Hope had one of its strongest showings in recent years at the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) track and field championships held May 1-2 at Alma College. Hope athletes combined for 13 event championships as both teams finished second in the standings.
Junior Nora Kuiper (Parchment, Mich./Parchment HS) was a double winner in the dashes. She set an MIAA record while winning the 100-meter dash (:12.13) for a third consecutive year. She also won the 200-meter dash (:25.62).
Other Hope athletes who successfully defended their league titles were senior Andrew Denniger (Winfield, Ill./West Chicago HS) in the javelin (176-8) and junior Sean Bergsma (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven HS) in the high jump (6-6).
Other Hope champions in the men's meet included junior Brandon Bosch (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville HS), long jump (22-9 1/4); senior Chad Rector (Grant, Mich./Grant HS), shot put (48-8); sophomore Jeffrey Minkus (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West HS), triple jump (42-11 1/2); senior Seth Weener (Grandville, Mich./Grandville HS), 1,500 meters (4:01.50); and freshman Nick Rinck (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville HS), 400-meter hurdles (:55.95).
The Flying Dutch 4x100 relay of Nora Kuiper, freshman Kara VandeGuchte (Hamilton, Mich./Hamilton HS), freshman Emily Kreichelt (Northville, Mich./Northville HS), and senior Lindsay Lange (Manistee, Mich./Manistee HS) won the gold medal in :48.71. Other Hope champions in women's meet were junior Christina Lis (Novi, Mich./Novi HS)in the high jump (5-5), junior Emily Vandermeer (Holland, Mich./Holland HS) in the pole vault (10-11 1/2) and Lindsay Lange in the shot put (40-0 1/2).