Recent graduate Kim Grotenhuis of Hamilton (Hamilton HS) has capped her brilliant collegiate career by becoming the first Hope College athlete in school history to be named a first-team Verizon Academic All-American three times.

Grotenhuis has been named a softball Academic All-American for the second time in her career. Last fall she was voted a volleyball Academic All-American.

The first Hope student-athlete to be honored in two different sports, she is the only honoree on this year's softball Academic All-America first team to have achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

A social studies composite major, Grotenhuis gained MIAA all-conference recognition in both volleyball and softball. Her perfect GPA brought her Phi Beta Kappa recognition. She was also presented the college's Schouten Award as the outstanding female senior student-athlete and the Southland Medal as the outstanding woman in the senior class.

This spring she posted a 12-6 record with a school-record 0.90 earned run average. Over her career she was 47-23, had a 1.44 ERA and struck out a school-record 396 batters. She pitched three no-hitters. As the team's setter in volleyball, she established school records for assists.

The daughter of Larry and Beverly Grotenhuis of Hamilton, she is a 1997 graduate of Hamilton High School.

Grotenhuis is the fifth Hope softball player to be named an Academic All-American joining Anne Hendrickson (1985), DeeAnn Knoll (1987 and 1988), Johanna Pscodna (1992) and Laurie Byington (1996).

Since 1973, a total of 34 Hope student-athletes have been recognized through the Verizon/GTE program.

The Verizon Academic All-America program has been sponsored since 1952 by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA). It was previously known as the GTE Academic All-American program. Verizon Communications was formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE. The program rewards college student-athletes who excel in the classroom and on the playing field.