by Dena Meiste
The Hope College women's outdoor track and field team won for the second-straight week, taking first place at the Olivet College Tune-Up on Saturday. Of the four team-scoring meets of the 2021 campaign, the Flying Dutch have won three of them.
Hope won eight different individual events and both relays to score 145.50 points.
Photo by Olivet College sports information director Geoff Henson
Addyson Gerig (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa HS) earned high-point honors for the Dutch, winning both the high jump and triple jump while taking third in the 100-meter hurdles. It was the third time this season she has won both the high jump and triple jump at the same meet.
The senior opened the day in the high jump, clearing a height of 1.55 meters (5 feet, 1 inch) before stretching the tape to 10.61 meters (34-9 ¾) in the triple jump. Gerig concluded her day with a third-place time of 17.15 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles.
Freshman Bethany Colbrunn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) earned her second victory in the pole vault this season, taking the win today behind a career-best height of 2.90 meters (9-6 ¼).
Ellie Haan (McBain, Michigan / Northern Michigan Christian) chalked Hope's fourth win in the field. The junior soared a distance of 4.80 meters (15-9) to take first in the long jump.
Olivia Quillan (Grandville, Michigan / Calvin Christian) won the first race of her rookie season, crossing the line at the 5:14.15 mark in the 1,500 meters. The Flying Dutch swept the podium with Katie Selenko (Tecumseh, Michigan / Tecumseh) and Emily Unger (Montague, Michigan / Montague) following in second and third, respectively.
The Flying Dutch also went one-two-three in the 800 meters, led by Ellie Jankowski (Granger, Indiana / Penn). The sophomore clocked a 2:28.04. Julia Wilson followed in second place (2:32.77). Erin Kloostra crossed the line in third (2:35.95).
Jankowski, Wilson (Lancaster, Pennsylvania / Lancaster Mennonite) and Klooster (Kalamazoo, Michigan / Loy Norrix) later teamed up with Gabriella Taylor (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern) to win the 4x400 meter relay to conclude the meet.
Hope earned another sweep in the 200 meters.
Amanda Lines (Naples, Florida / First Baptist Academy) crossed the finish line at the 26.37 mark to narrowly edged Helen Dodge (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan / Grosse Pointe South) and Grace Behrens (Mishawaka, Indiana / Trinity School At Greenlawn). Dodge was just one-hundredth of a second behind Lines, while Behrens with credited with a final time of 26.64.
Dodge, Lines, Behrens, and Kimmie Drake (Katy, Texas / Seven Lakes) also found themselves in the top spot in the 4x400 relay.
Hayley Scollard (Traverse City, Michigan / Traverse City Central) picked up Hope's eighth individual win of the meet, taking top honors in the 400-meter hurdles with her time of 1:08.01.
The Flying Dutch return to action next week, May 6-7, with the MIAA Field Day hosted by Alma College.
