2016 HOPEY awards honor courage, servanthood

SIX YEARS OF HONORS — The HOPEYS celebrated its sixth anniversary this week honoring athletes for their accomplishments on and off the competition surface.

Be Strong. Be True. Athlete of the Year

Erin Herrmann (’17)

Herrmann, an education major carrying a 3.85 GPA, earned national recognition for her academics and athletics multiple times over the past year. She was awarded Academic All-American honors for both cross country and track and field this year and has qualified for three Division III NCAA championship meets: both indoor and outdoor track, as well as cross country. She earned All-American honors in cross country. Herrmann was also named to the All-MIAA first team in both cross country and track and received All-Region first team honors in cross country. She also is a member of the Hope College Service Sorority Alpha Phi Omega and helps with a youth group at a local Reformed church.

Be Strong. Be True. Athlete of the Year

Austin Goodyke (’16)

Goodyke carries a 3.78 GPA and plans to continue his education after Hope at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. He serves as a weekend starting pitcher for the Flying Dutchmen. Goodyke has served as captain of the baseball team for the past two seasons. His leadership has made a significant impact on his teammates and coaches. So far this season, Goodyke has started five games and holds a 1-3 record. He’s posted a 9.00 ERA and has thrown 11 strikeouts. His commitment to the team on and off the diamond has earned him tremendous respect in the Hope athletics community. He has contributed greatly to the Hope baseball program over the past three seasons and will be missed in the bullpen.

Karen Page Courage Award

Wade Hoag (’19)

Hoag has overcome tremendous trauma and found himself serving the lacrosse team at Hope College in a way he never expected. After being recruited to play on the Hope team Hoag suffered a terrible fall from a third-story building while attempting to install a window. He was paralyzed in the fall. After four months in the hospital recovering, Hoag began his new life and found a family in the lacrosse team that has benefitted all involved. Members of the men’s lacrosse team credit Hoag and his courage for inspiring a team dynamic and championship attitude that the squad lacked in recent years, while Hoag credits the rest of the team with helping him through such a difficult time in his life. A video is available on the Hope athletics web page detailing his story, struggles and triumphs since the accident.

Comeback Athlete of the Year

Anqelique Gaddy (’17)

Gaddy’s dramatic injury and recovery earned her the Comeback Athlete of the Year award. Gaddy initially tore her ACL during her freshman season after starting at point guard for Hope and averaging 7.7 points and 2.5 assists through 21 games. After sitting out for the rest of that season, Gaddy worked tirelessly to recover from her injury. After months of hard work rehabilitating, her sophomore season rolled around, and while training up for what promised to be her breakout season, she re-tore her ACL, sidelining her once again. This year as a junior, Gaddy played a pivotal role in the women’s basketball team’s success. She played in 28 games, averaging 8.6 points per game while inspiring everyone out on the floor.

Exceptional Performance in a Team Sport

J.P. Batts (’17)

After arriving late due to a thrilling victory over Kalamazoo, Batts earned the exceptional performance in a team sport award for his play in a doubleheader sweep of Grinnell College last season. He finished 6-8 at the plate with six runs-batted in, snagged two stolen bases and busted out one double and one triple.

Exceptional Performance in an Individual Sport

Julia Stock (’16)

At the 2015 MIAA Track and Field Championships, Stock took gold in the 10,000-meter race and bronze in the 5,000-meter race. Her performance at the championship meet earned her All-MIAA honors. Stock is currently serving as a captain for the women’s track and crosscountry teams this season and is continuing her successful career in the MIAA.

Role Player of the Year

Anna Krueger (’16)

Krueger served the women’s soccer team as a true servant leader and captain. Her positivity, hard work and championship mentality earned her Role Player of the Year. She frequently cleaned locker-rooms, helped with team laundry and cleaned the field. She garnered the respect of her teammates and coaches through her tremendous service off the field.

Outstanding Team of the Year

Women’s Cross Country

Women’s cross country won their MIAA title in style. Battling through widespread illness at the meet, the Dutch took down rival Calvin College for the program’s seventh overall title. The team rallied together and featured a few next-womanup performances, placing seven runners in the top 18 finishers and five of the top 12 scoring runs.

Exceptional Team Performance

Men’s Basketball vs. Alma

Men’s basketball pulled off a gutsy win over Alma College at home on Feb. 6. After losing their first contest with the Scots earlier in the season, they were looking for revenge. After finishing the first half locked in a tie, the Dutchmen dropped 43 second half points to the Scots’’ 29. Their win secured them their position of No.1 in MIAA standings.

MIAA Championship Performance

Women’s Basketball vs. Trine

Women’s basketball won their MIAA championship in crushing fashion, taking down Trine University at home 75-58. This was the 13th tournament title for the program and followed an incredible regular season championship. The Dutch were only outscored in one quarter of the game and finished off the game in dominant fashion, besting Trine 23-12 in the fourth quarter. Maura McAfee (’16) and Gaddy lead the Dutch with 16 points apiece.

Male Athlete of the Year

Ben Gardner (’16)

Gardner rounded out his prolific Hope career with the Male Athlete of the Year award. He finished with over 1,295 career points, placing him 17th in Hope basketball history. He averaged 15.2 points per game, a 46.1 percent field goal percentage and 4.9 rebounds per game. He excelled from the charity line, shooting 81.2 percent. His leadership and skill helped lead the basketball team to a regular season MIAA title and a Division III NCAA tournament appearance.

Female Athlete of the Year

Maura McAfee (’16)

McAfee joined Gardner for Athlete of the Year. McAfee was honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as a first team All-American. Her 447 points as a senior were a career best and tied her for third on the all-time list. Her 297 rebounds were the second-most for a single season in Hope history. Her 1,047 career rebounds earned her a school record. McAfee’s stellar performance on the court helped lead the Dutch to regular season and MIAA tournament championships.

Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

Chad Carlson (’17)

After being inserted into the starting line-up mid-season, Carlson proved to be vital to the Flying Dutchmen’s success. His shooting and proficiency from behind the three-point-line became invaluable to the team. He shot 44 percent from the field and from triple range. He maintained a stellar 81 percent from the free-throw line.

Newcomer of the Year

Avery Lowe (’19)

Lowe burst onto the cross country scene, placing eighth at the MIAA Championships, 38th at the Great Lakes Regional Championships and 231st at the Division III NCAA Championship Meet. Her performances earned her first team All-MIAA honors. She helped lead the women’s team to both an MIAA and Regional championship.