Hope College golfers competed in the men's and women's NCAA Division III national championship tournaments last week.
Hope College golfers competed in the men's and women's NCAA Division III national championship tournaments last week.
Competing as an individual in the women's championships in Bloomington, Ill., senior Ellen Colenbrander of Holland (Holland HS) achieved NCAA All-America designation for the second time in her collegiate career.
Meanwhile in Battle Creek, Mich., the Flying Dutchmen were competing in the men's championships gaining a 17th place finish among 23 teams.
Colenbrander finished eighth among 60 golfers with a 72-hole total of 81-77-84-85--327. Her second round score of 77 was the second best in the tournament. She was competing in the national tournament for a fourth consecutive year. Her best finish was seventh place as a sophomore. She was 53rd as a freshman and 19th as a junior.
The women's golf team has been coached by Donna Eaton the past two seasons. Coach Eaton is retiring from the Hope faculty and coaching ranks with the conclusion of this season.
The Flying Dutchmen were competing in the men's nationals for the third time in school history. Each time (1987, 1988 and now 2000) the Dutchmen have ended 17th.
Sophomore Aaron Vandenberg of Holland (Holland HS) led the Hope contingent in 48th place among the 120 golfers with 232 strokes. Other scores were: sophomore Eric Wohlfield of Brighton (Brighton HS), 65th (236); junior Mike Feyen of East Grand Rapids (EGR HS), 76th (238); freshman Everett Leonard of Kalamazoo (Hackett HS), 80th (239) and junior Chris Rutan of Ann Arbor (Pioneer), 102nd (245). The men's team has been coached for nine seasons by Bob Ebels.