Men's and Women's Cross Country Earn USTFCCCA All-Academic Team and Individual Accolades

The Hope College men's and women's cross country teams claimed all-academic team and individual honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the 2024 season.

The Flying Dutch have earned the award all 35 years of the program's existence.

It is the 34th time Flying Dutchmen have claimed the team distinction.

To qualify for All-Academic team distinction, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, among other qualifiers. Mark Northuis is the head coach for both Hope teams.

Four Flying Dutchmen earned individual accolades: senior Connor Vachon (Jenison, Michigan / Jenison HS), junior Ian Petruska (Fort Collins, Colorado / Fort Collins), freshman Logan Begeman (Portage, Michigan / Portage Central) and freshman Elias Kretchmar (Granville, Ohio / Granville).

Two Flying Dutch runners also earned honors: senior Maddy Struck (Hainesville, Illinois / Grayslake Central HS) and junior Molly Durow (Glenview, Illinois / Glenbrook South).

To qualify for individual All-Academic distinction, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale and finish in the top 25 percent of their respective regional championship meet.

Vachon is a secondary education major with a focus on computer science and mathematics, who finished fourth at NCAA regionals and 96th at nationals.

Petruska is a business major who became the Flying Dutchmen's first NCAA All-American since 1981 with a 19th-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Division III Championships. He placed 10th at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional.

Kretchmar took 37th at regionals and 271st at nationals.

Begeman placed 48th at regionals and 297th at nationals.

Hope qualified as a team for nationals for the first time since 1990 and recorded the highest finish for a Great Lakes Region at 29th.

Struck is a kinesiology major who placed a team-leading 31st at the 2024 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional.

Durow is an education major who finished 65th at NCAA regionals.

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Players Mentioned

Ian Petruska: Sophomore

Connor Vachon: Senior; Mathematics Education-Secondary and Computer Science

Logan Begeman: Freshman

Elias Kretchmar: Freshman

Molly Durow: Junior; Elementary Education

Maddy Struck: Senior; Exercise Science

Players Mentioned

Ian Petruska
: Sophomore

Connor Vachon
: Senior; Mathematics Education-Secondary and Computer Science

Logan Begeman
: Freshman

Elias Kretchmar
: Freshman

Molly Durow
: Junior; Elementary Education

Maddy Struck
: Senior; Exercise Science