Jonker Concludes Historic Season at NAIA XC Championships

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (11/21/25) – Marizenne Jonker made program history for the Williams Baptist University women's cross country team, becoming the first athlete to compete at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships on Friday morning at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

Jonker finished the 6k race in 25:01, placing 274th out of 333 runners from across the country.  The Johannesburg, South Africa native finished 6th out of the 11 runners from the American Midwest Conference.

"I am extremely proud of [Marizenne] for coming out here and competing with the best runners in the country," said WBU head coach Jennifer Mathis.  "Seeing her line up for the national championship was an emotional experience; her dedication to the sport has been a blessing to watch this season.  Today was a big milestone for our program, and we cannot wait to get back to work to continue raising the standard next year."