400.
Dordt’s place winners:
55 Hurdles
2 Joshua Van Hulzen 8.00
400 Meters
5 Micah Brands 50.93
8 Luke Wagner 51.89
600 Meters
1 Payton Mauldin 1:22.55
2 Matthew Van Eps 1:22.66
4 Cole Zevenbergen 1:23.12
800 Meters
2 Payton Mauldin 1:57.05
3 Cole Zevenbergen 1:58.96
6 Thaniel Schroeder 2:00.62
7 Jebadiah Merkle 2:01.02
1000 Meters
2 Matthew Van Eps 2:33.17
3 Jacob Vander Plaats 2:33.4
5 Joe Anderson 2:36.72
6 Trey Engen 2:36.87
Mile
1 Jacob Vander Plaats 4:18.43
4 Joe Anderson 4:26.19
5 Anthony Ghiorso 4:26.94
6 Trey Engen 4:27.08
8 Jebadiah Merkle 4:27.89
3000 Meters
2 Jacob Vander Plaats 8:54.15
3 Davis Tebben 8:55.37
4 Eric Steiger 8:56.8
8 Franklin Reinders 9:07.4
5000 Meters
1 Davis Tebben 15:19.32
2 Eric Steiger 15:24.12
6 Nic Veldhorst 15:32.2
8 Franklin Reinders 16:02.65
4×400
1 (Micah Brands, 2 Payton Mauldin, Cole Zevenbergen, Matthew Van Eps) 3:22.37
4×800
1 (Thaniel Schroeder, Peter Shippy, Lance Van Zee, Peyton Miller) 8:05.61
High Jump
2 Grant Brouwer 6-5.5
Pole Vault
5 Luke Bousema 14-3.5
Heptathlon
3 Josh De Jong 4601
7 Grant Brouwer 4394
Team Standings
Dordt 184
Doane 152
Concordia 76
Northwestern 74
Mount Marty 59.5
Midland 55
Briar Cliff 52
Morningside 37
Hastings 32.5
Dakota Wesleyan 11
Jamestown 7
NEXT
Dordt will send competitors to the NAIA National Championship beginning March 3 in Yankton, South Dakota.
