The college cross country season gets underway
Saturday (Sept. 5) when Hope College hosts its invitational for
men's and women's teams.
For the first time, the invitational will be run at the City
of Holland's Van Raalte farm on east 16th Street beginning at 11
a.m.
The invitational is one of the oldest collegiate cross
country competitions in Michigan although it was not held in 1997
because of scheduling problems. The men's Hope Invitational
started in 1966 while the women's invitational began in 1980.
The college cross country season gets underway
Saturday (Sept. 5) when Hope College hosts its invitational for
men's and women's teams.
For the first time, the invitational will be run at the City
of Holland's Van Raalte farm on east 16th Street beginning at 11
a.m.
The invitational is one of the oldest collegiate cross
country competitions in Michigan although it was not held in 1997
because of scheduling problems. The men's Hope Invitational
started in 1966 while the women's invitational began in 1980.
Women's Cross Country Pre-Season Outlook
With the return of the nucleus of a team that competed in the
NCAA championships, the Flying Dutch should again be one of the
leading Division III women's cross country teams in the Great
Lakes region.
In 1997 the Flying Dutch, coached by Mark Northuis, finished
second in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(MIAA), qualified for the NCAA championships by finishing second
in the regional meet, and ended 17th at nationals in their first
appearance since 1994.
Leading the returning veterans are All-America runners Ellen
Schultz, a fifth-year senior from Glen Lake, Mich. (Maple City
HS), and Rebecca Timmer, a senior from Pella, Iowa (Pella HS).
Last fall Schultz and Timmer finished 25th and 29th respectively
at nationals. Schultz is a three-time All-MIAA cross country
honoree. She is also an outstanding distance runner in track
having qualified for last spring's national championships.
Other returning runners who were part of the national qualifying
team a year ago are Jaime Passchier, a sophomore from Rockford,
Mich. (Rockford HS); Andrea Egeler, a sophomore from Fruitport,
Mich. (Fruitport HS); Anne Zeneberg, a junior from Roscommon,
Mich. (Roscommon HS); and Molly Griebe, a senior from Chelsea,
Mich. (Chelsea HS).
Other returning letterwinners include Elizabeth Alvesteffer, a
junior from Whitehall, Mich. (Whitehall HS); Cynthia Bannink, a
senior from Holland, Mich. (Holland Christian HS); Sarah Golden,
a sophomore from Valparaiso, Ind. (Valparaiso HS); Jami Grant, a
sophomore from Holt, Mich. (Holt HS); Amanda Heydon, a junior
from Rockford, Mich. (Rockford HS); Susan Kingma, a junior from
Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS); Carrie Langstraat, a senior
from Eagan, Minn. (Eagan HS); Hazel Lawson, a junior from
Princeton, Ill. (Princeton HS); Jennifer Mark, a junior from
Manistee, Mich. (Manistee HS); Jessica Mulder, a junior from
Queensbury, N.Y. (Queensbury HS); Shannon Oakley, a sophomore
from Lincoln Park, Mich. (Lincoln Park HS); Jennifer Passchier, a
senior from Rockford, Mich. (Rockford HS); Megan Powers, a senior
from Jackson, Mich. (Lumen Christi HS); Nicole Reynolds, a
sophomore from Mattawan, Mich. (Mattawan HS); Jannah Thompson, a
senior from Port Sanilac, Mich. (Bullock Creek HS) and Lisa
Vredevoogd, a sophomore from Grandville, Mich. (Calvin Christian
HS).
Men's Cross Country Pre-Season Outlook
The Flying Dutchmen returns twelve runners for the 1998 cross
country season.
A year ago coach Mark Northuis' Flying Dutchmen finished third in
the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA)
standings.
The pre-season roster of 34 prospects includes 12 freshmen, 10
sophomores, eight juniors and four seniors.
Leading the returnees are sophomore Joe Veldman of Sawyer, Mich.
(Three Oaks-River Valley HS) and junior Paul Berke of Park Ridge,
Ill. (Maine Township HS). They were both All-MIAA second team
honorees last fall. Veldman finished ninth in the MIAA
championship meet and was 16th at the NCAA Division III Great
Lakes Regional.
Other returning letterwinners include sophomore Tim Cupery of
Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS), junior Jeffrey Kaufman of
Minnetonka, Minn. (Minnetonka HS), sophomore Doug Mulder of
Holland, Mich. (Holland Christian HS), junior Aaron Otis of East
Jordan, Mich. (East Jordan HS), senior Mike Pittiglio of Boyne
City, Mich. (Boyne City HS), senior Wes Prescott of Ludington,
Mich. (Ludington HS), junior Robert Rutherford of Downers Grove,
Ill. (Downers Grove North HS), junior Robert Struck of Orland
Park, Ill. (Carl Sandburg HS), senior Bryan VanHaitsma of
Scottville, Mich. (Mason County Central HS), and sophomore Louis
Williams of Paw Paw, Mich. (Paw Paw HS).