Hope finished first in the 2013-14 Michigan Intercollegiate
Athletic Association (MIAA) Commissioner’s Cup standings for
the 13th time in 14 years. The Cup is presented to the member
college with the best cumulative performance in the league’s
20 sports. Hope has won the all-sports award a league-record 35
times.
Hope teams advanced to play in 10 NCAA Division III
qualifying tournaments of the MIAA: baseball, men’s and
women’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s and
women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s
tennis and volleyball.
Hope won four MIAA championships during 2013-14: men’s and
women’s basketball, men’s golf and volleyball.
Hope qualified individuals or teams for nine NCAA
Championships: men’s and women’s basketball,
women’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s soccer,
women’s swimming & diving, women’s tennis,
women’s track & field and volleyball.
Hope ranked 29th out of 326 NCAA Division III colleges in
the Learfield Sports Directors Cup national standings compiled by
the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. NCAA
Division III consisted of444 institutions in 2013-14.
Fifty-five athletes were voted to All-MIAA First Teams
and an additional 23 received All-MIAA Second-Team Recognition. The
MIAA Academic Honor Roll featured 221 Hope student-athletes,
including 20 for a fourth consecutive time. Ten teams received the
MIAA All-Academic Team GPA Award, including the women’s cross
country team for a league-record 16th time. Other teams
honored were women’s soccer, women’s swimming &
diving, women’s basketball, women’s track & field,
women’s lacrosse, volleyball, men’s cross country,
women’s tennis and baseball.
Five Hope athletes were voted the MIAA’s most valuable
athletes in their sport: Shawn Jackson (football), Winton Munch
(men’s golf), Maura McAfee (women’s basketball), Sheri
McCormack (women’s cross country) and Sarah Sheridan
(diving). Honored as the outstanding defensive player in a MIAA
sport was Megan Kelley (women’s basketball). Honored by the
MIAA for sportsmanship was Jason Muller (men’s soccer).
Received coaches’ academic honors was Mallory Smith
(women’s tennis).
Seven student-athletes achieved Division III All-America
status in nine different sports: Courtney Earles (volleyball),
Jenna Grasmeyer (volleyball), Lauren Hazekamp (volleyball), Maura
McAfee (women’s basketball), Sheri McCormack (cross country
and women’s track & field), Grant Neil (men’s
soccer) and Sarah Sheridan (1- and 3-meter diving). Neil also was
named to the national Good Works team.
Three from Hope were awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships:
Michael Atwell (football), Cara Conrad (athletic training) and
Sheri McCormack (cross country). It is the highest-number of
recipients in a single school year and gives Hope 20 total
recipients.
Voted Hope’s outstanding senior student-athletes
were Michael Atwell (football) and Sheri McCormack (cross country
and track & field).
Two athletes, Sheri McCormack (cross country/track & field)
and Megan Kelley (basketball), were voted CoSIDA Academic
All-Americans. McCormack was named to the first team, while Kelley
was a second-team selection.
Michael Atwell (football) was given the National
Football Foundation’s Morley Fraser Award for academic
achievement, football ability and leadership.
Two Hope athletes receive NCAA Elite 89 awards: Jayne Kessley
(volleyball) and Michelle Kerr (cross country). The award is given
to the student-athlete with the top GPA in each of the NCAA’s
89 national championship events.
Hope College topped NCAA Division III in home attendance
in three sports during the 2013-14 school year: volleyball,
women’s basketball and men’s basketball. It is the
sixth consecutive season Hope has led the nation in both
men’s and women’s basketball home
attendance.
Two Hope teams were recognized nationally for their
sportsmanship — women’s soccer by the National Soccer
Coaches Association of America and men’s tennis by the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Senior Caleb Digison was named a First Team All-American
by the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The Flying Dutchmen,
who were ACHA Division III national runner-up, also had eight
Academic All-Americans.
