2023 Outdoor Women's Track and Field Preview

Senior Kyria Gowman, pictured

The Hope College women's outdoor track and field team is dreaming big this spring.

With an accomplished roster and a group of promising underclassmen, the Flying Dutch, led by head coach Kevin Cole, are aiming to sweep MIAA indoor and outdoor team titles and send a large group to the NCAA Division III Championships for the second time this season.

Hope has captured MIAA indoor and outdoor titles twice in the last five years (2018 and 2021).

2023 Roster

The Flying Dutch field a roster of 70, including 18 returning letterwinners. There are 12 seniors, 13 juniors, 12 sophomores and 33 freshmen.

Six are returning three-year letterwinners: senior sprinter Grace Behrens (Mishawaka, Indiana / Trinity School at Greenlawn), senior sprinter and jumper Helen Dodge (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan / Grosse Pointe South), senior pole vaulter and jumper Kyria Gowman (Livonia, Michigan / Stevenson), senior distance runner Ellie Jankowski (Granger, Indiana / Penn), senior distance runner Anna Mason (Zeeland, Michigan / Libertas Christian), senior Ana Tucker (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow), and senior Heleyna Tucker (Midland, Michigan / H.H Dow).

Ana Tucker is a four-time All-American in outdoor track and field and a two-time one in the indoor season. This winter, Tucker was an All-American in two events at indoor nationals, finishing national runner-up in the 1-mile and fourth in the 3,000 meters.

Behrens was the MIAA's Most Valuable Women's Track Athlete as a sophomore in 2021.

Six more are returning two-year letterwinners: junior pole vaulter Bethan Colbrunn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East), junior distance runner Libby Gorman (Traverse City, Michigan / St. Francis), junior distance runner Rebecca Markham (Hoffman Estates, Illinois / William Fremd), junior jumper Taylor Novotny (Batavia, Illinois / Batavia), junior distance runner Olivia Quillan (Grandville, Michigan / Calvin Christian), and junior distance runner Jessie Schamanek (Rochester, Michigan / Stoney Creek).

Sophomore thrower Greta Robrahn (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) was the MIAA indoor shot put champion in February.

Freshman sprinter Sara Schermerhorn (Traverse City, Michigan / T.C West) qualified for indoor nationals in the 200 meters, swept the 60-meter and 200-meter titles at the MIAA indoor championships and earned All-MIAA honors.

Coaching Staff

Kevin Cole '88 is in his 19th year as head men's and women's track and field coach. He holds the academic rank of associate professor of kinesiology.

Through the 2023 indoor season, Cole has coached 81 conference champions in women's track & field, 24 NCAA Division III All-American performers, five MIAA outdoor team champions and three MIAA indoor team champions. He also has coached 65 men's track & field MIAA event champions and 12 NCAA All-America performers.

Cole's coaching staff features assistants Mark Northuis '82, Jon Lunderberg '82, Paul Markel, Kara Winton '11, and Ben Turner '19.

Coach's Outlook

"It's hard to even choose (leaders). We had such a strong indoor season. Ana Tucker, watching what she's going to do in her final season is going to be exciting. Sara Schermerhon is a spectacular freshman, doing really well in the sprints, but she's got a really good group of sprinters around her. We're strong in the throws. We've got some good jumpers. It's a strong team that we have." — head coach Kevin Cole

2023 Schedule

The Flying Dutch have nine road events on their schedule, beginning with the outdoor season-opening Emory University (Ga.) Spring Classic on Friday-Saturday, March 17-18.

Hope competes within Ottawa County on Friday-Saturday, April 21-22, at Grand Valley State University.

The MIAA Championships are Thursday-Friday, May 4-5, at Olivet College.

The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships are Thursday-Saturday, May 25-27, at Rochester University (N.Y.).

By The Numbers

6 — MIAA outdoor team titles for the Flying Dutch in program history. The defending MIAA champions are looking for their third sweep of indoor and outdoor titles (2018 and 2021).

7 — All-region indoor selections for Hope this winter: Ana Tucker in four events (1-mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters and the distance medley relay), Sara Schermerhorn in the 60 meters, 200 meters and 4x400 relay, Behrens, senior Julie Timperman and junior Erin Moran (Arlington Heights, John Hersey) in the 4x400 relay, senior Ellie Jankowski (Granger, Indiana / Penn), and freshman Madison Stern (Saline, Michigan / Saline) in the distance medley relay.

9 — On nine occasions, Hope has earned MIAA Women's Outdoor Track or Field Most Valuable Athlete honors. Paula Smith was the first in 1986. Grace Behrens was the most recent honoree in track in 2021.

42 — Years of the Flying Dutch's oldest school record. Uli Peinult set the high jump mark at 7.3 meters (5 feet, 8 inches) in 1981.

50 — All-Americans in the Flying Dutch's history, 46 of which are outdoors. Julie Darling (400-meter hurdles) and Karen Hoekstra (javelin) were Hope's first in 1987. Ana Tucker was the most recent in 2022 in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

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