Women’s Track and Field Team Shines at Windy City Rumble
The Hope College women’s indoor track and field team delivered an impressive performance on Saturday at the University of Chicago’s Windy City Rumble, securing victories in three events while achieving three season-best results. Their exceptional efforts led them to a solid runner-up finish.
The Flying Dutch showcased their speed and teamwork by clinching first place in the 4×400 relay and excelling individually in the 200 and 400 meters.
In the 4×400 relay, the team comprised of junior Catherine Leahy (Elk Rapids, MI), sophomore Amanda Markham (Hoffman Estates, IL), junior Frances Cozzens (Lyman, NH), and junior Sara Schermerhorn (Traverse City, MI) achieved a remarkable time of 4 minutes, 10.13 seconds to secure the victory.
Another relay team from Hope finished strong in third place, featuring freshman Lily Sackrider (St. Johns, MI), junior Molly Durow (Glenview, IL), freshman Erin Stuk (Pinckney, MI), and junior Emma DeJoy (Pittsford, NY), completing the relay in 4:31.19.
In the 200 meters, Schermerhorn powered through to victory with a time of 25.46 seconds. Leahy and freshman Sofia Fisher (Lombard, IL) added points by finishing in third (26.65 seconds) and sixth (27.01 seconds) place, respectively. Schermerhorn also placed fifth in the 60 meters, clocking in at 7.97 seconds.
Leahy dominated the 400 meters, achieving first place with a time of 59.66 seconds, while freshman Clare Sherman (Ada, MI) rounded out the top ranks in eighth with a time of 1:04.98.
Markham led the 800 meters with a season-best time of 2:24.35, securing second place and contributing to the team’s success. Additional scoring performances included freshman Maddie VandeBunte (Jenison, MI) in third at 2:28.47, Durow in sixth at 2:29.75, and Sackrider and senior Maddy Struck (Hainesville, IL) tying for seventh at 2:30.36.
In the 5,000 meters, freshman Nidia Martinez (Fennville, MI) set the season’s top mark for Hope with a time of 19:50.57.
Vellinga (Holland, MI) supported the team’s strength in the 5,000 meters, finishing third at 19:54.70. Freshman Rylie Kraus (Granville, OH) claimed fifth at 20:27.54, and senior Isabella Brady (Zionsville, IN) secured sixth at 20:43.13.
Sophomore Abigail Cumings (Grand Rapids, MI) took sixth in the pole vault, clearing a height of 3.06 meters (10 feet, 0-½ inches) for Hope’s best performance this season.
Hope also earned points across six additional events, showcasing the depth of talent within the squad.
In the triple jump, junior Elliana Johnson (East Lansing, MI) finished as the runner-up with a leap of 10.3 meters (33-9 ½), while sophomore Kiersten Schmitt (Rockford, MI) placed sixth at 9.95 meters (32-7 ¾).
Additionally, Johnson made waves in the long jump, finishing fifth with a jump of 5.08 meters (16-8).
Freshman Lydia Rowe (Livonia, MI) was notable in the 60 hurdles as she finished fifth in 10.17 seconds, with freshman Cassidy Hart (Frankenmuth, MI) following closely in eighth at 12.55 seconds.
In the mile, VandeBunte secured sixth place with a time of 5:21.0, while Struck followed in eighth place at 5:23.6.
Senior Allison Schram (Fenton, MI) cleared 1.53 meters (5-0 ¼) in the high jump to earn sixth place, while junior Kamryn Bice (Monroe, MI) concluded the shot put event in sixth place with a throw of 11.70 meters (38-4 ¾).
The Hope women’s track and field team looks forward to their next competition on Saturday, February 8, at 1 p.m. during the Grand Valley State University Mike Lints Alumni Meet.
