by Eva Dean Folkert
The first league crown of the 2021-22 year was bestowed upon a Hope College team on Saturday. Actually, make that two league crowns.
The Hope College women's golf team is the 2021 MIAA Champion and junior Grace VanDellen of Oxford, Michigan (Lutheran Northwest), pictured right, is the 2021 MIAA Medalist.
With a season-best 311 on Saturday and 1,932 strokes overall, the Flying Dutch claimed their first league title since the 2016 season, and their 10th overall. VanDellen, who fired a 5-over 77 on Saturday to finish with a 78.17 league scoring average, is Hope's first league medalist since 2017 and 11th overall.
Women's Golf MIAA Championships
Women's Golf MIAA Medalists
"This team has just been a pleasure to coach. I love coaching this team," said head coach Greg Stafford. "We've played very consistent all season. Like, Grace wins league MVP, and she plays in the third spot for us. We're just a very talented, very balanced team."
Hope maintained control of the MIAA standings the entire fall season, finishing first in five rounds and second in one. On Saturday, the Flying Dutch topped Kalamazoo College which took second place on the day with a 316; third-place Saint Mary's College shot a 318, and fourth-place Adrian College a 322. The 36-hole, two-day MIAA Fall Finish closed the fall season.
In the overall season standings, Saint Mary's was 53 strokes in back of Hope and claimed second place with 1,985 strokes,. Adrian took third place with 1,996 strokes, and Calvin University was fourth with 2,014.
Hope, Saint Mary's, Adrian, and Calvin qualified for next spring's 54-hole NCAA Division III Championships qualifier. As the fall champion, the Flying Dutch will host the final two rounds.
MIAA Final Women's Golf Standings
Senior Megan Jenkinson of Traverse City, Michigan (Traverse City West), pictured left, was Hope's leading golfer on Saturday with a two-over-par round of 74, her career-low. She joins VanDellen on the All-MIAA First team with a scoring average of 80.00.
Freshman Emlin Munch of Traverse City (Traverse City Central) and senior Megan Radaz of Alma, Michigan (Alma) earned All-MIAA Second Team Honors with scoring averages of 81.17 and 83.83, respectively. On Saturday, Munch fired a 79 while Radaz carded an 81.
Rounding out Hope lineup was sophomore Abby Fansler of Muskegon, Michigan (Reeths-Puffer) who shot an 88.
As the top-four finishing teams, Hope, Saint Mary's, Adrian, and Calvin will all compete in the MIAA's Automatic-Qualifying Tournament this spring to determine which squad will receive the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship.
"It's wonderful to win a championship in the fall and now we are lucky enough that we're going to host two AQ rounds at Clearbrook (Golf Club, Hope's home course) in the spring. We feel very fortunate. And we are very happy."
Friday Recap
