May 23, 2001
Five Calvin Tracksters Receive Verizon Academic All-District honors
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Five Calvin track and field athletes have received Verizon
Academic All-District IV honors in the spring at-large college division. Calvin
seniors Phil Sikkenga, Mark DeWeerd and Paul Petersen have been named to the
men's Verizon Academic All-District IV first team while junior Rachel Veltkamp
and senior Rachel Veltkamp have been named to the women's Verizon Academic
All-District IV second team.
As members of the first team, Sikkenga, DeWeerd and Petersen advance to the
national ballot and are now eligible for Verizon Academic All-America
consideration.
The college division of the Verizon Academic All-America program includes NCAA
II, NCAA III and NAIA schools. The Verizon Academic All-District and
All-America teams are selected by the College Sports Information Director's
Association of America (CoSIDA). To be eligible for nomination by an
institution's sports information director, a player must be a starter or a key
reserve with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20.
The men's spring at-large division includes the sports of lacrosse,
indoor/outdoor track and field, golf, tennis and volleyball. The women's spring
at-large division includes the sports of crew, lacrosse, indoor/outdoor track
and field, water polo, golf and tennis.
Sikkenga is receiving Verizon Academic All-District IV honors for the third
consecutive year. A native of Wheaton, Illinois and a graduate of Timothy
Christian High School, Sikkenga will compete in the NCAA III Outdoor Track and
Field Championships this weekend in Decatur, Illinois. Sikkenga is seeded
eighth in the 200 meters and fifth in the 400 meters. He is also a part of
Calvin's 4 x 400 meter relay team that is seeded fourth. Sikkenga is a
four-time track and field All-American, a four-time member of the All-MIAA track
and field team and a three-time MIAA MVP. He owns Calvin records in the 100
meters, 110 high hurdles, 200 meters and 400 meters as well as MIAA records in
the 110 high hurdles and 200 meters. This spring, he captured MIAA titles in the
110 high hurdles and 200 meters for the fourth straight season while also
winning the 100 meter title for a third straight year. In doing so, he helped
lead Calvin to its eighth consecutive MIAA title. A business administration
major, Sikkenga was recently graduated from Calvin with a 3.60 grade point
average.
DeWeerd is also receiving Verizon Academic All-District IV honors for the third
consecutive year. A native of Hudsonville and a graduate of Unity Christian
High School, DeWeerd will also compete in the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field
Championships this weekend. DeWeerd is seeded fifth in the pole vault. As a
sophomore in 1999, DeWeerd earned All-America honors in the pole vault as he
placed eighth at the national meet. This spring, he captured the league title
in the pole vault for the fourth consecutive year and earned a spot on the
All-MIAA track and field team for the fourth straight year. He also took third
in the 200 meters at the MIAA Championships and ran a leg on Calvin's 4 x 400
meter relay team that took second. A secondary education major with an emphasis
in history and physical education, DeWeerd was recently graduated from Calvin
with a 3.85 grade point average.
Petersen is making his first appearance on the Verizon Academic All-District IV
team in the spring at-large division. He was recently named a first team
Verizon Academic All-American in the fall/winter at-large division as a member
of the Calvin men's cross country team. Petersen hails from Crawfordsville,
Indiana and is a graduate of Southmont High School. He will be making his
second straight appearance at the NCAA III Track and Field Championships this
weekend as he will compete in the 10,000 meters where he is seeded sixth and in
the 5,000 meters where he is seeded 14th. A year ago, Petersen competed in the
10,000 meters and finished 10th in the event. Petersen was a member of the
All-MIAA track and field team this spring for the second straight year. At the
MIAA Championships, Petersen captured first place in the 1,500 meter run. A
geology major, Petersen was recently graduated from Calvin with a 3.82 grade
point average.
On the women's side, sisters Rachel and Sara Veltkamp are receiving Verizon
Academic All-District IV honors for the first time.
A native of Grand Rapids and a graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School,
Rachel Veltkamp is headed to the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships
for the third straight year. She is the top seed in the pole vault and is a
part of Calvin's 4 x 100 meter relay team that is seeded fourth. A year ago,
Veltkamp finished ninth in the pole vault at the national meet. As a freshman
in 1999, she finished 17th in the long jump and also ran on Calvin's 4 x 100
meter relay team that qualified for the national meet. At the Len Paddock
Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan May 11, Veltkamp soared to a
school-record height of 12-6 in the pole vault, breaking her own school record
in the event for the third time this spring. At the MIAA Championships, she
took first place in the pole vault with an MIAA record height of 11-6. She also
took third in the triple jump and ran on Calvin's 4 x 100 meter relay team that
took first place. She was then named to the All-MIAA track and field team for
the third straight year. A nursing major, Veltkamp carries a 3.76 grade point
average.
Also a graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School, Sara Veltkamp is making
her fourth trip to the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She is
seeded third in the 400 meters with a time of 56.09 and is also part of Calvin's
two-time defending national championship 4 x 400 meter relay team that is seeded
first with a time of 3:46.64. A three-time All-American, Veltkamp was a part of
Calvin's 4 x 400 meter relay team that took sixth at the 1998 national meet and
a part of Calvin's national championship 4 x 400 meter relay team in 1999 and
2000. Along with her sister Rachel, she helped lead the Calvin women's track
and field team to its 12th consecutive MIAA title this spring. At the MIAA
Championships, she finished second in the 800 meters an ran on Calvin's 4 x 400
meter relay team that took first with an MIAA record time of 3:50.63. She was
then named to the All-MIAA track and field team for the fourth straight year. A
recreational therapy major with a minor in psychology, Veltkamp was recently
graduated from Calvin with a 3.72 grade point average.
The NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships will take place Thursday,
Friday and Saturday this week at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.
Between the men's and women's teams, Calvin will be sending a record 21
individuals to the national meet. A year ago, the Calvin women placed fifth at
the national meet with 30 points while the Calvin men took ninth with 28.5
points.
-end-
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