REPORT FOR SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2001
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Both Calvin track and field teams rolled to first place performances at the MIAA Championships Saturday at Hope College as the Calvin women rolled up a first place total of 350 points while the Calvin men produced a first place total of 252 points.
With its first place performance, the Calvin women wrapped up their 11th consecutive MIAA crown and 16th overall league title. The Calvin men wrapped up their ninth straight league title and 26th overall.
WOMEN'S RECAP
In the women's competition, Calvin's first place total of 350 points was just three points short off its league-record total established at last year's championships. It also marked just the second time in MIAA history that a team had scored more than 300 points at the league championships.
The Calvin women came up with four MIAA record performances on Saturday while also breaking one school mark. Senior Lindsay Mulder (Calvin Christian) had a role in three of Calvin's MIAA record-breaking performances Saturday as she set new league marks in the 100 and 200 meters with respective times of 12.29 and 24.83. Her time of 12.29 in the 100 meters was an NCAA III provisional qualifying time and also shattered the previous Calvin and MIAA record of 12.31 set by Kelli Lautenbach-Schutte in 1989. Mulder's time of 24.83 in the 200 meters was also an NCAA III automatic qualifying time.
Mulder also ran a leg on Calvin's 4 x 400 meter relay that took first place with an MIAA record time of 3:50.68. Mulder was joined on the relay by senior Sara Veltkamp (Grand Rapids Christian), junior Mindy Worst (Grand Rapids Christian) and senior Megan Pierce (Fort Wayne, IN).
Pierce also captured first place in the 400 meters for the fourth straight year, clocking in with a first place time of 56.52. Pierce is the first female athlete in MIAA history to win the event four straight years at the league championships. She is also just the seventh athlete in MIAA women's track and field history to win an event at the league meet four straight years. Pierce was part of a 1-2-3 Calvin finish in the 400 with freshman Dana Haan (Lynden, WA) taking second (58.55) and Worst taking third (59.21). Sara Veltkamp also came up with a career-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 2:14.55 in taking second place in the 800 meters.
Pierce also anchored Calvin's 4 x 100 meter relay team to a first place time of 48.60. She was joined on the relay by Mulder, junior Rachel Veltkamp (Grand Rapids Christian) and Haan.
Rachel Veltkamp produced Calvin's fourth MIAA record Saturday, winning the pole vault for the second straight year with an MIAA record height of 11-6. Veltkamp also took third in the triple jump with a mark of 34-2. She was part of a 1-2-3 Calvin finish as the sister tandem of Mae and Rebecca Baber of Brandon, Wisconsin took second and third respectively. Mae Baber captured the event for the second straight year with a mark of 34-7 while Rebecca took second with a mark of 34-4 ½.
Calvin also received a 1-2-3 finish in the 400 meter hurdles with sophomore Annie VanderLaan (Grand Rapids Christian) winning the race with a time of 1:05.11 while sophomore Molly Delcamp (Columbus, OH) was second with a career-best time of 1:05.51 while junior Mandy Gretzinger (Ludington) was third in 1:06.63. VanderLaan also captured the 100 meter hurdles title with a time of 15.11.
Another memorable Calvin performance came in the 1,500 meters as freshman Leah Cornell (Penfield, NY) won with a time of 4:57.35 while sophomore Brooke Wierenga (Caledonia) overcame injury to take second place with a time of 4:58.35. Other winners for the Calvin women on Saturday were senior Andrea Rip (Bothell, WA) in the javelin (127-4 ½), junior Laura Medema (Grand Rapids Christian) in the 3,000 meters (10:43.12) and freshman Jessie Lair (West Bloomfield) in the 5,000 meters (18:46.44).
Pierce was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Runner for the third straight year and also earned a spot on the All-MIAA team. Mulder was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Field Performer and also earned a spot on the All-MIAA team.
