Hope College Athletic celebrated the top performances and inspirational student-athletes from the 2015-16 HOPEYs awards on Monday at DeVos Fieldhouse.
Here are the winners.
Click here for a photo gallery from the HOPEYs.
Exceptional Performance in Team Sport (Presented to the athlete, irrespective of gender, who had the best performance in a team sport in a given year.)
JP Batts, Baseball - In a double-header against Grinnell in 2015, Batts went six-for-eight at the plate with six runs-batted-in, two stolen bases, one double, and one triple. The Flying Dutchmen were victorious in both games.
Exceptional Performance in Individual Sport (Presented to the athlete, irrespective of gender, who had the best performance in an individual sport in a given year.)
Julia Stock, Women's Track & Field – At the 2015 MIAA Track and Field Championships, Stock won the 10,000-meter race with a time of 36 minutes, 40.85 seconds. She then returned to finish third in the 5,000-meter race with a time of eighteen minutes, 19.56. These performances earned Stock All-MIAA honors.
Newcomer of the Year (Presented to a freshman or transfer, irrespective of gender, that made a significant impact within his or her sport in a given year.)
Avery Lowe, Women's Cross Country – Lowe was a member of the MIAA Championship team and the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship team for the Flying Dutch. She earned first team All-MIAA honors, first team NCAA All-Regional honors, and qualified for the NCAA Championship as a freshman. Additionally, Lowe was recognized as an Academic All-American.
Comeback Player of the Year (Presented to an athlete who has reemerged on the field of play after overcoming adversity in the previous season due to an injury, illness, or other personal commitments.)
Angelique Gaddy, Women's Basketball – Coming back from two ACL injuries in 2014 and 2015, Gaddy helped led the Flying Dutch to a 26-2 record. She played in all 28 games and averaged 8.6 points per game, four assists per game, and two steals per game. Gaddy earned All-MIAA First Team honors.
Breakthrough Athlete (Presented to an athlete (sophomore and above) that has made the best or most significant breakthrough in his or her sport in a given year.)
Chad Carlson, Men's Basketball – Carlson was inserted into the starting line-up mid-season and proved to be a catalyst for the Flying Dutchmen. He averaged over eight points a game in conference play while shooting 44-percent from the field and 81-percent from the free-throw line. While helping run the point guard position, Carlson incredibly only committed 13 turnovers on the season. He had career highs of 17 points at Adrian and at Kalamazoo.
Role-player of the Year (Presented to a non-starter, irrespective of gender, who made a significant contribution to the success of the team.)
Anna Krueger, Women's Soccer – Krueger is a senior captain for the Flying Dutch and is one of the hardest working, most positive members of the team. She always puts the needs of the team above her own wants and realizes that sometimes sacrifice is required to be part of a team. Krueger makes sure the field is clean, puts laundry away, sweeps the locker room and has been a true servant in every respect. The team has great respect for her and her amazing ability to be positive and encouraging despite her limited playing time.
Female Athlete of the Year (Presented to the female athlete deemed to be the most exceptional in a given year.)
Maura McAfee, Women's Basketball – McAfee helped lead the Flying Dutch to an outright MIAA Championship and a 26-2 season. She averaged 15.6 points and 11.1 rebounds over 16 MIAA games. McAfee is one of only two players in the history of Hope basketball to score 1,000 points and reach 1,000 career rebounds. She is the all-time leading rebounder for the women's basketball program. McAfee was named the MIAA Women's Basketball Most Valuable Player for the second time in her career and received All-MIAA First Team honors for the third consecutive year. She also received All-American First Team honors by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Additionally, McAfee was honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Male Athlete of the Year (Presented to the male athlete deemed to be the most exceptional in a given year.)
Ben Gardner, Men's Basketball – Gardner helped lead the Flying Dutchmen to a MIAA Championship in 2016. In 14 MIAA games, Gardner averaged 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 43.9-percent from the field and 81.9-percent from the foul line. He was recognized as an All-MIAA First Team member and was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. Gardner was also nationally recognized as a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Allstate Good Works Team and was honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Be Strong. Be True. Athlete of the Year (A junior or senior who demonstrates the true essence of being a student-athlete and embodies the Division III motto of Discover, Develop, Dedicate. This student-athlete is in high academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.75), plays a significant role on the team, and is involved in the Hope and Holland community.)
Erin Herrmann, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field - Herrmann is an education major with 3.85 GPA who has earned Academic All-America honors in both cross country and track this year. She has also earned All-America honors in cross country and qualified for three NCAA National Championships over the past year: outdoor track, cross country, and indoor track. Herrmann was named to the All-MIAA First Team in both cross country and track, and received All-Region First Team honors in cross country. As a member of the Hope College Service Sorority, Herrmann has performed numerous service projects. Additionally, she works with the youth group at Beechwood Reformed Church and co-leads the team Bible study.
Be Strong. Be True. Athlete of the Year (A junior or senior who demonstrates the true essence of being a student-athlete and embodies the Division III motto of Discover, Develop, Dedicate. This student-athlete is in high academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.75), plays a significant role on the team, and is involved in the Hope and Holland community.)
Austin Goodyke, Baseball - Goodyke carries a 3.87 GPA and will continue his education after graduating from Hope at the University of Michigan for dental school. He serves as a weekend starter for the Flying Dutchmen and has been a key contributor for the previous three seasons. Additionally, Goodyke is a two-year captain and has made a significant impact on the team with his leadership.
Exceptional Team Performance (Presented to the team that played the most impressive game or had the most significant win in a given year.)
Men's Basketball vs. Alma - After losing earlier at Alma during the first round of league play, the Flying Dutchmen found themselves sitting one game back in the MIAA standings. Hope hosted #12-nationally ranked Alma at DeVos and came away with a 71-57 victory, ending Alma's longest win streak since the 1941-42 season. The Flying Dutchmen limited the Scots to 42.6-percent field goal shooting. This win put Hope in a tie with Alma and propelled them to win the remaining games to claim the outright MIAA Championship.
MIAA Championship Performance (Presented to the team deemed to have the best or most significant performance in a MIAA Championship match, series, or tournament in a given year)
Women's Basketball – In the MIAA Conference Tournament Championship, the Flying Dutch defeated Trine 75-58 to claim their 13th MIAA Tournament Title in the history of the program. Hope outscored Trine 23-12 during the final 10 minutes of play. This victory clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the Flying Dutch.
Outstanding Team (Presented to the team deemed to be the most outstanding in a given year.)
Women's Cross Country – The Flying Dutch claimed their seventh league MIAA championship title this fall and also ran to a first place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. This was the second regional title for Hope in four years as the five scoring runners for the Flying Dutch finished in the top 36 out of 243 total runners. They returned to the NCAA Division III Championships for the 13th time in program history. Two Hope runners were named to the All-MIAA First Team and three runners were selected All-MIAA Second Team.
Karen Page Courage Award (esented to an individual in Hope Athletics who exhibits the courage to continue to play and compete despite overwhelming adversity).
Wade Hoag, Men's Lacrosse - Hoag has made a significant impact for the Flying Dutchmen as a freshman, as they are inspired by his courage in facing being paralyzed in a fall from a third-story window while helping put a new window into a building. He was recruited to play lacrosse at Hope by head coach Michael Schanhals. Click here to watch a video detailing Hoag's journey.
