Grace Behrens Chosen as MIAA Most Valuable Track Athlete; Nine Earn All-MIAA Distinction

Grace Behrens separated herself from a talented and fast pack of sprinters on the Hope College women's outdoor track and field team.

The sophomore from Mishawaka, Indiana (Trinity School at Greenlawn) is the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and co-headlines the 2021 All-MIAA Women's Team.

Behrens is joined by seven teammates who earned All-MIAA recognition with first-place performances last week at MIAA Field Day. Helen Dodge, Kimmie Drake, Hannah Kenny, Amanda Lines, Hayley Scollard, Julie Timperman, Ana Tucker all helped the Flying Dutch claim their third consecutive outdoor team championship.

This is the ninth time a member of the Flying Dutch has earned Most Valuable Athlete in outdoor track and field.

Four Hope track/field student athletes each pose for portraits. Hope's All-Time Most Valuable Athletes

Hope's All-Time All-MIAA Honorees

Behrens won the MIAA title in the 400-meter dash with a run of 58.43 seconds. The environmental science major also anchored the Flying Dutch's winning 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

Head coach Kevin Cole is impressed with the strides Behrens made from her freshman year to her sophomore year.

"Grace was a really strong athlete last year. She came back even stronger this year," Cole said. "It's been amazing to see her improvement. She anchored both of our relays, won the 400; that's a lot of points for someone to score."

Lines claimed the MIAA title in the 200 meters. The sophomore education major from Naples, Florida (First Baptist Academy) clocked a time of 26.04 seconds.

"Amanda has been outstanding all year," Cole said. "She and Grace are part of a super deep sprint group."

Behrens and Lines teamed in the 4x100 relay with Dodge, a sophomore biology major from Grosse Pointe, Michigan (Grosse Pointe South), and Drake, a freshman from Katy, Texas (Seven Lakes). They clocked a time of 48.97 seconds.

Scollard won the 400-meter hurdles. The junior nursing major from Traverse City, Michigan (T.C. Central, posted a run of 1:06.32.

"She's always been strong in the 400 hurdles," Cole said. "She hadn't done the sprint hurdles before this year. Working on those really helped her form. You put those two things together, and you have a really good 400 hurdler."

Behrens and Scollard teamed in the 4x400 relay with a Timperman, a sophomore computer engineering major from Lafayette, Indiana (Faith Christian), and Kenny, a senior Spanish and social work double major from Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven). They clocked a time of 4:04.25.

Tucker set an MIAA record in the 1,500 meters. The sophomore exercise major from Midland, Michigan (Midland) recorded a time of 4:32.25 that was less than a second from the Hope record.

"Ana is one of the best runners in the nation," Cole said.

Markham won the 5,000 meters. The freshman from Hoffman Estates, Illinois (William Fremd) clocked a tie of 17:58.63.

"Rebecca has had a great freshman year," Cole said.

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