Athletics for the 1999/2000 school year has come to a fitting end with an NCAA All-America performance.
Junior Emily Sowers of Grand Rapids, Mich. achieved track and field All-America designation for the second straight year as she finished third in the discus at the Division III national championships in Naperville, Ill.
Her effort capped a banner year on a national level for Hope athletes who achieved NCAA All-America status in four sports -- cross country, golf, swimming/diving and track & field.
Sowers established Hope and MIAA records in the discus this spring. Her Hope record was 154 feet, 8 inches. The MIAA record established at Field Day was 151 feet, 9 inches. Her bronze medal throw at nationals was 147 feet, 11 inches.
Competing in a national championship meet for the first time, junior Erica Torgerson of Weidman, Mich. tied for 11th place among 18 entrants in the heptathlon.
The national championship was won by Heather Pancake of Wheaton, Ill. with 4,828 points. Torgerson tied with Becky Moyer of Wisc.-Oshkosh at 4003 points.
She finished in the top ten in five of seven events. Her best finish was fourth place in the 100-meter hurdles (:15.97). Earlier this spring she was the MIAA champion in the 400-meter hurdles.
Other top ten performances included fifth in the 200-meter dash (:28.69), sixth in the javelin (106-11), eighth in the 800-meter run (2:28.60) and 10th in the shot put (32-6 1/2). She was also 16th in the high jump (4-10), and 17th in the long jump (14-0).