Headlines

Swimmer Libby Westrate Receives Academic Recognition
Recent Hope graduate Libby Westrate of Grandville (Grandville HS) has been named to the Division III Capital One Academic All-District team in the at-large category by the College Sports Information Directors of America Association (CoSIDA). She becomes eligible for Academic All-America consideration. The at-large category includes athletes in the sports of bowling, crew, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, swimming/diving, and tennis. The district honorees are from colleges and universities in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

A biology major with a minor in Spanish, Westrate was captain of the swimming/diving team as a junior and senior and was named the outstanding female swimmer in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) both years. She was named Hope's outstanding female athlete in the Class of 2013. Over her career, she was an individual MIAA gold medal winner 11 times. She holds the Hope records in the 50, 100 and 200 free, the MIAA record in the 50 free and competed in the NCAA championship four years.

LETTERWINNERS
Spring Sports Letterwinners Announced
Letterwinners on spring sports teams at Hope College have been announced by athletic directors Tim Schoonveld and Eva Dean Folkert. The spring season culminated a successful year of intercollegiate athletics as every Hope team qualified for their respective post-season conference tournament. Spring sports conference championships were won in baseball and men’s and women’s tennis. For the first time, varsity letters were awarded to lacrosse players who had their inaugural collegiate season this spring.

Eighteen athletes lettered in their sport for a fourth consecutive year. They are Elliott Barney (track), Casey Baxter (tennis), Melissa Bieri (tennis), Jordan Carrigan (baseball), Gabe Casher (tennis), Molly Collins (softball), Curtis Drozd (baseball), William Hewitt (track), Kristin Higgs (softball), T.J. Klein (baseball), Leah LaBarge (tennis), Morgan McCardel (track), Joel Rietsema (track), Cory Schmidt (baseball), Amanda Thomas (track), Laura Tjepkema (softball), Kelsi VandeGuchte (track), Davis Vanderveen (tennis). continue

GOLF
Registration Underway for Annual Golf Outing
Registration is underway for the annual Hope College golf outing, the “Bob DeYoung Hope Classic,” which will be held Monday, June 10, at Ravines Golf Club in Saugatuck. continue

SOFTBALL
Senior Laura Tjepkema Receives All-Region Honors
An outstanding senior season and collegiate career by Hope outfielder Laura Tjepkema is being recognized with her selection to the Great Lakes All-Region second team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). The all-region honorees come from NCAA Division III teams in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The rightfielder was outstanding in the field and at the plate. Starting in all 36 of the team's games, she was errorless and was credited with nine putout assists. She batted a team-leading .380 and was the leader in RBIs, extra base hits and total bases. She was a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases. continue