Central Michigan University sophomore catcher Carly Sleeman blasts one of her school record-tying 17 home runs in a March 21 game against Akron. Sleeman, a 2023 Zeeland West High School graduate, earned first-team All-Mid- American Conference honors for the Chippewas this season, breaking the school record for RBIs in a season with 50.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Two years after graduating from Zeeland West High School, Carly Sleeman is lighting it up on the collegiate softball diamond.
Sleeman recently completed her sophomore season at Central Michigan University, breaking the single-season school record for most runs batted in and tying the mark for most home runs in a season. In the process, she earned first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors.
A catcher, Sleeman led the Chippewas in nearly every major statistical category this season, including batting average (.373), home runs (17), RBIs (50), runs (37), hits (59), walks (34), slugging percentage (.753) and on-base percentage (.485).
Sleeman’s 50 RBIs broke the previous school record of 47, first set by Molly Coldren in 2012 and then equaled by Shannon Stein in 2022. Her 17 homers tied Stein’s single-season record, also set in 2022. She twice hit two home runs in a game – Feb. 21 against Illinois and March 21 against the University of Akron.
Sleeman’s record-tying homer came in her final at-bat of the season in the MAC tournament against a familiar opponent – Akron pitcher and former Hamilton High standout Madie Jamrog. Sleeman’s homer broke up a no-hit bid for Jamrog, and was CMU’s only run in an 8-1 Akron win that eliminated the Chippewas from the tournament.
Sleeman was also a force behind the plate. In MAC play, she threw out four runners who attempted to steal on her, holding her opponents to just nine stolen bases across 25 games. Three of the four runners caught by Sleeman were not thrown out by any other catcher during the season. In twelve different MAC games, there was not one runner who even attempted to steal on her.
The Chippewas finished the season in third place in the MAC at 17-8 and were 26-25 overall.
The daughter of Matt and Deb Sleeman, Carly is a sport management major at CMU.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Two years after graduating from Zeeland West High School, Carly Sleeman is lighting it up on the collegiate softball diamond.
Sleeman recently completed her sophomore season at Central Michigan University, breaking the single-season school record for most runs batted in and tying the mark for most home runs in a season. In the process, she earned first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors.
A catcher, Sleeman led the Chippewas in nearly every major statistical category this season, including batting average (.373), home runs (17), RBIs (50), runs (37), hits (59), walks (34), slugging percentage (.753) and on-base percentage (.485).
Sleeman’s 50 RBIs broke the previous school record of 47, first set by Molly Coldren in 2012 and then equaled by Shannon Stein in 2022. Her 17 homers tied Stein’s single-season record, also set in 2022. She twice hit two home runs in a game – Feb. 21 against Illinois and March 21 against the University of Akron.
Sleeman’s record-tying homer came in her final at-bat of the season in the MAC tournament against a familiar opponent – Akron pitcher and former Hamilton High standout Madie Jamrog. Sleeman’s homer broke up a no-hit bid for Jamrog, and was CMU’s only run in an 8-1 Akron win that eliminated the Chippewas from the tournament.
Sleeman was also a force behind the plate. In MAC play, she threw out four runners who attempted to steal on her, holding her opponents to just nine stolen bases across 25 games. Three of the four runners caught by Sleeman were not thrown out by any other catcher during the season. In twelve different MAC games, there was not one runner who even attempted to steal on her.
The Chippewas finished the season in third place in the MAC at 17-8 and were 26-25 overall.
The daughter of Matt and Deb Sleeman, Carly is a sport management major at CMU.
Hope Graduate Athlete Writes Book on Early Days of Football Program
By Alan Babbitt
Hope College
Dr. Todd Harburn's passion for Hope College, history and college football runs deep like a go route.
The 1978 Hope graduate and former football student-athlete for the Flying Dutchmen has authored "'Every college ought to have a…football eleven': Hope College Football, Earliest coaches and teams 1893-1919", a 152-page book about how the now-proudly NCAA Division III and Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association program kicked off.
Dr. Harburn, who also served as the team physician for the Flying Dutchmen for two decades before retiring in 2022, is proud to provide a "small supplement" to previous Hope Athletics history books authored by Gordon Brewer '48 and Tom Renner '67.
"I hope the readers, particularly fellow Hope football alumni players, coaches and administrators, will not only enjoy the new findings in the history of this rather complicated story of how football came to be at the college and biographies of the earliest coaches," Dr. Harburn wrote in the preface, "but that they will also find it a worthy effort within the context it is intended as to football's place within the perspectives of our college's mission."
