Note: The annual HOPEYs celebration of Hope College Athletics will be held on Monday, April 15, at 7 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse. The event is open to the public. Admission is free.

The Comeback Athlete of the Year is presented to a student-athlete who has re-emerged on the field of play after overcoming adversity in the previous season due to an injury, illness, or personal hardship.

Kerrigan Brown, Women's Lacrosse

The sophomore made the most of her time back on the field during the 2023 season after being limited to six games in 2022. An attacker, Brown recorded career-highs with 37 goals, 22 assists and 59 points in 18 games for the MIAA regular-season and tournament champions. The title sweep was Hope's first. Brown scored a career-high five goals during a 15-14 overtime vs. the University of Mount Union in the 2023 opener, including the game-winner.

Lauren Leach, Women's Basketball

The sophomore excelled after not playing in any games during the 2022-23 season due to injury. This season. Leach registered career-highs in minutes played with 426, points with 65, rebounds with 56, assists with 29 and steals with 13. The forward helped the Flying Dutch win the MIAA regular-season title outright and advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament before finishing with a 26-4 record.

Kristen Szost, Women's Lacrosse

After missing the first eight games of the 2023 season, Szost returned to the lacrosse field for the Flying Dutch and became a stabilizing force. Szost came off the bench for the final 10 games of the season and helped Hope win and sweep MIAA regular-season and tournament championships for the first time. Szost chipped in three goals and one assist. Hope finished with a 12-6 overall record, the most wins in program history.