The Hope women's track and field team scored a school-record 13 points as three athletes achieved NCAA All-America status at the national championships held in Oshkosh, Wisc.
The Hope women's track and field team scored a school-record 13 points as three athletes achieved NCAA All-America status at the national championships held in Oshkosh, Wisc.
The Flying Dutch totaled 13 points to place 20th out of 80 schools who scored in the three-day meet. The Flying Dutchmen qualified two athletes who had top-ten performances, but did not score in the men's meet.
The Flying Dutch had two repeat All-America performances. Senior heptathlete Lindsay Lange of Manistee, Mich. (Manistee HS) achieved NCAA All-America status in the heptathlon for a third straight year while junior Christina Lis of Novi (Novi HS) earned A-A high jump honors for the second year in-a-row. Each finished fourth in their event.
Lange finished fourth in the heptathlon for the second straight year. She was third in 2006. She was an NCAA All-American four straight years receiving the honor in the 400-meters as a freshman. Lis was sixth in the high jump in 2007.
Lange's performances in the 18-athlete competition were 100-meter hurdles (4th,:15.05); high jump (16th, 4-9 3/4), shot put (2nd, 39-10 3/4); 200-meter dash (2nd, :25.46); long jump (9th, 16-5 3/4); javelin (7th, 105-10) and 800-meters (8th, 2:31.01). Her point total was 4,704. The national champion in the event was Amy Reed of Messiah, Pa. with 5,111 points.
Lange was also entered in the 100-meter hurdles and while she did not advance to the finals her effort did not go unnoticed. The hurdle event prelims came just 10 minutes before the last event in the heptathlon. After racing over the hurdles (:15.14), she headed to the starting line of the 800 and raced to an 8th place finish and All-America status.
Lis was one of seven high jumpers to go out at 5-5 3/4. She was awarded fourth on the basis of misses as she was perfect in her previous attempts, clearing 5-4 1/5 before going out. The national champion is Crystal Blamy of Keene State, N.H. at 5-7.
Junior Nora Kuiper of Parchment, Mich.(Parchment HS)) achieved NCAA All-America by finishing fifth in the 100-meter dash. She was recorded in a career-best :12.03 although it was considered wind-aided. The national champion in the event is Jodyann Raymond of City College of New York (:11.84). Kuiper was seeded 11th in the event.
Kuiper's finish is the best by an MIAA female athlete at nationals in the 100-meter dash since the Division III competition began in 1983. She is also Hope's first All-American in the women's 100-meters. Earlier this season she set the MIAA record in the event at :12.13.
Freshman high jumper John Donkersloot of Zeeland (Zeeland East HS) just missed All-America status as he tied for ninth place, clearing 6-6. He was one of six athletes to go out at 6-8. The top eight finishers are All-Americans. The national champion is Cody Stelzer of Whitworth, Wash. at 6-11 1/5.
Junior Rob Bailey of Ogden Dunes, Ind. (Portage HS) finished 10th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:19.64). Winning the event was Chris Erichsen of St. John's, Minn. (9:03.02).