"Every college ought to have a…football eleven" can be purchased through the Hope College Bookstore, both online and in person in the DeWitt Center, 141 E. 12th St. The cost is $25. All proceeds benefit the Hope Athletics Orange and Blue Fund, which supports the college's pursuit of academic success, competitive excellence and transformational experiences for student-athletes.
Dr. Harburn's research revealed that Hope football's history began earlier than anyone realized. The first Flying Dutchmen football game was played in 1893, not 1902, as previously believed.
Renner noted in the book's preface that Dr. Harburn also discovered the names of early coaches who had been absent from college records, including the first coach, Erasmus A. Whitenack (1893, 1895).
Dr. Harburn, Renner said, also found that Hope had the distinction of having two football coaches of Native American descent with distinguished playing careers: Jonas Smoke Mitchell (1909) and Ray Smith (1970-94).
"This work also presents in detail the struggles of integrating intercollegiate sports, notably football, into the fabric of the Hope College student life," Renner wrote. "At the center of early endeavors, as it should be, was the desire by students to broaden their college experience. Todd's advocacy of the Division III Student-Athlete model is apparent throughout the chapters."
Hope joined the MIAA in 1926 and the NCAA in 1957 as a member of the college division. The college transitioned to the Division III level for athletics in 1973. The Flying Dutchmen won a share of their first MIAA football title in 1934 and earned their 23rd league championship in the sport this past fall.
Dr. Harburn graduated from Hope with a degree in biology. A standout football student-athlete, he was selected as an All-MIAA First Team defensive back in 1977 as a senior and led the MIAA in interceptions that season.
A native of Flint, Dr. Harburn graduated from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1982 and worked as an orthopedic surgeon and in sports medicine for 36 years. He served as Alma College's team physician for 16 seasons before returning to Hope to serve in the same role.
"Every college ought to have a…football eleven" is Dr. Harburn's ninth book. He has published other history books, including "A Life Cut Short at the Little Big Horn: U.S. Army Doctor George E. Lord" in 2023 (University of Oklahoma Press), winner of the prestigious John M. Carroll Literary Award from the Little Big Horn Associates.
Dr. Harburn also co-authored "The Illustrated Gridiron History of MIAA Football" and "A Tradition of Excellence: Alma College's Centennial Football History, 1894-1994".
Hope College
Dr. Todd Harburn's passion for Hope College, history and college football runs deep like a go route.
The 1978 Hope graduate and former football student-athlete for the Flying Dutchmen has authored "'Every college ought to have a…football eleven': Hope College Football, Earliest coaches and teams 1893-1919", a 152-page book about how the now-proudly NCAA Division III and Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association program kicked off.
Dr. Harburn, who also served as the team physician for the Flying Dutchmen for two decades before retiring in 2022, is proud to provide a "small supplement" to previous Hope Athletics history books authored by Gordon Brewer '48 and Tom Renner '67.
"I hope the readers, particularly fellow Hope football alumni players, coaches and administrators, will not only enjoy the new findings in the history of this rather complicated story of how football came to be at the college and biographies of the earliest coaches," Dr. Harburn wrote in the preface, "but that they will also find it a worthy effort within the context it is intended as to football's place within the perspectives of our college's mission."
"Every college ought to have a…football eleven" can be purchased through the Hope College Bookstore, both online and in person in the DeWitt Center, 141 E. 12th St. The cost is $25. All proceeds benefit the Hope Athletics Orange and Blue Fund, which supports the college's pursuit of academic success, competitive excellence and transformational experiences for student-athletes.
Dr. Harburn's research revealed that Hope football's history began earlier than anyone realized. The first Flying Dutchmen football game was played in 1893, not 1902, as previously believed.
Renner noted in the book's preface that Dr. Harburn also discovered the names of early coaches who had been absent from college records, including the first coach, Erasmus A. Whitenack (1893, 1895).
Dr. Harburn, Renner said, also found that Hope had the distinction of having two football coaches of Native American descent with distinguished playing careers: Jonas Smoke Mitchell (1909) and Ray Smith (1970-94).
"This work also presents in detail the struggles of integrating intercollegiate sports, notably football, into the fabric of the Hope College student life," Renner wrote. "At the center of early endeavors, as it should be, was the desire by students to broaden their college experience. Todd's advocacy of the Division III Student-Athlete model is apparent throughout the chapters."
Hope joined the MIAA in 1926 and the NCAA in 1957 as a member of the college division. The college transitioned to the Division III level for athletics in 1973. The Flying Dutchmen won a share of their first MIAA football title in 1934 and earned their 23rd league championship in the sport this past fall.
Dr. Harburn graduated from Hope with a degree in biology. A standout football student-athlete, he was selected as an All-MIAA First Team defensive back in 1977 as a senior and led the MIAA in interceptions that season.
