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Warriors Place Third at GPAC Championships
Posted: Feb 15, 2025

Warriors Place Third at GPAC Championships

Results

MITCHELL, S.D. – Midland University secured a third-place finish at the 2025 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Indoor Championships this weekend, accumulating 111 points. The Warriors crowned four individual champions and earned multiple All-GPAC honors throughout the two-day meet held in Mitchell, South Dakota at the DWU/Avera Sports and Wellness Complex.

Leading the way for Midland was Robert Atwater, who delivered an outstanding performance across multiple events. Atwater claimed individual GPAC titles in the long jump (7.51m), high jump (2.09m), and the heptathlon (5,269 points), while also securing a runner-up finish in the pole vault (4.85m). His long jump mark set a new GPAC meet record and met the NAIA A standard. Atwater was named the GPAC Outstanding Athlete of the Meet with 44 points.

Henri Stoeckermann also captured an individual title, winning the 1,000m run in a time of 2:30.30, an NAIA A standard mark. Stoeckermann was a key contributor in the 4x800m relay team, which took first place with a time of 7:50.34, also meeting the NAIA A standard. He was joined by Koen Steenblok, Braden Taylor, and Lucas Hjortkjaer on the victorious relay squad.

Several other Warriors earned All-GPAC honors by finishing in the top eight of their respective events. Evan Shepard took fourth in the 60m hurdles (8.36), hitting the NAIA B standard. Raheem Richards had a strong showing in the sprints, placing third in the 400m (50.58) and seventh in the 200m (22.73). In distance events, Steenblok finished second in the 800m (1:56.80), while Hjortkjaer secured fourth place in the mile (4:21.80) and eighth in the 1,000m (2:36.56).

In the jumps, Atwater added a third-place finish in the triple jump (13.95m), while Garrett Guindon (13.85m) and Kenya Ford (13.79m) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Guindon also placed eighth in the long jump (6.56m).

Midland's 4x400m relay team of Noah Sherman, Chris Medlock, Stoeckermann, and Blake Olbrich placed fifth (3:28.22), while Medlock also earned an eighth-place finish in the 400m (51.71).

Doane claimed the team championship with 220.50 points, followed by Dordt in second with 159 points. Midland rounded out the top three with 111 points, ahead of Concordia (91), Northwestern (54), Mount Marty (37), Morningside (26), Hastings (22.50), and Briar Cliff (20).

The Warriors will now turn their attention to the NAIA Indoor National Championships, where several athletes have met qualifying standards and will represent Midland on the national stage. The meet will be held on February 27-March 1 in Gainesville, Florida.

National Qualifiers