Competition has started at the NCAA Division III track and field championships in Berea, Ohio.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY: Junior Kara Vande Guchte (Hamilton/Hamilton HS) is in third place after the first day of competition in the heptathlon. She entered the competition seeded 16th among 18 competitors in the two-day, seven-event heptathlon. Four events were held Thursday and three more are scheduled for Friday. She is competing in the event for the second straight year. She placed 20th in 2009.
Thursday Results (3rd place after four events, 2,904 pts.)
100-Meter Hurdles - 2nd place, :14.88 (858 pts.)
High Jump - 4th place, 5-3 1/4 (747 pts.)
Shotput - 8th place, 32-11 1/4 (532 pts.)
200 Meters - 6th place, :26.35 (767 pts.)
Friday Events
Long Jump -
Javelin -
800 Meters -
THURSDAY: Freshman Sarah Venlet (Zeeland/Holland Christian HS) did not advance to the finals in the 400-meter hurdles after finishing 14th (1:03.65) among 18 competitors in the prelims. She had been seeded 17th. Venlet earlier this spring set a Hope record with a time of 1:03.04.
SATURDAY: Junior John Donkersloot (Zeeland/Zeeland East HS) will be competing in the high jump for the third straight year. An All-American a year ago with a third place finish, Donkersloot is top-seeded among 18 qualifiers having cleared 6-11 this spring.
SATURDAY: Senior Jeff Minkus (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West HS) is seeded 10th in the triple jump. The three-time MIAA champion in the event, Minkus set a Hope record this spring at 48 feet, 2 1/4 inches. He will be competing at nationals for the first time.
Flying Dutch Top DIII In Women's
Basketball Attendance
Make it three-for-three for Hope fan attendance at the college's DeVos Fieldhouse.
The NCAA has announced that Hope led all Division III women's basketball programs in average home attendance during the 2009-10 season.
Hope also topped Division III during 2009-10 in attendance at its home volleyball (992 average) and men's basketball (2,826 average) contests. No Division III member has ever accomplished this fete.
It marks the second straight year that Hope has been the leader in women's basketball attendance. This past season the team averaged 1,138 fans over 20 home dates.
It is the third time since moving to DeVos Fieldhouse that Hope has been the DIII leader in women's basketball attendance. In 2005-06, the first year at DeVos, the team averaged 1,329 fans per game. In 2008-09 the team averaged 1,269.
The Flying Dutch, who posted an overall 32-2 record, were 20-0 on their home court. Games against rival Calvin attracted the largest crowds, 3,177 on January 19 and 2,565 on February 27.
Hope five-season record at DeVos Fieldhouse in 80-1. In 14 seasons under coach Morehouse, the Flying Dutch are 193-20 (.906) on their home floor.
The Flying Dutch will enter the 2009-10 season with a home floor winning streak of 61 in-a-row. The season will begin non Nov. 16 with a home game against Rochester.
