May 17, 2001
Calvin announces its highest athletic awards
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- Calvin College has announced the 2001 recipients of its highest athletic honors: the Beré Memorial Award and the Kay Tiemersma Athletic Award.
Phil Sikkenga of Wheaton, Illinois, is this year's Beré Memorial Award winner, while Rhonda Volkers of Zeeland, Michigan, is the winner of the Tiemersma Award.
The Beré Memorial Award has been presented annually by Calvin since 1951. The Beré honors the top senior male student-athlete, based on athletic ability, scholastic rank, character and leadership, and is selected by the school's male coaches and the members of the Athletics Committee. It is given in memory of Joe Beré, a Calvin student who was killed in a 1949 auto accident on his way to watch a Calvin basketball game. The winner is selected by the coaches of the school's men's sports and an Athletics Committee made up of students and non-physical education department faculty members.
This is the 27th year that Calvin has given the Tiemersma award--presented annually to the top senior female student-athlete. The award honors Kay Tiemersma, the first woman physical education teacher in the member schools of the Christian Schools International organization, and a pioneer in women's sports. Its presentation is based on athletic ability, scholastic standing, and character and leadership. The winner is selected by the coaches of the school's women's sports and an Athletics Committee made up of students and non-physical education department faculty members.
PHIL SIKKENGA BIO
Phil Sikkenga is a native of Wheaton, Illinois and a graduate of Timothy Christian High School. Sikkenga has been a four-year member of the Calvin track and field team and has served as a team captain for two years. A four-time NCAA III All-American, Sikkenga has rewrote the Calvin and MIAA record book over the course of his Calvin track and field career. At the 1999 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Sikkenga earned his first All-America citation with a fourth place finish in the 110 high hurdles. He then took third in the 110 high hurdles at the 2000 NCAA III Championships while also placing third in the 200 meters and anchoring Calvin's 4 x 400 meter relay team to a national runner-up finish in a school-record time of 3:09.85. Sikkenga is the Calvin record holder in the 100 meters (10.77), 200 meters (21.38) and 110 high hurdles (14.25). He also holds MIAA records in the 110 high hurdles and 200 meters. This past spring, Sikkenga captured MIAA titles in the 110 high hurdles and 200 meters for the fourth straight year, becoming the first four-time MIAA champion in both events. In addition, Sikkenga captured the 100 meter title at the MIAA Championships for the third straight year. He was then voted MIAA MVP for the third straight year and earned a spot on the All-MIAA team for the fourth consecutive season. During his career, Sikkenga has captured 12 individual MIAA titles including a long jump title at the 1998 MIAA Championships.
Sikkenga will be making his fourth trip to the national meet when he competes at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 24-26 in Decatur, Illinois. Sikkenga has qualified for the national meet in the 110 high hurdles, 200 meters and in the 4 x 400 meter relay. He has also qualified provisionally in the 400 meters. Sikkenga has helped lead the Calvin men's track and field team to four MIAA titles and a pair of top-10 national finishes. During that span, Calvin has posted a perfect 22-0 MIAA dual meet record.
A seven-time member of the Calvin Dean's List and a three-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, Sikkenga has earned GTE Academic All-America honors twice as he was named a third team GTE Academic All-American in 1999 and in 2000. In addition, he was named to the United States Track Coaches Association All-Academic team in 2000. Sikkenga carries a 3.60 grade point average in business administration. While at Calvin, he has been a member of the Calvin Student Athletic Committee and served as a volunteer in the Grand Rapids Junior Achievement program and as a volunteer coach in the Grand Rapids Track Club. Sikkenga plans to pursue a business career after graduating from Calvin this Saturday
RHONDA VOLKERS BIO
Rhonda Volkers is from Zeeland and a graduate of Holland Christian High School. At Calvin, Volkers has been a four-year member of both the women's volleyball and softball teams. During her Calvin career, Volkers has been selected as an MIAA Player of the Week five times - twice in softball and five times in volleyball. She has also been named to the All-MIAA first team in volleyball three times and to the All-MIAA first team in softball twice. Volkers was named the MIAA volleyball MVP in 1999 and 2000 and was named a second team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 1999. In addition, she was named to the AVCA Division III Great Lakes All-Region volleyball team in 1998, 1999 and 2000. In softball, Volkers was named to the Great Lakes Division III All-Region third team in 1998 and to the second team in 1999 and 2001.
Volkers has been a part of four NCAA III Tournament teams at Calvin as she helped lead the softball team into the national tournament in 1998 and the volleyball team into the national tournament in 1998, 1999 and 2000. In 1999, she served as a captain on a Calvin volleyball team that captured its first MIAA title since 1993. Volkers served as a volleyball captain in 1999 and 2000 and as a softball captain in 2000 and 2001. This past fall on the volleyball team, Volkers recorded a Calvin single-season record 513 kills from her position as a middle-hitter. She also finished as the all-time Calvin leader in kills with 1,556 over the course of her career. A four-year starter in the outfield on the softball team, Volkers did not commit an error this spring as she compiled 59 putouts and five outfield assists for perfect fielding percentage of 1.000. She also batted .311, collecting 33 hits in 105 trips to the plate to finish with a .334 career average. In conference games, Volkers finished with 62 career hits, placing her in a tie for fourth place on the all-time MIAA hits list.
Volkers will graduate from Calvin on Saturday with a degree in nursing with plans to enter the nursing field after graduation. As a Calvin student, she has been an active volunteer, serving as an aide at Spectrum Health and with the Special Olympics program. She has also served as a referee for matches played by the Calvin men's volleyball club team and recently served as a media liaison at the Women's Professional Volleyball Association exhibition at the Van Andel Arena.
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