The 2015 GPAC Cross Country Championships were hosted by Doane College on Saturday with the Dordt women and Nebraska Wesleyan men capturing the team titles.

The Dordt women claimed their 4th straight GPAC title, and NAIA automatic berth, with 44 points and were paced by Kayla Byl’s second place finish (18:33.14).  The Defenders posted the 2^nd, 3^rd, 8^th, 15^th, and 16^th place runners for their 44 point total.  Nebraska Wesleyan was second with 76, while Morningside was third with 77.  Marissa DeWiselare from Doane was the individual medalist with a time of 18:12.83 on the 5k course.  The Dordt women are ranked 10^th in the lastest NAIA poll, Doane is 19^th, and Morningside 23^rd.  Concordia and Hastings women are receiving votes.

In the men’s 8k race Jordan Wheeler from Nebraska Wesleyan was the individual champion with a time of 25:23.16 and paced the Prairie Wolves to the team conference title with 45 points.  Nebraska Wesleyan had the 1^st, 4^th, 5^th, 13^th, and 22^nd runners in totaling their 45 points.  Northwestern was second with 74 and will represent the GPAC at the NAIA National Cross Country Championships as NWU is Division III for cross country.  Morningside, the defending GPAC champion, placed 3^rd  with 79 and Concordia was 4^th with 121 points.  Morningside is ranked 12^th in the NAIA with Northwestern 24^th.  Dordt and Concordia’s men are receiving votes in the NAIA poll last week.

A new NAIA poll will be released after this weekend’s conference championship meets around the country and the NAIA team and individual at-large selection will be chosen from that ranking.

The 60th Annual NAIA National Cross Country Championships will be on November 21 in Charlotte, North Carolina, at McAlpine Creek Park.  The 2015 NAIA Cross Country Championships are being hosted by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.