A large contingent of returning letterwinners should put the Flying Dutch in a position to contend for the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship.

The pre-season roster of 33 swimmers and divers includes 23 athletes who a year ago finished second in the MIAA standings and 24th at the NCAA Division III chjampionships. There are nine freshmen, eight sophomores, 10 juniors and seven seniors.

Coach John Patnott has guided Hope's swimming and diving programs for 28 years. The Flying Dutch have been MIAA champions 11 of the past 17 years.

Co-captains of the team for the second straight year will be seniors Laura Ansilio of Western Springs, Ill. (Lyons Township HS) and Brittaney Reest of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS). Reest was voted the 2008 most valuable MIAA swimmer. She was the league champion in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke events. She went on to earn All-America status by finishing eighth in the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA Division III women's swimming and diving championships. It marked the second time that Reest had achieved All-America recognition in the event. In 2006 she finished fifth and in 2007 was 14th. Ansilio was the conference champion in the 100-yard freestyle and achieved honorable mention All-America recognition twice at nationals finishing 10th in the 200-yard freestyle and 14th in the 100-yard freestyle. Reest is a three-time All-MIAA swimmers and Ansilio has been honored twice.

Other returning All-MIAA swimmers include sophomore Ashley Jasperse of Grand Rapids, Mich. (Forest Hills Central HS), junior Claire Piester of Columbia, Mo. (Hickman HS), sophomore Alicia Tuuk of Lansing, Ill. (Munster HS), and junior Kate Williams of Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton-Warrenville HS). Williams is the defending MIAA champion in the 100-yard butterfly.

Other returning senior letterwinners include Rachel Bakken of Golden, Colo. (D'Evelyn HS), Meghan DeWees of Bay Village, Ohio (Bay HS), Sarah Johnson of Delaware, Ohio (R.B. Hayes HS), Andrea Keller of Kokomo, Ind. (Western HS), and Heather Urling of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS).

Other returning letterwinners include junior Sarah Carr of Novi, Mich. (Northville HS), sophomore Ann Frisella of Arlington Heights, Ill. (Buffalo Grove HS), sophomore Anna Heckenliable of Fort Collins, Colo. (Fort Collins HS), sophomore Elizabeth Henning of Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton-Warrenville HS), sophomore Ariel Humphrey of Fremont, Mich. (Fremont HS), sophomore Aria Kieft of Spring Lake, Mich. (Spring Lake HS), junior Jessie Parsons of Anchorage, Alaska (Home School), junior Kelsey Pierson of Indianapolis, Ind. (North Central HS), sophomore Kathryn Schewe of Berkley, Mich. (Berkley HS), junior Tessa Talsma of Grandville, Mich. (Unity Christian HS), junior Christina Vogelzang of Holland, Mich. (Holland Christian HS), and junior Whitney Willson of Commerce Township (Walled Lake Western HS).

The Flying Dutch were presented a 2007-08 Team GPA Award for academic accomplishment by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Returning swimmers/divers who were named to the 2007-08 MIAA Academic Honor Roll include Rachel Bakken, Meghan DeWees, Ann Frisella, Anna Heckenliable, Andrea Keller, Jessie Parsons, Brittaney Reest, Kathryn Schewe, Lauren Steel, and Heather Urling.

The season begins Saturday, Oct. 18 with a unique triangular at Alma that will bring together Hope coach John Patnott and two former assistants who are now a head coach, Chris Hamstra at Alma and Jake Taber at Olivet. Both Hamstra and Taber are Hope alumni. The MIAA championship meet will be held at the University of Notre Dame on Feb. 19-21. A month later the first-ever joint men's and women's NCAA Division III nationals will be held at the University of Minnesota.

Flying Dutch Compete at NCAA Championships
Results
The Flying Dutch finished 24th at the NCAA Division III women's swimming and diving championships held in Oxford, Ohio. The contingent of four qualifiers returned with one All-America and six honorable mention All-America finishes. Junior Brittaney Reest of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS) earned All-America status by finishing eighth in the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA Division III women's swimming and diving championships in Oxford, Ohio. It marked the second time that Reest has achieved All-America recognition in the event. In 2006 she finished fifth and in 2007 was 14th.

Achieving honorable All-America in individual events were junior Laura Ansilio of Western Springs, Ill. (Lyons Township) 10th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:53.02) and 14th in the 100-yard freestyle (:52.38) and Reest who was 15th in the 200-yard backstroke (2:07.51).

Reest and Ansiolio were joined on Hope's relay entries by freshman Angela Griffore of Holland (Holland HS) and sophomore Kate Williams of Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton-Warrenville HS). They achieved honorable mention recognition in the two medley relays finishing 11th in the 400 (3:57.49) and 14th in the 200 (1:48.26).

2007-08 MIAA Championships in Review
Championship Meet Results
The Flying Dutch finished second in the 2007-08 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings.

Junior Brittaney Reest of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS) was voted the MIAA's most valuable swimmer. Reest was the league backstroke champion (100 and 200). Her 200 time was a conference record.

Joining Reest on the All-MIAA team were junior Laura Ansilio of Western Springs, Ill. (Lyons Township HS); freshman Ashley Jasperse of Grand Rapids, Mich. (Forest Hills Central HS); sophomore Claire Piester of Columbia, Mo. (Hickman HS); freshman Alicia Tuuk of Lansing, Ill. (Munster HS); and sophomore Katie Williams of Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton-Warrenville HS).

Hope champions at the MIAA championships included: Kate Williams, 100 butterfly (:58.03); Brittaney Reest, 100 backstroke (:58.11) and 200 backstroke (2:06.39, MIAA record); and Laura Ansilio, 100 freestyle (:53.16). Hope also won two relays -- 400 medley (Brittaney Reest, freshman Angie Griffore of Holland, Mich./Holland HS, Kate Williams and Laura Ansilio), 3:56.23; and 400 freestyle (Laura Ansilio, senior Trisha Meier of Cedar Park, Tex./Naperville, Ill. North HS, Kate Williams and sophomore Christina Vogelzang of Holland, Mich./Holland Christian HS).