by Mackenzie McMahon

Nick Hoffman finished out his Hope College cross country career with a 152nd-place effort at the NCAA Division III Championships on Saturday.

In a field of 289 runners, the senior from Holland, Michigan (Holland HS) clocked an 8K time of 25 minutes, 5.7 seconds at E.P. Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

The public accounting major has taken the team to a new level and has set a new standard of excellence for the future after his four years as a Flying Dutchman, head coach Mark Northuis said.

"We are very proud with how his performance has progressed this season and the past four years," Northuis said. "Nick is a middle distance runner in track so the transition to cross country requires both mental and physical adjustments. He worked hard this summer improving his endurance base to handle the 8K cross distance and experimented with different racing plans.

"He had tremendous focus during his races this season, and knew his opponents' strengths and weaknesses."

Photo of Nick Hoffman by Lexie Barthmaier