MAY 3, 2002
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
ALBION, MI - The Calvin men's and women's track and field teams continued their
MIAA dominance by capturing league titles Friday afternoon at the MIAA
Championships hosted by Albion College. In the men's competition, Calvin
captured its ninth straight MIAA title including its 15th in the last 16 years
with a first place total of 267 points, finishing 102 points ahead of runner-up
Albion. In the women's competition, Calvin recorded its 13th straight MIAA
title including its 17th overall with a first place total of 299 points, 135
points ahead of runner-up Hope.
"I am was very happy with our teams today," said Calvin track and field coach
Jong-Il Kim who doubles as head men's and women's track and field coach. "There
are many fine athletes across the league in both the men's and women's
competition this year so we feel very honored to be MIAA champions again. I
must also give credit to the many assistants on my coaching staff this year.
They helped push our athletes all year and this weekend, it resulted in a very
successful group effort. We are fortunate to have a wonderful atmosphere of
support on our track and field teams."
Over the course of the two-day meet, the Calvin women took first place in 14
out of a possible 19 events while shattering five MIAA records in the process
including four on Friday afternoon. Junior Annie VanderLaan (Grand Rapids
Christian High School) was part of three Calvin records on Friday as she
shattered her own MIAA mark in the 100 hurdles with a first place time of 14.77,
breaking her previous league record of 14.96. She then filled legs on Calvin's
first place 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 meter relay teams that came up with MIAA record
times.
In the 4 x 100 meter relay, the Calvin team of VanderLaan, senior Rachel
Veltkamp (Grand Rapids Christian) and freshmen Sue Abbring (Highland, IN) and
Anne VenHuizen (Manhattan, MT) took first place with an NCAA III provisional
qualifying and MIAA record time of 48.00, breaking the previous record of 48.39
set by Calvin in 1993. It is also the fifth-fastest 4 x 100 meter relay time in
NCAA III women's track and field this spring. In the 4 x 400 meter relay, the
Calvin team of VanderLaan, senior Mindy Worst (Grand Rapids Christian), Abbring
and freshman Laura Hamilton (Highland, IN) came in with an NCAA III automatic
qualifying and MIAA record time of 3:50.39, breaking the previous record of
3:50.68 set by Calvin in 2001. The 4 x 400 meter relay time by Calvin is the
fastest time recorded in NCAA III women's track and field this spring.
The Calvin trio of VanderLaan, Hamilton and Abbring helped rack up a
significant amount of points on the track as Abbring also captured first place
in the 100 meters (12.68) and 200 meters (25.21) while Hamilton was a winner in
the 400 meter hurdles with an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 1:03.26.
Abbring's time in the 200 meters was also an NCAA III provisional qualifying
mark. In addition, Hamilton took second behind VanderLaan in the 100 meter
hurdles (15.48) while VanderLaan was second behind Abbring in the 200 meters
with an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 25.34.
Worst also had a big day as she won the 400 meters with an NCAA III provisional
qualifying time of 57.79 while adding a fourth place finish in the 200 meters
with a season-best time of 25.94.
In the shot put, Calvin junior Mandy VanDenBosch (Grand Rapids Christian)
continued her remarkable comeback from reconstructive ankle surgery last spring
as led a 1-3-4-5 Calvin finish with a first place throw of 41-3. Sophomore
Katie Corner (Grand Rapids Catholic Central) was third (40-5); freshman Lisa
Nanninga (Grand Rapids Christian) fourth (40-2) and junior Liz Frens (Grand
Rapids Christian) fifth (39-5).
Calvin also faired well in the distance events as the Knights took first place
in the 1,500 meters, 3,000 meter steeplechase and 5,000 meters on Friday.
Junior Tami VerMeulen (Holland Christian) established an MIAA record in the
steeplechase with a first place time of 11:51.31 while senior teammate Sara
Crowe (Grosse Pointe Woods) was close behind in second with a time of 11:53.18.
