Presented to the freshman or transfer that made a significant impact within their sport during their first year on the team. 

NOTE: The annual HOPEYs celebration of Hope College Athletics will be held on Monday, April 17, at 7 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse. The event is open to the public. Admission is free.

Liam Casey, Men's Golf

In his first collegiate season, Casey was named to the All-MIAA First Team and helped the Flying Dutchmen win the MIAA Championship. He won two tournaments in the fall, finishing first out of 90 players in one and first out of 82 players in the second. Additionally, he posted rounds of 69 strokes on two different occasions. Casey finished the fall season with a 74.3 stroke average. 

Seth Walters, Men's Soccer

In his first year playing as a forward for the Flying Dutchmen, Walters led the team in points with eight goals and two assists. Three of these goals were game winning goals. Walters played in all 18 games for Hope this season and earned All-MIAA Second Team honors. 

Luke Wierengo, Men's Lacrosse

Wierengo transferred this year from the University of Vermont and has had an immediate impact on the program. As a long-stick midfielder he has already amassed 18 caused turnovers in the 2023 season and scored four goals for the Flying Dutchmen. Wierengo is responsible for running the wing on faceoffs and locking down the top midfielder on the opposing team.

Al Money, Baseball

As a freshman in 2022, Money started every game for the Flying Dutchmen at third base. He hit .365 against league opponents, scored 25 runs and collected 14 RBIs on the season. Additionally he had five stolen bases. Money was named to the All-MIAA Second Team. 

Carston Cole, Men's Cross Country

Cole ran to an eighth place finish at the MIAA Championships as a freshman with an 8K time of 25.05.9. His performance helped the Flying Dutchmen to a very strong second place finish. This was the closest MIAA men's championship since 1986. Cole was named to the All-MIAA team and was the only freshman in the league to earn this honor.

Darion Nundley, Football

During his freshman year, Nundley started nine of ten games for the Flying Dutchmen at cornerback. He was injured for the one game he did not start. Nundley finished the season with 17 tackles, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, and two touchdowns. He secured the victory over Coe College with an interception return for a touchdown. 

Marcus Wourman, Men's Basketball

Wourman played in 28 games for the Flying Dutchmen this season, averaging 28.7 minutes per game as a freshman. He also averaged 8.0 points per game and played a significant role in helping the team win the MIAA Tournament and advance to the second round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament.