Dordt University's Triumph: Local Athletes Win National 4x400 Relay and Earn All-American Honors

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The Dordt University men's track and field team won the national championship in the 4x400 relay at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor National Championships in Marion, Indiana. The event took place at Wildcat Stadium on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan. The team, composed of Levi Schelhaas, Devin Bos, Cole Zevenbergen, and Payton Mauldin, performed exceptionally. This victory is the 11th national title for the program and the third in the 2023-24 season, following wins in the 400m and 4x400 relay indoor events.

The Dordt relay team entered the championships as the top seed and set a new school record of 3:06.30 in the finals. This time was more than three seconds faster than their previous record at the Drake Relays and is the third fastest in NAIA history. The team led throughout the race, with each member running sub-48 splits, and Mauldin finishing with a notable 44.8 seconds.

Individually, Payton Mauldin earned his 17th All-American honor by placing second in the 400m final with a personal and school record time of 45.51 seconds. Craig Becker also achieved All-American status by coming eighth in the 1500m. Despite starting as a provisional qualifier and seeded 22nd, Becker moved up two places in the final 400 meters.

The University of Cumberlands (Ky.) won the overall team championship with a score of 64, slightly ahead of Marian (Ind.) who scored 62. Dordt University tied for 12th place with Northwestern and Doane, each scoring 19 points. This result highlights a strong performance by the GPAC schools.