The Flying Dutch feature a squad that has a blend of veterans and collegiate newcomers.
The team returns 21 letterwinners from a team that finished second in the 2008 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings and 20th at the NCAA Division III championships.
Coach Kevin Cole begins his fourth season with a pre-season roster includes 24 freshmen along with 18 sophomores, three juniors and five seniors.
In 2008 the Flying Dutch scored a school-record 13 points at the national championships. Returning senior Nora Kuiper of Parchment, Mich.(Parchment HS) contributed to that accomplishment with a fifth place finish in the 100-meter dash.
In 2008 a record number of Hope track and field athletes received All-MIAA honors. Sixteen athletes in the women's and men's program were named by coaches to the honor squad. Thirteen of them were gold medal winners at the annual Field Day championships. The 2009 All-MIAA women's returnees are led by senior Nora Kuiper who is a three-time MIAA champion in the 100-meter dash. Her winning time in 2008 was a conference record (:12.13). She also won the 200-meter dash. Other returning All-MIAA athletes are sophomore Emily Kreichelt (Northville/Northville HS), sophomore Kara Vandeguchte (Hamilton/Hamilton HS), and pole vault champion Emily VanderMeer (senior from Holland/Holland HS).
Co-captains of the 2009 team will be Nora Kuiper, Emily VanderMeer and senior Sarah Multer (Plainwell, Mich./Plainwell HS).
Four team members received All-MIAA cross country honors last fall -- freshman Kate Nelson (Williamston, Mich./Williamston HS), freshman Kelly Luftkin, Hope (Houghton, Mich./Houghton HS), freshman Karlyn Sikma (Grand Rapids, Mich./NorthPointe Christian HS) and sophomore Emily Fischer (Naperville, Ill./ Central HS).
Other returning letterwinenrs include sophomore Emily Baracy (Canton, Mich./Canton HS), sophomore Claire Bird (New Paltz, N.Y./New Paltz HS), senior Anna Brandes (Hillsdale, Mich./Hillsdale HS), sophomore Katelyn Brundige (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg HS), sophomore Lauren Clack (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./ Birmingham Seaholm HS), junior Joanne Gabl (Saline, Mich./Saline HS), junior Haleigh Gokey (Mattawan, Mich./Paw Paw HS), sophomore Heidi Grooters (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS), sophomore Jolene Jeske (Beulah, Mich./Benzie Central HS), senior Courtney Knox (Mattawa, Mich./Mattawan HS), sophomore Cecilia Kovach (Roscoe, Ill./Gobles HS), sophomore Rachael Kutney (St. Claire Shores/Lakeshore HS), sophomore Andrea Miller (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee Crown HS), sophomore Susan Savasky (Berkley, Mich./Marian HS), and sophomore Sarah VanderMeer (Holland, Mich./Holland HS).