The Hope College women's track and field team is aiming for another sweep of MIAA titles and a chance for more postseason competition.

The Flying Dutch head into the 2024 season as the defending league indoor- and outdoor-season champions. Last season marked the second time in three seasons and the fourth time since 2018 that they claimed both titles within the same season. 

The MIAA outdoor title also was Hope's third in a row — a program best.

Hope also brings back three who competed at the 2023 NCAA Division III Championships. The Flying Dutch did graduate multi-time All-American and school record-setting distance runner Ana Tucker.

2024 Roster

The Flying Dutch's roster of 60 features one fifth-year senior, 10 seniors, 11 juniors, 24 sophomores and 14 freshmen.

Sophomore Sara Schermerhorn (Traverse City, Michigan / Traverse City West HS) leads Hope's group of returnees. 

As a freshman, Schermerhorn competed at nationals in the indoor 200 meters and distance medley relay and outdoors in the 200 meters and the 4x400 relay. She earned all-region recognition in all four events. 

Schermerhorn, who set the school record in the indoor 200 meters, sprinted to an MIAA championship in that event as well as the indoor 60-meter dash and distance medley relay and the outdoor 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 relay.

Two more all-region honorees return as well for Hope: senior Erin Moran (Arlington Heights, Illinois / John Hersey) in the outdoor 4x400 relay and sophomore Madison Stern (Saline, Michigan / Saline) in the indoor distance medley relay.

Moran also ran on the Flying Dutch's indoor and outdoor MIAA champion 4x400 relay. 

Sophomore Ava Schmidt (Saline, Michigan / Saline) raced on the MIAA champion 4x100 relay.

Senior Libby Strotman (Park Ridge, Illinois / Maine Township) is the reigning MIAA champion in the outdoor javelin throw.

Coaching Staff

Head coach: Kevin Cole,19th season
Distance coach: Mark Northuis
Throws coach: Paul Markel
Pole vault coach: Jon Lunderberg
Assistant coaches: Kara Winton, Ben Turner

2024 Schedule

The Flying Dutch compete in their first full-squad indoor meet on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 2 p.m. at Grand Valley State University's Mike Lints Alumni Open. 

It is the first of five indoor meets leading up to the MIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Trine University.

Hope is aiming to qualify individuals and relays for the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday-Saturday, March 8-9, in Virginia Beach, Va.

The outdoor season is scheduled to start on Saturday, March 9, at the Clark University Atlanta Panther Invitational.

There are six more outdoor meets before the MIAA Championships on Thursday, May 2-3, hosted by Calvin University.

The NCAA Outdoor Championships are on Thursday-Saturday, May 23-25, in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Coach's Outlook

"It's going to be an interesting season. It was probably our strongest team ever last year, when we had a good mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen. We lost some [runners] there, but we have a lot of people ready to step up and take those spots. We're still a deep team," head coach Kevin Cole said. "With Sara back, we can build a lot of things around her. She keeps getting faster. She's already starting faster than she did last year. Her goal is to be an All-American this year. That's another step for her. We have so many good throwers, which is going to be great. Having a lot of them is really going to help.

"We've only had one meet so far. Only our middle distance went," Cole said. "We're going to see what we've got, get sharper and learn how to race again. We ramp up everything [in the indoor season] to try to be at our best at the end of February."