June 19, 2002
Joel Klooster named Verizon Academic All-American of the Year in Cross
Country/Track & Field; Dan Hoekstra and David Ritsema named Second Team Verizon
Academic All-American
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Calvin College senior Joel Klooster has received another
prestigious honor for his academic and athletic success. A native of Chatham,
Ontario, and a graduate of Chatham Christian High School, Klooster has been
named the Verizon Academic All-American of the year in the cross country/track
and field college division.
In addition, Klooster has been named to the Verizon Academic All-America
first team while senior teammates Dan Hoekstra and David Ritsema have been named
second team Verizon Academic All-Americans.
Earlier this spring, Klooster received a prestigious NCAA III
Postgraduate Scholarship. In receiving the Verizon Academic All-American of the
Year award, Klooster joins 1994 Calvin graduate Chris Knoester (men's
basketball) as the only two athletes in Calvin history to be so honored. At the
NCAA III Track and Field Championships last month, Klooster earned All-America
honors twice, finishing second in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs. It
capped off an amazing 2001-2002 distance campaign for Klooster who also posted
an All-America performance at the NCAA III Cross Country Championships in
November with a 24th place individual finish. At both the NCAA III Cross
Country and Track and Field Championships, Klooster helped Calvin finish second
as a team. Combined, Klooster has now posted five All-America performances in
his Calvin running career, achieving the feat twice in cross country and three
times in track and field.
An electrical engineering major with a minor in computer science,
Klooster carries a 3.98 grade point average. He has been named a Verizon
Academic All-American honors twice, receiving third team honors in cross country
in 2000 and first team accolades in cross country in 2001. Klooster is an
eight-time member of the Calvin Dean's List, a three-time member of the MIAA
Academic Honor Roll and a tree-time recipient of the College Cross Country
Coaches All-Academic award. While a student, Klooster has helped design computer
labs across the Calvin campus and also serves as an employee at the Smith
Industries Aerospace corporation in Kentwood, Michigan.
Hoekstra is from Kalamazoo and is a graduate of Kalamazoo Christian High
School.
Hoekstra is also a two-time All-America in cross country and a five-time
All-American in track and field. He recently graduated with a degree in
secondary education with an emphasis in chemistry. At Calvin, he carried a 3.43
grade point average and was named the 2002 recipient of Calvin's highest honor
in men's athletics - the Bere' Memorial Award.
Ritsema is a Denver, Colorado, native and a graduate of Denver Christian High
School. Ritsema was a 1st team All-MIAA selection in cross country this past
fall and also a member of the 2001 All-MIAA track and field team. He was part of
Calvin's top-seven in cross country this past fall and helped the Knights finish
second at the NCAA III Championships. In track and field, Ritsema specialized in
the 3,000 meter steeplechase event, capturing the 2001 MIAA steeplechase title
while also qualifying for the 2001 NCAA III Track and Field Championships in the
event.
Ritsema recently graduated from Calvin with a degree in biochemistry while
carrying a
3.95 grade point average. He will attend medical school at the University of
Colorado next fall.
Combined, Klooster, Hoekstra and Ritsema have been part of five top-four
national team finishes. During their distance careers, they have been part of
Calvin cross country teams that finished second in 1998 and 2001, first in 2000
and fourth in 1999 and a track and field team that finished second in 2002.
Calvin has now had its athletes recognized as Verizon Academic
All-Americans 50
times including 24 times in the last four years. In addition, it marks the
fourth consecutive year that a member of the Calvin men's track and field team
has received Verizon Academic All-America honors.
-end-
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