Hope College athletes on spring sports teams have been honored by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).
Men's Tennis
Four players have been named to the All-MIAA men's tennis teams. Senior co-captain Dan Mann of Spring Lake (Grand Haven HS) is a first-team honoree for the third year. He is joined on the first team by teammates Kevney Dugan, a sophomore from Holland (Holland Christian HS), and Josh Honholt, a senior from Grand Rapids (Forest Hills HS). Receiving second team recognition was senior Matt Bradley of Hastings (Hastings HS).
Dan Mann was also presented the league's Stowe Sportsmanship Award. The recipient is determined in a vote of the players in the league. It marks the fourth consecutive year and sixth time in seven years that a Hope player has received the award.
Two Hope players were conference champions. Matt Bradley captured first place at fourth flight singles while sophomore Erik Frost of Midland (Midland HS) was the champion at the sixth flight. Coached by Steve Gorno, Hope finished second in the MIAA standings for the sixth consecutive year.
Women's Tennis
Two players received All-MIAA second team recognition -- junior Jennifer Coleman of Grand Rapids (Forest Hills Northern HS) and senior Emily Reeves of Hudsonville (Holland HS).
Emily Reeves, who was captain of the team, was presented the MIAA's Sue Little Sportsmanship Award. Determined by the league's players, the award was especially meaningful because Reeves, who played first flight singles, was unable to play in the conference tournament because of shoulder injury.
The doubles team of sophomores Dee Clouse of Jackson (Northwest HS) and Megan McDowell of Centralia, Ill. (Centralia HS) won the conference championship at the third flight.
Coached by Karen Page, the Flying Dutch tied for fourth place in the MIAA seasonal standings.
Women's Track & Field
The Flying Dutch crowned five league champions while finishing second in the MIAA seasonal standings. Coached by Dereck Chavis, it marked the fifth consecutive year the Flying Dutch have been second in the conference standings.
Sophomore Jennifer Price of Battle Creek (Lakeview HS) defended her league championship in the 800-meter run (2:13.42). The other championships came in field events -- freshman Shanna Van Zyl of Grand Island, Neb. (Grand Island HS), high jump (5-2); sophomore Christy Watkin of Holland (West Ottawa HS), long jump (17-11 1/2); junior Kara VanAssen of Jenison (Jenison HS), triple jump (35-8 1/2); and freshman Emily Schlitz of Potterville (Potterville HS), javelin (125-9).
Hope's league champions were joined on the All-MIAA team by seniors Dawn Allers of St. Anne, Ill. (Kankakee HS) and Sarah Burgess of Niles (Buchanan HS).
Six Hope records, including both relays, were broken during the season. Individual event record setters were sophomore Christy Watkin, long jump (17-11 1/2) and 200-meter dash (:25.87); junior Kara VanAssen, triple jump (35-9 1/2); and senior Anna King of Downers Grove, Ill. (Downers Grove HS), 3,000-meter steeplechase (12:10.05). Records was set in the 4x100-meter relay (:49.63) and 1,600-meter relay (3:55.99). Three athletes were on both relays -- sophomore Christy Watkin, sophomore Jennifer Price and junior co-captain Brooke Oosting of Grand Rapids (Calvin Christian HS). Rounding out the 4x100 team was junior Karen Clark of Midland (Midland HS) while the fourth member of the 1,600 team was senior Dawn Allers. Freshman Katie DeYoung of Portage (Portage Northern HS) tied the school record in the pole vault (8-6).
Men's Track & Field
The Flying Dutchmen finished fourth in the MIAA standings. Junior Ed Perez of Dorr (Hopkins HS) was voted to the All-MIAA team for a third consecutive year.