May 21, 2002
Calvin announces its highest athletic awards
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- Calvin College has announced the 2002 recipients of
its highest athletic honors: the Beré Memorial Award and the Kay Tiemersma
Athletic Award.
Dan Hoekstra of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is this year's Beré Memorial Award winner,
while Rachel Veltkamp of Grand Rapids, 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 28th 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.
Dan Hoekstra
Dan Hoekstra hails from Kalamazoo and is a graduate of Kalamazoo Christian High
School. At Calvin, Hoekstra has been a four-year member of the men's cross
country team and men's track and field team. A three-time NCAA III
All-American in track and field, Hoekstra will compete at the NCAA III
Championships this weekend at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, marking
his third appearance at the national meet. Hoekstra will compete in the 10,000
and 5,000 meter runs. Hoekstra is seeded third in the 10,000 meters with a time
of 30.19.83 and 10th in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:32.63. He is a
two-time All-American in the 5,000 meter run, having finished eighth in the
event at the 1999 and 2001 NCAA III Championships. He also earned All-America
accolades in the 10,000 meters at the 2001 national meet with an eighth place
finish. In addition, Hoekstra has been named to the All-MIAA track and field
team three times and has been a member of four MIAA championship track and field
teams. In 1999 and in 2001, he captured the MIAA title in the 5,000 meter run.
Hoekstra has also compiled a distinguished collegiate cross country career,
receiving All-America honors twice and running on a national championship team
in 2000. In fact, all four years of Hoekstra's career saw him run on Calvin
cross country teams that posted top-four national finishes. In 1998, Hoekstra
finished 79th at the NCAA III Cross Country championships as Calvin finished
second as a team. In 1999, he finished 41st at the NCAA III Championships as
the Knights took fourth place as a team. In 2000, Hoekstra led a memorable
Calvin finish that saw the Knights capture their first-ever national
championship in men's cross country. Individually, Hoekstra finished in
second place to lead a group of five Calvin All-Americans that posted a first
place score of 65 points. In 2001, Hoekstra received All-America cross country
honors for the second straight year as he finished 21st to help Calvin finish
second as a team.
Hoekstra has also been a member of four MIAA championship cross country teams
and has earned a spot on the All-MIAA 1st team in cross country three times. In
2000, he was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Runner. This past fall, he was
named the Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year in men's cross country as
he also helped the Knights capture their fourth consecutive Great Lakes Regional
crown.
A secondary education major with an emphasis in chemistry, Hoekstra was
graduated from Calvin this past Saturday. Heading into final semester exams he
carried a 3.43 grade point average. He has served as a student teacher in the
Grand Rapids Public School system and is looking to secure a teaching position
at the high school level this fall.
Hoekstra is the son of Kathleen and Marvin Hoekstra of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Rachel Veltkamp
Rachel Veltkamp is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a graduate of
Grand Rapids Christian High School. At Calvin, Gritter has been a four-year
member of the women's track and field team and a two-year member of the
women's volleyball team. A two-time NCAA III All-American in track and
field, Veltkamp will compete at the NCAA III Championships this weekend at
Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, marking her fourth consecutive
appearance at the national meet. Veltkamp will compete in the pole vault and as
a member of Calvin's 4 x 100 meter relay team. She is seeded second in the
pole vault (12-6) while her relay team is seeded 10th. Her height of 12-6 in
the pole vault is a Calvin record and is also the second-highest height in NCAA
III women's track and field history. A year ago, Veltkamp earned All-America
honors twice at the NCAA III Championships, placing third in the pole vault with
a height of 12-0 and running a leg on Calvin's All-America 4 x 100 meter relay
team that finished fifth with a time of 47.66, helping the Calvin women's
track and field reach its highest-ever national finish with a second place team
score of 49 points. As a sophomore in 2000, Veltkamp just missed All-America
honors in the pole vault, placing ninth. As a freshman at the 1999 national
meet, she competed in the long jump and 4 x 100 meter relay.
Veltkamp is a four-time All-MIAA selection in track and field and has been a
member of four consecutive MIAA championship track and field teams that have
posted a 24-0 MIAA dual meet record. This spring, she served as tri-captain on
a Calvin team that posted a 5-0 MIAA dual meet record and compiled a first place
total of 299 points at the MIAA Championships hosted by Albion College. The
MIAA title was Calvin's 13th straight title including 17th overall. At the
MIAA Championships earlier this month, Veltkamp captured the league title for a
third straight year with an MIAA record height of 11-7. The pole vault title
was her fourth MIAA individual title as she also captured the league crown in
the triple jump at the 2000 MIAA Championships. She also placed second in the
triple jump and in the long jump. In addition, she ran a leg on Calvin's 4 x
100 meter relay team that took first with an MIAA record time of 48.00. For her
efforts, she was named the MIAA's Most Outstanding Field Performer.
Veltkamp was graduated this past Saturday with a degree in nursing and plans to
enter the nursing field after completing her collegiate track and field career
this weekend. Heading into final semester exams, she carried a 3.73 grade point
average. A seven-time member of the Calvin Dean's List, Veltkamp has also
been a three-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Last spring she was
selected to the Verizon Academic All-District IV second in women's track and
field and was also selected to the 2001 USTCA (United States Track and Field
Coach Association) All-Academic Track and Field team.
Veltkamp is the daughter of Randy and Deb Veltkamp of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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