In the 5,000 meters, sophomore Jessie Lair repeated as league champion in the
event with a first place time of 18:05.54 to lead a 1-2-3-4 Calvin finish in the
event with junior Jodi VerMeulen (Holland Christian) taking second (18:18.61);
junior Rachel Baber (Brandon, WI) taking third (18:18.68) and freshman Ashley
Berner (Littleton, CO) taking fourth (18:33.63). In the 1,500 meters, Calvin
senior Erinn Boot (Kalamazoo Christian) also led a 1-2-3-4 Calvin finish with a
first place time of 4:47.61 with senior Lindsay Carrier (Tri-unity Christian)
taking second (4:47.70); sophomore Tracy Diephuis (Grand Rapids Christian)
taking third (4:47.70) and freshman Elise Elzinga (Lambertville) taking fourth
(5:00.15).
On the men's side, Calvin took first place in 12 out of a possible 19 events
over the two-day meet to capture its 27th MIAA title overall. Calvin's distance
runners played a pivotal role in the first place outcome as 113 of Calvin's 267
points came from the 800 meter events on up. Senior Justin Pfruender (Midland)
highlighted a 1-2-3-4 Calvin finish in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with an NCAA
III provisional and MIAA record time of 9:09.20, breaking the previous MIAA
record by nearly 17 seconds. Senior teammate Matt Sicilia (West Branch) was
second with an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 9:22.61 while Calvin
sophomore Kyle Carrick (Tokyo, Japan) was third (9:34.51) and senior David
Ritsema (Denver, CO) fourth (9:46.92).
Sophomore Hendrik Kok (Lynden, WA) also had a huge afternoon for Calvin as he
took first place in the 800 meters (1:53.84) and 1,500 meters (3:53.79). Senior
teammate and fellow Washington-state native Peter Armstrong (Lacey, WA) followed
Kok's lead in taking second in the 800 (1:55.60) and 1,500 (4:00.20). In the
5,000 meters, senior Joel Klooster (Chatham, ON) continued his strong track and
field campaign with a first place time of 14:56.88 with sophomore Matt Edwards
(Grand Blanc) taking second (15:19.47).
In the sprints, Calvin senior Keith VanGoor (Midland Park, NJ) closed out his
MIAA career in style by winning the 200 meters with a time of 21.99 and the 400
meters with a time of 48.87. In the prelims of the 200 meters Friday afternoon,
VanGoor came up with an NCAA III provisional qualifying and career-best time of
21.64. VanGoor also ran a leg on Calvin's 4 x 100 meter relay team that took
first place with a time of 42.16. He was joined on the relay by freshman Chris
Friebel (Shelby, OH), sophomore Francis Ikwueme (Jos, Nigeria) and junior Steve
Abbring (Highland, IN). Friebel also took second in the 200 meters (22.32) and
third in the 100 meters (11.10).
In the field events, Calvin came up with three individual titles Friday as
senior Jonathon Hutchful (Accra, Ghana) won the triple jump with a career-best
and NCAA III provisional qualifying mark of 46-2; junior Cameron Baron (Lake
Stevens, WA) took first in the high jump with a mark of 6-6 and senior Ryan
Moore (Wexford, PA) took first in the discus with a throw of 154-9. Moore led a
1-3-4 Calvin finish in the discus as freshman Nate Meckes (Bay City) took third
(144-6) and junior Nick VanderPlas (McBain Christian) fourth (143-9). Hutchful
was followed in the triple jump by junior teammate Josh Senavoe (Accra, Ghana)
who took third with a jump of 43-10 ¼.
In the 4 x 400 meter relay, Calvin's team of senior Dan Kokmeyer (Middleville),
freshman Reuben Sportel (South Christian), Abbring and VanGoor were nipped out
by Albion for first place as the Briton quartet took first place with a time of
3:17.80 with Calvin just three-tenths of a second behind in 3:18.10. Sportel
added a third place finish in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 55.88 while
senior teammate Justin Bolt (Grand Rapids Christian) took third in the 110 high
hurdles with a career-best time of 15.45.
TEAM SCORES FROM MIAA WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Calvin 299
Hope 164
Alma 52
Adrian 36.5
Albion 35.5
Final MIAA Team Standings
1. Calvin
2. Hope
3. Alma
4. Albion & Adrian
6. Olivet
TEAM SCORES FROM MIAA MEN'S TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Calvin 267
Albion 165
Alma 72
Hope 44
Adrian 31
Olivet 4
FINAL MIAA MEN'S TRACK & FIELD STANDINGS
1. Calvin
2. Albion
3. Alma
4. Hope
5. Adrian
6. Olivet
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