TRACK & FIELD
Sarah Venlet Advances to Finals in School Record Time
NCAA Championships Website / Livestats / Live Video
The fourth try proved to be the charm for Hope College senior Sarah Venlet (Zeeland/Holland Christian HS) who has advanced to the finals of the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III track and field championships which began in Lacrosse, Wisc. on Thursday.

An annual competitor in the national meet since her freshman year, Venlet was finally able to get past the prelims as she finished seventh in a field of 22 competitors on Thursday. The top nine advanced to Saturday's finals. Venlet finished fourth in her heat with a school record time of 1:01.40. She entered the meet seeded 17th. Her held the previous school record at 1:02.32. A year ago Venlet just missed advancing to the finals as she finished 11th. She was 14th as both a freshman and sophomore.

Junior Sheri McCormack (Holland/West Ottawa HS) just missed advancing to the finals in the 1,500-meter run as she finished 14th in the prelims in 4:37.79. The top 12 prelim finishers advanced to Saturday's finals. McCormack came to nationals seeded 13th.

On Friday senior Joel Rietsema Rockford/Rockford HS) will be bidding for All-America honors in the men's 800-meter run for a second consecutive year. He is seeded seventh among the 22 qualifiers with a time of 1:51.20. The top-seed is Luke Vuance of Wheaton at 1:49.91. A year ago Rietsema achieved All-America honors by finishing fourth. He set the Hope record of 1:50.38 in 2012.

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BASEBALL
Senior TJ Klein Receives All-Region Baseball Honors
An outstanding senior season that played a significant part in Hope's march to a league co-championship has resulted in a post-season honor for TJ Klein of Circle Pines, Minn. (Centennial HS) who has been named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings all-region team. A three-year starter in centerfield, Klein was co-captain of the team as a junior and senior. He received All-MIAA honors for three seasons, second team in his sophomore and junior years and first team as a senior. continue

SOFTBALL
Senior Laura Tjepkema is an Academic All-American
Hope's All-time Academic All-Americans
For the second time in her career, senior Laura Tjepkema of Dorr (South Christian HS) has been named a Capital One Softball Academic All-American. An education major with a special education emphasis she is a first team honoree after having been named to the third team as a junior. Tjepkema maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average over her collegiate career. She was a two-time all-conference (MIAA) first team honoree and received All-Region honors as a senior.continue

SWIMMING
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. 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. continue

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. 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