Seven members of the Hope College women's swimming & diving team received all-conference honors from the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). It was part of a successful 2012-13 season for the Flying Dutch that included a 38th place finish at the NCAA Division III Championships and runner-up effort at the MIAA Championships.
Senior Libby Westrate of Grandville (Grandville HS) headlined the All-MIAA honorees from Hope. She finished 13th at nationals in the 50-yard freestyle and anchored the 800 freestyle relay that took 12th at nationals.
Westrate named the women's MIAA most valuable swimmer for the second year in-a-row. She was a triple winner at the conference championship meet capturing the 50, 100 and 200 free. Over her conference career, she was an individual gold medal winner 11 out of a possible 12 race opportunities. Westrate was a four-time champion in the 100 and 200 free. She was also a member of seven of Hope's MIAA champion relay teams. She holds the Hope records in the 50, 100 and 200 free and the MIAA record in the 50 free.
Five Flying Dutch were among a league-record 11 freshmen to be honored — Hannah Larson of Jackson (Jackson HS), Klare Northuis of Holland (Holland HS), Sarah Sheridan of Richmond, Ind. (Richmond HS), Jorgie Watson of Grand Rapids (Catholic Central HS), and Lindsay Wiederhold of Plainwell (Plainwell HS).
At the conference meet, Larson broke the MIAA record in winning the 200 backstroke (2 minutes, 5.48 seconds), senior Erin Holstad of Traverse City (Traverse City West HS) led the field in winning the 100-yard butterfly with a season-best time (:59.06), the Flying Dutch opened the meet by winning the 200-yard freestyle relay for the first time since 1999 as the quartet of freshman Klare Northuis, Larson, junior Maria Kieft of Spring Lake (Spring Lake HS) and Westrate was timed in 1:35.78, and the Flying Dutch ended the meet the way they began it -- winning a freestyle relay with the 400 freestyle relay of Northuis, sophomore Luisa Burgess of Pittsburgh, Pa. (Taylor Allderice), Larson and Westrate were timed in 3:30.57.