A native of Flint, Dr. Harburn graduated from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1982 and worked as an orthopedic surgeon and in sports medicine for 36 years. He served as Alma College's team physician for 16 seasons before returning to Hope to serve in the same role.
"Every college ought to have a…football eleven" is Dr. Harburn's ninth book. He has published other history books, including "A Life Cut Short at the Little Big Horn: U.S. Army Doctor George E. Lord" in 2023 (University of Oklahoma Press), winner of the prestigious John M. Carroll Literary Award from the Little Big Horn Associates.
Dr. Harburn also co-authored "The Illustrated Gridiron History of MIAA Football" and "A Tradition of Excellence: Alma College's Centennial Football History, 1894-1994".
Hope’s Cochran Named to NFF Honor Society
Hope College football standout and Zeeland East High School graduate Sam Cochran was recently named to the 2025 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
Cochran was one of 14 players from the 2024 MIAA champion Flying Dutchmen team named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society. A business and communication major at Hope, the D3football All-Region Second Team and All-MIAA First Team recipient recorded a career-high 44 tackles last fall.
Nominated by their respective FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III or NAIA programs, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must meet one of the following criteria:
• Be a senior player graduating this spring or summer who completed his final year of playing eligibility in 2024; or
• Be a graduated player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor's degree and competed in the 2024 season (even if the player has remaining eligibility and may return to play next season).
• Honorees must have attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and been starters or contributors throughout the 2024 season.
Cochran was one of 14 players from the 2024 MIAA champion Flying Dutchmen team named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society. A business and communication major at Hope, the D3football All-Region Second Team and All-MIAA First Team recipient recorded a career-high 44 tackles last fall.
Nominated by their respective FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III or NAIA programs, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must meet one of the following criteria:
• Be a senior player graduating this spring or summer who completed his final year of playing eligibility in 2024; or
• Be a graduated player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor's degree and competed in the 2024 season (even if the player has remaining eligibility and may return to play next season).
• Honorees must have attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and been starters or contributors throughout the 2024 season.
East’s Keur Sets Softball Hits Record
Leah Keur had quite a debut season for the Zeeland East softball team this spring.
Keur, a freshman, broke the Chix school record for most hits in a season with 64, finishing with a batting average of .593. A left-handed hitter, she was named to the all-conference team in the O-K Black Conference.
The previous record for most hits by an East player in one season was 63, set by Katie Carlson in 2022. Carlson recently completed her sophomore season at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, leading the Saints in nearly every major offensive statistical category, including batting average, runs scored, hits, runs batted in, doubles and home runs (tied).
Keur, a freshman, broke the Chix school record for most hits in a season with 64, finishing with a batting average of .593. A left-handed hitter, she was named to the all-conference team in the O-K Black Conference.
The previous record for most hits by an East player in one season was 63, set by Katie Carlson in 2022. Carlson recently completed her sophomore season at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, leading the Saints in nearly every major offensive statistical category, including batting average, runs scored, hits, runs batted in, doubles and home runs (tied).
Hope Edges Calvin for MIAA Commissioner’s Cup
By Alan Babbitt
Hope College
With the competition going down to the final league event of the 2024-25 academic year, Hope College emerged as the winner of the MIAA Commissioner's Cup for the fifth consecutive time and for a league-record 41st year.
Totaling 145.5 points over three athletic seasons, Hope edged runner-up Calvin University by one point in the closest finish since Hope topped Calvin by a one-point margin during the 2009-10 school year.
The MIAA Commissioner's Cup is awarded based on the cumulative performance of member schools in 18 men's and women's league-sponsored sports.
Hope held off Calvin thanks to seven outright regular-season titles, one co-championship and two clutch performances this spring.
In men's sports, Hope finished as the league champion in football, men's lacrosse and men's golf, and co-champion in men's soccer. In women's sports, Hope claimed league titles in volleyball, women's swimming and diving, women's lacrosse and women's tennis.
Hope created key late point swings in softball and men's golf.
In softball, the Flying Dutch swept a doubleheader from Calvin in the regular-season finale on May 3, forcing a three-way tie between Hope, Calvin and Kalamazoo College that garnered each team six points. If Calvin had swept the Flying Dutch, Hope would have finished in sixth place and earned just four points.
In men's golf, the Flying Dutchmen overcame an early eight-stroke deficit on May 7-8 at Bella Vista Golf Course in Coldwater to win the MIAA Spring Finale and secure an outright league championship that earned nine points. Entering the 36-hole MIAA Spring Finale, Hope held a 10-stroke lead over Trine University and a 19-stroke lead over Calvin after 72 holes last fall.
