Hjortkjaer Leads Warriors to Fifth at GPAC Championship

ASHLAND, Neb. — Midland University was back in action on Saturday, competing in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championships in Ashland, Nebraska. Running the course at Mahoney State Park, the Warriors' women placed ninth, while the men finished fifth.

Danika Leuenberger led the Midland women, finishing 59th with a time of 25:21.13. Bridget Meier followed close behind in 64th at 25:31.59. Other competitors for the Warriors included Carly Carstens (68th, 26:22.51), Belinda Jepkemboi (73rd, 27:08.98), Judy Chepkorir (78th, 27:58.04), and Delanie Tally (80th, 28:12.81).

On the men's side, Lucas Hjortkjaer paced Midland with an eighth-place finish in 25:11.70. Braden Taylor had a strong showing, taking 21st in 26:06.55. Rounding out the lineup were Koen Steenblok (36th, 26:57.86), Kelvin Korir (51st, 27:45.94), Christian Olsen (65th, 29:08.45), Jay Stoa III (78th, 31:26.76), and Preston Penney (79th, 31:37.20). Hjortkjaer earned All-GPAC honors by placing in the top 15.

Midland will now await a potential individual at-large berth for Lucas Hjortkjaer. The NAIA will release the official qualifying teams and individuals next week on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The NAIA Championships are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 21, in Tallahassee, Florida.