Presented to a Hope College athlete (sophomore and above) that has made the best or most significant breakthrough in his or her sport in a given year.
* Addyson Gerig, Women's Track & Field – In her freshman year in 2017, Gerig finished in seventh place in the high jump and ninth place in the triple jump at the league meet. Gerig had a breakthrough season in 2018, winning the high jump and finishing in fourth place in the triple jump at the indoor and outdoor MIAA Championships. Her performances helped the Flying Dutch capture both the 2018 MIAA Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championship titles.
* Nathan Schloff, Men's Cross Country – In his senior year, Scholff became the top runner on men's cross country team. He improved his 8K time by over a minute this season. Schloff finished his career with Academic All-American honors.
* Daniel Settecerri, Men's Golf – After seeing limited playing time in MIAA contests during his freshman year, Settecerri received All-America, Honorable Mention honors for the 2018 season, recognizing him as one of the top men's golfers in NCAA Division III. He averaged 73.2 strokes per 18 holes in his second season with the Flying Dutchmen.
* Brian Simonich, Men's Swimming & Diving – For the first time in his career, Simonich qualified for the 2019 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships as a senior. He closed out his diving career for the Flying Dutchmen with a 12th place finish on the 3-meter board. This performance earned him honorable-mention All-America honors with a score of 467.35 points.
* Josh Izenbart, Men's Track & Field – After competing in only the high jump in high school, Izenbart spent his first two years with the Flying Dutchmen learning an additional nine events so he could compete in the Decathlon. This past season, Izenbart had a breakthrough performance and qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships where he finished 16th in the nation in the Decathlon.
* Ariana Stewart, Women's Golf – This season, Stewart improved her stroke average by more than seven strokes. She finished the fall with the third lowest average for the Flying Dutch, after having the highest average one year ago.