Trine placed third in the overall standings with 138 points and was followed by Adrian College and Albion (tied for fourth with 102.5 points apiece), Kalamazoo College (89.5), Alma College (75), The University of Olivet (60.5) and Saint Mary's College (34.5).
In men's sports, Hope topped the MIAA with 73.5 points, followed by Calvin (72), Trine (67.5), Albion (56), Adrian (54), Kalamazoo (45.5), Alma (42) and Olivet (39).
In women's sports, Hope totaled 72 points, trailing only Calvin (72.5). Trine had the third-most with 70.5, followed by Adrian (48.5), Albion (46.5), Kalamazoo (44), Saint Mary's (34.5), Alma (33) and Olivet (21.5).
Hope College
With the competition going down to the final league event of the 2024-25 academic year, Hope College emerged as the winner of the MIAA Commissioner's Cup for the fifth consecutive time and for a league-record 41st year.
Totaling 145.5 points over three athletic seasons, Hope edged runner-up Calvin University by one point in the closest finish since Hope topped Calvin by a one-point margin during the 2009-10 school year.
The MIAA Commissioner's Cup is awarded based on the cumulative performance of member schools in 18 men's and women's league-sponsored sports.
Hope held off Calvin thanks to seven outright regular-season titles, one co-championship and two clutch performances this spring.
In men's sports, Hope finished as the league champion in football, men's lacrosse and men's golf, and co-champion in men's soccer. In women's sports, Hope claimed league titles in volleyball, women's swimming and diving, women's lacrosse and women's tennis.
Hope created key late point swings in softball and men's golf.
In softball, the Flying Dutch swept a doubleheader from Calvin in the regular-season finale on May 3, forcing a three-way tie between Hope, Calvin and Kalamazoo College that garnered each team six points. If Calvin had swept the Flying Dutch, Hope would have finished in sixth place and earned just four points.
In men's golf, the Flying Dutchmen overcame an early eight-stroke deficit on May 7-8 at Bella Vista Golf Course in Coldwater to win the MIAA Spring Finale and secure an outright league championship that earned nine points. Entering the 36-hole MIAA Spring Finale, Hope held a 10-stroke lead over Trine University and a 19-stroke lead over Calvin after 72 holes last fall.
Trine placed third in the overall standings with 138 points and was followed by Adrian College and Albion (tied for fourth with 102.5 points apiece), Kalamazoo College (89.5), Alma College (75), The University of Olivet (60.5) and Saint Mary's College (34.5).
In men's sports, Hope topped the MIAA with 73.5 points, followed by Calvin (72), Trine (67.5), Albion (56), Adrian (54), Kalamazoo (45.5), Alma (42) and Olivet (39).
In women's sports, Hope totaled 72 points, trailing only Calvin (72.5). Trine had the third-most with 70.5, followed by Adrian (48.5), Albion (46.5), Kalamazoo (44), Saint Mary's (34.5), Alma (33) and Olivet (21.5).
NASCAR Star from Portage Wins Again at Berlin
Last year’s NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, Carson Hocevar, made history at the Berlin Raceway in Marne on June 3 as he won the Money in the Bank 150 presented by Baker Auto Group for a record third time.
The Portage native started seventh in the field of 29 drivers, but took the lead at lap 43 and never trailed again as he took the checkered flag nearly 2.4 seconds ahead of runnerup Andrew Scheid on the 7/16-mile oval at Berlin. He picked up a $15,000 check for his winning performance in the United Auto Racing Alliance-sanctioned Super Late Model race.
Hocevar also won the Money in the Bank 150 in 2020 and 2021, while he was getting his start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Hocevar has had a great deal of success racing at Berlin, having won his last two Super Late Model races on that track. Last August, he took the checkered flag at the 250-lap Battle at Berlin.
Brian Campbell, a past two-time champion in the Money in the Bank 150, finished third in the race, NASCAR Cup Series driver and Michigan native Erik Jones took fourth, and Tyler Rycenga rounded out the top five.
The Portage native started seventh in the field of 29 drivers, but took the lead at lap 43 and never trailed again as he took the checkered flag nearly 2.4 seconds ahead of runnerup Andrew Scheid on the 7/16-mile oval at Berlin. He picked up a $15,000 check for his winning performance in the United Auto Racing Alliance-sanctioned Super Late Model race.
Hocevar also won the Money in the Bank 150 in 2020 and 2021, while he was getting his start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Hocevar has had a great deal of success racing at Berlin, having won his last two Super Late Model races on that track. Last August, he took the checkered flag at the 250-lap Battle at Berlin.
Brian Campbell, a past two-time champion in the Money in the Bank 150, finished third in the race, NASCAR Cup Series driver and Michigan native Erik Jones took fourth, and Tyler Rycenga rounded out the top five.