Also named to the All-MIAA team from Calvin were juniors Lindsay Carrier (Tri-unity Christian), freshman Jamie Febo (Sparta), Rachel Veltkamp, Sara Veltkamp, Rip, Mae Baber, Lair, Cornell, VanderLaan, Medema, Haan, and Worst.
MEN'S RECAP
Senior Phil Sikkenga (Wheaton, IL) received MIAA Most Valuable Runner accolades for the third straight year as he captured first place in three events Saturday. Sikkenga took home the 100 meters title with a time of 10.97 while also winning the 110 high hurdles and 200 meters for the fourth straight year with respective times of 14.75 and 21.58. Sikkenga is the first four-time MIAA champion in both the 110 high hurdles and 200 meters. He is also the first MIAA athlete to win two separate events at the league meet four consecutive years. Sikkenga also anchored Calvin's 4 x 100 meter relay team of freshman Jeff Konczal (Powell, OH), sophomore Steve Abbring and junior Keith VanGoor (Midland Park, NJ) to a second place finish in an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 41.94. Calvin's 4 x 400 meter relay team of VanGoor, Abbring, senior Mark DeWeerd (Unity Christian) and Sikkenga also finished second with an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 3:16.39.
DeWeerd joined Sikkenga as a four-time MIAA champion Saturday as the Hudsonville native took home the MIAA pole vault title for the fourth time, winning with a height of 15-6. DeWeerd and Sikkenga are the 15th and 16th individuals in MIAA men's track and field history to win an event four straight years at the league championships. DeWeerd is also the second Calvin athlete to win the pole vault four straight years, joining Rick Lubbers who achieved the feat between 1987-1990.
Calvin's distance group also provided a powerful punch at the MIAA Championships. Combined, Calvin individuals in the 1,500, 3,000 meter steeplechase, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters produced a total of 104 points at the conference meet.
In the steeplechase Saturday morning, Calvin swept the top four spots with junior David Ritsema (Denver, CO) leading the way with an MIAA record time of 9:26.01. He was followed by senior Matt Sicilia (West Branch) in second (9:32.95), freshman Kyle Carrick (Tokyo, Japan) in third (9:33.62) and sophomore Tim VanHaitsma (Unity Christian) in fourth (9:37.05).
The 1,500 meters proved to be one of the most exciting events Saturday as senior Paul Petersen (Crawfordsville, IN), gained, lost and then regained the lead in the final lap as he took first place with a time of 3:58.32, nipping a competitor by two-hundreths of a second. Petersen was part of a 1-3-4-5 Calvin finish as senior Kevin VerBeek (Lansing, IL) was third (4:01.30); junior Peter Armstrong (Lacey, WA) fourth (4:01.36) and freshman Casey Koopmans (Kenowa Hills) fifth (4:02.97).
In the 5,000 meters, Calvin went 1-3-4 with junior Dan Hoekstra (Kalamazoo Christian) winning in 14:57.47 while junior Cameron Harrison (Colorado Springs, CO) was third (15:18.03) and junior Justin Momany-Pfruender (Midland) fourth (15:28.30).
In addition, Calvin went 1-2-4 in the high jump with senior Derek Kleinheksel (Hamilton) winning the event for the third straight year with a height of 6-6 while sophomore Cameron Baron (Lake Stevens, WA) was second (6-6) and freshman Jeremy Knoester (Grand Rapids Christian) fourth (6-2). Senior Eric Hansen (Big Rapids) also shook off rust in strong fashion as he took second in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 54.20 after missing the previous three weeks with an injury. VanGoor and Abbring also went 2-3 in the 400 meters with VanGoor clocking in with an season-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 48.33 while Abbring was third in 49.19.
Named to the All-MIAA team from Calvin were Sikkenga, Kleinheksel, DeWeerd, Petersen, Ritsema, Hoekstra, Momany-Pfruender, Baron, and freshman Dave Haagsma (South Christian).
-end-
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun May 06 2001 - 00:07:35 EDT