The Hope College women's track & field team will rely on 16 returning letterwinners as the Flying Dutch vie for a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship during the 2015 season.
Coach Kevin Cole begins his 10th season with a roster of 51 athletes that is comprised of seven seniors, eight juniors, 12 sophomores and 24 freshmen.
Co-captains for this season's team are senior Katie Afton of Kalamazoo, Michigan (Portage Central HS), senior Lindsay Nichols of Freeland, Michigan (Freeland HS), and junior Janelle Kirsch of Harbor Beach, Michigan (Harbor Beach HS).
Photo of Erin Herrmann
The Flying Dutch compete in their first outdoor meet on March 13-14 at the Southern Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama.
Hope does not have a home meet this season. The Flying Dutch will travel to Calvin on March 31 for a dual meet that does not count toward the MIAA standings and to Adrian on April 11 for a MIAA Jamboree.
The MIAA Field Day is April 30-March 1 at Albion.
The Flying Dutch have three-time letterwinners returning in Afton, Nichols and senior Jordyn Severt of Traverse City, Michigan (West HS).
Two-time letterwinners back for the Flying Dutch are Kirsch and juniors Casey Campbell of Swartz Creek, Michigan (Swartz Creek HS), Kaylee Kish of Bay Village, Ohio (Bay HS), Aurelie McCarus of Lansing, Michigan (Catholic Central HS), Marina Milad of Plymouth, Michigan (Canton HS), Jane Pearson of Lake City, Michigan (Northern Michigan Christian HS), Julia Stock of Norton Shores, Michigan (Grand Haven HS), and junior Karina Winkelman of St. Paul, Minnesota (Woodbury HS). Pearson is a returning All-MIAA athlete who finished 18th in the heptathlon at the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships.
In 2014, Hope tied for 64th at the Division III Outdoor Championships. The Flying Dutch also finished runner-up at the MIAA Field Day and MIAA Jamboree for second place overall. Hope also was one of 158 Division III teams to claim the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team honor. The Flying Dutch tied for the 11th highest GPA in the nation.
