Women's Cross Country Finishes Runner-Up at Muskegon Community College Invite

Freshmen Miranda Sawvel and Anna Sybenga powered the Hope College women's cross country team to a runner-up finish at the Muskegon Community College Jayhawk Invitational on Saturday.

Sawvel (Laramie, Wyoming / Centennial) and Sybenga (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) crossed the finish line at the 6K MCC Golf Course four seconds apart, placing 11th and 12th, respectively.

Sawvel set a personal record of 18 minutes, 37.51 seconds. Sybenga finished in a PR 18:41.30.

The Flying Dutch totaled 85 points, second only to NCAA Division II Wayne State University's 22. Hope finished 25 points ahead of third-place Lake Superior State University.

Muskegon Community College's Tatum Dykstra was the top collegiate finisher with a runner-up time of 18:11.93.

Three more Hope runners placed in the top 30 of the 149-runner field.

Sophomore Tessa Rindfliesch (Holland, Michigan / Zeeland West) took 23rd after a PR 19:41.26.

Junior Shelby Bolser (St. Louis, Missouri / Kirkwood) recorded a 27th-place, PR time of 19:21.65.

Senior Claire Vellinga (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) posted a 28th-place, PR 19:22.46.

Seven more Flying Dutch runners finished among the top 50 and ran PRs or season bests:

Sophomore Erin Stuk (Pinckney, Michigan / Gabriel Richard), 19:37.88
Sophomore Maura Lichiello (Howell, Michigan / Howell), 19:39.35
Sophomore Rylie Kraus (Granville, Ohio / Granville), 19:43.79
Junior Katie Fischer (Adrian, Michigan / Adrian), 19:44.91
Freshman Savannah Jackson (St. Charles, Illinois / St. Charles East), 19:45.18
Freshman Alaina Klooster (Kalamazoo, Michigan / Kalamazoo Christian), 19:50.39
Sophomore Maddie VandeBunte (Jenison, Michigan / Jenison), 19:54.75
Freshman Cami Kraai (Whitehall, Michigan / Whitehall), 19:58.45
Freshman Chloe Caulfield (Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan / Grosse Pointe South), 20:04.25

The Flying Dutch's next race is Saturday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. Central at the Augustana College Inter-Regional Invitational at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Illinois.

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Players Mentioned

Shelby Bolser: Junior; Social Work

Katie Fischer: Junior; Elementary Education PreK-3

Rylie Kraus: Sophomore; Biochemistry & Molecular

Maura Lichiello: Sophomore

Tessa Rindfliesch: Sophomore; Engineering

Erin Stuk: Sophomore

Maddie VandeBunte: Sophomore

Claire Vellinga: Senior; Civil Engineering

Savannah Jackson: Freshman

Alaina Klooster: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Shelby Bolser
: Junior; Social Work

Katie Fischer
: Junior; Elementary Education PreK-3

Rylie Kraus
: Sophomore; Biochemistry & Molecular

Maura Lichiello
: Sophomore

Tessa Rindfliesch
: Sophomore; Engineering

Erin Stuk
: Sophomore

Maddie VandeBunte
: Sophomore

Claire Vellinga
: Senior; Civil Engineering

Savannah Jackson
: Freshman

Alaina Klooster
: Freshman