CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2001
NCAA III TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS AT MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY
DECATUR, ILLINOIS - In the biggest meet of her career, Calvin College senior Lindsay Mulder uncorked the biggest jump of her career.
The result was a national championship and a new NCAA III national record as the Wyoming Calvin Christian High School claimed the women's long jump national title with an NCAA III record jump of 20-1 Thursday afternoon at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Millikin University.
Mulder's record-breaking leap surpassed the national record of 19-11 ½ set by Calvin's own Angie Feinauer in 1993 when Feinauer captured Calvin's first-ever national title in the long jump at the NCAA III Championships at Baldwin-Wallace College.
In winning the national long jump title, Mulder becomes the sixth Calvin women's track and field athlete to win an individual national championship. It also marks the 10th national championship performance in Calvin women's track and field history.
Feinauer was the first individual national champion in Calvin women's track and field history. Ironically, Mulder was coached by Feinauer as a member of the Grand Rapids Track and Field Club as a high school student at Calvin Christian High School.
"Angie was my coach in the Grand Rapids Track Club but we never talked about the record," said Mulder. "The record has been in the back of my mind for awhile but I never thought breaking it would be possible. When I heard the clerk call out the distance after my jump, I couldn't believe it was true. It will probably take some time for it to sink in. It will also probably take some time for me to stop smiling."
Mulder's record-breaking jump came on her second attempt after she had opened with a big jump of 19-2. With a strong opening mark out of the way, Mulder then soared through the air on her second attempt, much to the delight of Calvin women's track and field coach Ralph Honderd.
"Lindsay has jumped 20 feet before in practice this year and she has come real close in some meets this year but has always fouled by an inch or two," said Honderd. "For her to come up with her biggest jump in the final meet of her career is truly remarkable. Our coaching staff knew she had the potential to do it and to see her finally achieve is a big thrill."
Mulder's leap came in a field of powerful jumpers as she held off Wheaton freshman Kim Jones for the national championship win as Jones took second with a leap of 19-10 ¼ while two other individuals also cracked the 19-foot mark.
Mulder was one of two Calvin All-Americans in the women's competition as junior Rachel Veltkamp of Grand Rapids Christian High School took third in the pole vault with a mark of 12-0. After just missing an All-American berth a year ago, Veltkamp opened this year's pole vault competition with nervousness as she scratched on her first two attempts at 11 feet. Veltkamp then cleared the bar on her third attempt with room to spare and followed with clearances at 11-6 and 12-0. Veltkamp was one of three individuals to finish at 12-0 but she was surpassed by Heather Hunt of George Fox and Laura Rosenberger of Eastern Mennonite as both individuals had fewer misses than Veltkamp with Rosenberger repeating as national champion.
"I'm really happy with my performance," said Veltkamp. "I would have liked to have gone 12-6 but after just missing out on being an All-American last year, this feels really good. I made a lot of improvements this year and have one more year to try to go for first place."
The afternoon proved to be a busy one for both Mulder and Veltkamp as both individuals raced off during their field event competitions to run in the prelims of the 4 x 100 meter relay. The juggling act paid off as Mulder and Veltkamp teamed up with freshman Dana Haan (Lynden, WA) and senior Megan Pierce (Fort Wayne, IN) to record a time of 47.31 in the relay to advance to Saturday's final where the team will be seeded third.
In addition, Calvin's two-time defending national champion 4 x 400 meter relay team of junior Mindy Worst (Grand Rapids Christian), senior Sara Veltkamp (Grand Rapids Christian) Mulder and Pierce clocked in with the best time of the prelims in 3:45.79 to also advance to Saturday's finals.
In the women's 10,000 meters, Calvin junior Lindsay Carrier (Tri-unity Christian) and freshman Jessie Lair (West Bloomfield) finished 12th and 14th respectively as Carrier recorded a time of 36:52.13 and Lair came up with a time of 36:59.32. Both times were career-best efforts.
Sophomore Annie VanderLaan of Grand Rapids Christian High School also had a big day as she moved into third place in the two-day heptathlon competition. Competing in just her third heptathlon, VanderLaan has a four-event total of 2,769 points with the long jump, shot put and 800 meters remaining Friday afternoon.
The All-America performances by the Calvin women allowed the Knights to move into first place after four events with 16 points with Wheaton of Massachusetts standing in second with 12 points.
In the men's competition, Calvin crowned a pair of All-Americans Thursday as senior Mark DeWeerd of Unity Christian High School took sixth in the pole vault while junior Dan Hoekstra of Kalamazoo Christian High School was eighth in the 10,000 meter with both athletes earning All-America honors for the second time in their career.
DeWeerd took sixth with a height of 15-7. The All-America performance completed a roller-coaster finish to the season for the Hudsonville native as DeWeerd had broken his pole at the Len Paddock Invitational hosted by the University of Michigan May 12. DeWeerd was then forced to acclimate himself to a new pole with a scant few weeks of the season remaining.
"I'm very proud of Mark DeWeerd," said Calvin men's track and field coach Jong-Il Kim. "It is not easy getting used to a new pole in his event so late in the season but he did a great job in making the adjustment so late in the season. He has been a tremendous leader for our team the past four years and I am very happy to see him finish his career as an All-American."
Hoekstra was one of two Calvin athletes to compete in the 10,000 meters Thursday as senior Paul Pestersen (Crawfordsville, IN) finished 10th with a time of 31:37.53 while Hoekstra was eighth in 31:20.32.
In addition, Calvin's 4 x 400 meter relay team of seniors Eric Hansen (Big Rapids) and Phil Sikkenga (Wheaton, IL) and junior Keith VanGoor (Midland Park, NJ) and sophomore Steve Abbring (Highland, IN) also advanced to Saturday's finals with a time of 3:13.18. The Calvin relay team will be seeded fifth in Saturday's finals. Sikkenga also competed in the preliminaries of the 200 meters but did not advance to Saturday's finals.
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