Leading with Excellence
Hope Athletics delivered excellence inside and outside of the classroom this spring — earning a league-record 39th MIAA Commissioner’s Cup trophy as well as 15 MIAA Team GPA Award recipients and 265 individual selections to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
Five teams saw student-athletes compete in NCAA Division III Championships: men’s golf, women’s lacrosse, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field.
Ana Tucker capped her Hope career with All-America performances in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the Division III Outdoor Championships for the second consecutive season. The exercise science major finished third in the 5,000 meters and fourth in the 10,000 — setting program-bests in each event. She helped the Flying Dutch to 16th place in the team standings.
Tucker also was named Hope’s recipient of the John Schouten Award which has been presented annually since 1983 to the outstanding female athlete in the senior class. The award is named in memory of John (Jack) Schouten, a long-time physical educator at Hope and the college’s first athletic director.
Women’s track and field, led by head coach Kevin Cole ’88, followed up their MIAA indoor championship in the spring with its fifth consecutive league outdoor title. Tucker was selected as the MIAA’s Most Valuable Track Athlete.
Women’s lacrosse claimed MIAA regular-season and tournament titles for the first time in program history. Led by head coach Keagan Pontious, the Flying Dutch reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Senior defender Delaney Kirinovic was selected as the MIAA’s Defensive Player of the Year; freshman attacker Julia Brown was named MIAA Rookie of the Year. Junior attacker Elena Salazar became Hope’s all-time leading goal scorer with 150.
Men’s golf also swept, winning the MIAA Tournament in the spring after topping the field during the regular season last fall. Led by head coach Scott Lokers ’81, the Flying Dutchmen finished 22nd at nationals.
Men’s lacrosse earned its third MIAA tournament crown by winning at top-seeded Albion College. Led by head coach Michael Schanhals ’90, the Flying Dutchmen reached the second round of the Division III Championships.
Two winter student-athletes continued to earn acclaim. Men’s basketball’s Evan Thomas and women’s basketball’s Claire Baguley both received NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships that they will use toward medical school at the University of Michigan and Oakland University, respectively.
In addition, Evan Thomas received Hope’s Otto van der Velde Award given to a senior male athlete for outstanding contribution to the college in athletics, scholarship, and participation in student activities. The award honors the memory of Dr. Otto van der Velde, a 1915 Hope College graduate who lettered in four sports and was later team physician for more than 40 years.