The Flying Dutch have ended a 15-year drought by winning the championship of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA).
The championship is the first since 1989 for coach Mark Northuis' Dutch ending a string of 14 consecutive outright crowns by rival Calvin. It is the fifth MIAA women's cross country in school history.
Led by senior Tina Pike who led the field of 130 runners over the 6K course (23;31), the Flying Dutch tallied 24 points followed by Calvin 60, Albion 77, Kalamazoo 106, Alma 161, Saint Mary's 184, Adrian 191 and Tri-State 221.
Pike received the league's most valuable runner award. It is the first time a Hope runner has achieved that distinction since 1992.
Hope ended with five runners in the top eight. Freshman teammate Anne Hoekstra was third in 24:12, followed by junior Heather Kamps in fifth (24:19), sophomore Leslie Tableman seventh (24;39), freshman Charlotte Meeker eighth (24:39), sophomore Ashley Dean 11th (24:55), and sophomore Amanda Huck 12th (24:58).
Six Hope runners achieved All-MIAA first team distinction led by Tina Pike who becomes a three-time honoree. Others on the first team are Leslie Tableman (Lansing, Mich.), Anne Hoekstra (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Heather Kamps (North Muskegon, Mich.), Charlotte Meeker (Traverse City, Mich.), and Ashley Dean (Cadillac, Mich.). Senior Katrina Alvesteffer (Whitehall, Mich.) received All-MIAA second team honors.