The Dordt University men’s cross country team begins the 2022 season with its highest ranking in program history (3rd) in the NAIA Coaches’ Preseason Poll released earlier today by the national office.
The Defenders totaled 473 points, 11 ahead of St.Francis (Ill.), and moved up five spots from their spot in the final poll of the 2021 season (8th). Defending champion, Milligan (Tenn.), and Indiana Wesleyan, the third place team last year, are the only squads ahead of the Defenders at the start of the 2022 season.
Dordt is the only team from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) represented in the top 25 and one of two conference teams recognized in the entrire poll (Concordia received votes).
The Defenders previous highest ranking was during the 2020 campaign where they occupied the sixth spot for two weeks (Oct.29, Nov.19).
Head Coach Nate Wolf, who begins his eighth year in charge of the Defenders cross country program, returns eight of his top 10 runners from a 2021 team that finished eighth at the NAIA Championships. They won their fourth consecutive GPAC title, led by individual champion Davis Tebben, who returns for his final season. Eric Steiger, the 2018 individual GPAC Champion, also is back after earning All-American honors at last year’s NAIA Championship. Five additional Defenders runners who earned All-Conference honors and qualified for nationals are back; Joe Anderson, Ethan Summerhays, Brooks DeWaard, Trey Engen and Peter Shippy.
Dordt will make its 2022 season debut on Sept.9 in a meet hosted by South Dakota State in Brookings, S.D.
1 Milligan (Tenn.) [16]
2 Indiana Wesleyan [3]
3 Dordt (Iowa)
4 St. Francis (Ill.)
5 Saint Mary (Kan.)
6 The Master’s (Calif.)
6 College of Idaho
8 Oklahoma City
9 Huntington (Ind.)
10 Southern Oregon
11 Cornerstone (Mich.)
12 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)
13 Eastern Oregon
14 Grand View (Iowa)
15 Shawnee State (Ohio)
16 Grace (Ind.)
17 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
18 Montreat (N.C.)
19 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
20 ,Taylor (Ind.)
21 Northwest (Wash.)
22 Aquinas (Mich.)
23 Goshen (Ind.)
24 Westmont (Calif.)
25 Oregon Tech
Receiving Votes:Carroll (Mont.) 95, Marian (Ind.) 79, William Carey (Miss.) 48, Benedictine (Kan.) 33, Montana Tech 32, Campbellsville (Ky.) 22, Concordia (Neb.) 16, Dakota State (S.D.) 7, SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 6, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 6, John Brown (Ark.) 5