by Alan Babbitt
Hope College's distance medley relay of Connor Vachon, Nathan Trumble, Eli Meder, and Nick Hoffman has been chosen as the MIAA Men's Indoor Track Athletes of the Week.
The four combined to set a school record in their event at the Grand Valley State University Big Meet on Saturday. They clocked a converted time of 10 minutes, 00.74 seconds on GVSU's oversized track at Kelly Family Sports Center and topped the 2019 record by 26 seconds.
The 10:00.74 ranked sixth fastest in NCAA Division III this season.
The top 12 relays qualify for next month's NCAA Division III Championships in Winston Salem, N.C.
The Flying Dutchmen finished ninth in the relay at GVSU and were the second-fastest Division III DMR behind a converted time of 9:53.29 from Loras College (Iowa). Loras is third in the nation.
Hoffman is a senior public accounting major from Holland, Michigan (Holland HS).
Trumble is a senior psychology major from Granger, Indiana (Trinity School at Greenlawn).
Meder is a junior business and economics major from Williamston, Michigan (Lansing Catholic).
Vachon is a freshman from Jenison, Michigan (Jenison).
