The best team finish at nationals and the fourth All-American individual performance in school history gave Hope College women's golf coach Greg Stafford plenty of reasons to smile.
Most of all, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion Flying Dutch's collective performance during four days at the NCAA Division III Championship in Houston Texas, left him beaming.
"Tenth place was wonderful, but on two of the days we won against the 12 teams we were playing against at nationals," Stafford said, referring to his team's morning-sessions rounds of 306 on Thursday and 316 on Friday. "We broke our own individual school record of 74 three times.
"Even thought we won the conference last fall, we were frustrated. We felt we were better. Now we feel wonderful. It couldn't have ended any better."
The Flying Dutch posted a 54-hole total of 952 at Bay Oaks Country Club for a 10th-place finish that surpassed their 11th-place debut in 2015.
Junior Britni Gielow of Norton Shores, Michigan (Mona Shores HS) became the third Hope female golfer to earn All-America honors with a seventh-place total of 225 (9-over-par).
Gielow joined two-time All-American Ellen Colenbrander (2000, 1997) and Lisa Stover (1994) among the Flying Dutch's elite players.
Gielow's finish matched Colenbrander's for the second-best in Hope history at a NCAA championship. Stover finished fifth in 1994.
"It was an unbelievable week for her," Stafford said. "She played fabulous."
Rain washed out play midway through Friday's round. Hope's total, including a 1-over-par 73 from senior from senior Morgan Leep of Hastings, Michigan (South Christian HS) did not count even though the Flying Dutch had all five of their golfers finish.
The top nine teams in the field only got halfway the course on Friday. Rhodes, Tennessee won the national championship.
Sophomore Nicole Meyer of Brighton, Michigan (Brighton HS) tied for 31st in the final standings at plus-20.
Sophomore Megan Klintworth of Jackson, Michigan (Hanover-Horton HS) tied for 41st at plus-23.
Leep tied for 75th at plus-36.
Sophomore Megan Wierenga of Byron Center, Michigan (South Christian HS) tied for 86th after a plus-48.
