Hope women dominate MIAA indoor track finals for title
ANGOLA, Ind. - The Hope College women's indoor track and field team left no doubt.
The Flying Dutch returned to the top of the MIAA on Saturday, winning the league meet with 211 points and doubling the field at Trine University. It was the largest margin of victory since indoor track and field became an MIAA-sanctioned sport in 2016.
Hope set four MIAA meet records and finished first in seven different events. The team title was the fourth all-time for the Flying Dutch — all since 2018. Hope also won in 2020 and 2021.
"It was a really dominating performance," head coach Kevin Cole said. "We exceeded expectations in almost every event. It was amazing."
After Hope, Calvin took second with 105 points. Trine University finished third with 97.5 points.
A strong group of upperclassmen powered the Flying Dutch, head coach Kevin Cole said.
"They work hard every day," Cole said. "We didn't win indoors last year, and they realized that doesn't feel so good. They dominated outdoors (in 2022) and decided to start right off with a big victory."
Senior distance runner Ana Tucker and freshman sprinter Sara Schermerhorn led the charge. Both clocked two meet records apiece and ran a leg in different victorious relays.
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Tucker (Midland, Michigan / Midland HS) won the 1-mile run in 4 minutes, 53.20 seconds — 16 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. Tucker topped own record of 4:57.92 in 2021.
In the 3,000 meters, Tucker recorded a meet record time of 9.52.67 and edged her 2021 MIAA mark of 9:58.70.
In the distance medley relay, Tucker anchored the victorious distance medley relay with senior Ellie Jankowski (Granger, Indiana / Penn), senior Heleyna Tucker (Midland, Michigan / Midland), and senior Emily Unger (Montague, Michigan / Montague) that went 13:09.59.
Schermerhorn (Traverse City, Michigan / T.C. West) raced to first-place times of 7.82 meters and 25.55 in the 200. The 200 time marked her fifth time breaking the school record this season.
Schermerhorn passed the 60-meter record of 7.87 set by Albion's Avery Campbell in 2022 and the 200 mark of 25.69 set by Albion's Layla Wilks in 2018.
In the 4x400 relay, Schermerhorn ran the second leg with senior Julie Timperman (Lafayette, Indiana / Faith Christian), junior Erin Moran (Arlington Heights, Illinois / John Hersey) and senior Grace Behrens (Mishawaka, Indiana / Trinity School at Greenlawn) that clocked a winning run of 4:04.84.
Hope also took first in a field event. Sophomore Greta Robrahn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) won the shot put with a toss of 12.61 meters (41 feet, 4 ½ inches).
The Flying Dutch also picked up points in 11 more events.
In the pole vault, freshman Thea Niedritis-Newkirk (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids) claimed a second-place finish by clearing 3.21 meters (10-6).
In the shot put, freshman Kamryn Bice (Monroe, Michigan / Monroe) finished runner-up with a heave of 12.46 meters (40-10 ½). Senior Libby Strotman (Park Ridge, Illinois / Maine Township) was eighth at 11.50 meters (37-8 3/4).
In the 800, the Flying Dutch posted three of the fastest four runs: Jankowski in second at 2:22.21, Moran in third at 2:22.59, and senior Samantha Schermerhorn in (Traverse City, Michigan / T.C. West) in fourth at 2:23.12.
In the high jump, freshman Natalie Christnagel (Grosse Ile, Michigan / Grosse Ile) placed runner-up after clearing 1,60 meters (5-3).
In the 1-mile, two more Hope runners scored in addition to Ana Tucker: Jankowski in third at 5:09.96 and freshman Madison Stern (Saline, Michigan / Saline) in sixth at 5:18.90.
In the 3,000 meters, two Flying Dutch joined Ana Tucker in scoring: junior Olivia Quillan (Grandville, Michigan / Calvin Christian) in fourth at 10:31.60 and senior Anna Mason (Zeeland, Michigan / Libertas Christian) in eighth at 10:48.33.
In the 60-meter dash, Schermerhorn led a group of four Hope sprinters who scored: senior Helen Dodge (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan / Grosse Pointe South) in third at 8.19, freshman Ava Schmidt (Saline, Michigan / Saline) in fourth at 8.20, and Behrens in seventh at 8.25.
in the 200, Behrens followed Sara Schermerhorn in fourth at 26.64. Dodge was sixth at 26.83.
Four Hope runners also scored in the 400: Behrens in third at 59.86, Timperman in fourth at 1:01.71, freshman Hannah Tsiang (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton) in seventh at 1:03.28 and Elisabeth Bonanni (Howell, Michigan / Howell) in eighth at 1:03.59.
In the weight throw, junior Emma Althouse (Ludington, Michigan / Ludington) placed fourth with a toss of 13.77 meters (45-2 ¼).
In the high jump, sophomore Allison Schram (Fenton, Michigan / Hartland) took fourth by clearing the bar at 1.57 meters (5-1 ¾).
In the triple jump, three Flying Dutch scored: freshman Elliana Johnson (East Lansing, Michigan / Haslett) in sixth at 9.83 meters (32-3), junior Taylor Novotny (Batavia, Illinois / Batavia) in seventh at 9.75 (32-0), and Schram in eighth at 9.41 meters (30-10 ½).
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hope women dominate MIAA indoor track finals for title
