From: Jeff Febus (jfebus@calvin.edu)
Date: Wed Mar 19 2003 - 16:00:02 EST
March 19, 2003
Calvin Cross Country Teams Honored for Academic Excellence
GRAND RAPIDS - The College Cross Country Coaches Association has released its
NCAA Division III all-academic teams and for the ninth consecutive year, the
Calvin men's and women's cross country teams have both received team
all-academic honors. To qualify for the award, a team needed a minimum
cumulative team grade point average of 3.10 on a 4.0 sacle and also have
competed at an NCAA III regional meet.
The Calvin women's cross country team posted a 3.28 cumulative team grade
point average to rank 78th among the 110 NCAA III women's teams that qualified
for the team award. The Calvin men's cross country team posted a 3.17
cumulative team grade point average to rank 51st among the 65 NCAA III men's
teams that qualified for the team award.
Calvin is one of just 53 NCAA III schools nationwide to have both of its cross
country teams receive the team all-academic award from the College Cross
Country Coaches Association.
Adrian, Alma, Albion and Hope joined Calvin as women's honorees while Alma,
Albion and Hope joined Calvin as men's honorees.
Calvin's men and women also had five individual honorees. To qualify for the
individual Cross Country Coaches All-America award, an individual needed to
have finished top 25 percent of the finishers at a regional meet and maintain a
cumulative 3.50 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Jessie Lair (Southfield Christian High School), Camille Medema (Grand Rapids
Christian High School) and Tami VerMeulen (Holland Christian High School) were
so honored for the Calvin women while Tim Avery (Rochester, NY) and Brian Paff
(National City, CA) were so honored for the Calvin men.
Lair, Medema and VerMeulen were among 131 individuals to be so honored on the
women's side. A junior at Calvin, Lair finished 60th with a 3.76 grade point
average. At the NCAA III Great Lakes Regional meet, she placed second
individually with a time of 21:58. The following week she claimed NCAA III
All-America honors with a 13th place individual finish at the national meet. A
freshman at Calvin, Medema finished 98th with a 3.61 grade point average. At
the NCAA III Great Lakes Regional meet, she placed 27th individually with a
time of 23:21. At the NCAA III Championships the following week, she took
117th place with a time of 23:35. A senior at Calvin, VerMeulen finished 119th
with a 3.52 grade point average. At the NCAA III Great Lakes Regionals, she
placed 21st in 23:11. One week later at the national meet, she finished 77th
in 23:02.
Avery and Paff were among 88 individuals to be so honored on the men's side.
A junior at Calvin, Avery placed 19th with a grade point average of 3.84. At
the NCAA III Great Lakes Regional meet, he placed 25th with a time of 25:46. At
the NCAA III Championships a week later, he took 60th place with a time of
26:01. Also a junior at Calvin, Paff placed 39th with a 3.74 grade point
average. At the NCAA III Great Lakes Regional meet, he placed 14th in 25:34.
One week later, he took 78th in 26:14.
Coached by Nancy Meyer, the Calvin women's cross country team finished fifth
at the NCAA III Championships this past November to record its 11th top-10
national finish. The Calvin men's cross country team, led by coaches Brian
Diemer and Al Hoekstra, finished second at the NCAA III Championships in
November to record its fifth consecutive top-four national finish and its 14th
top-10 national finish.
Both Calvin cross country teams also captured MIAA and Great Lakes Regional
crowns last fall with the women's team winning the MIAA title for a record 15th
straight year while the men won the league crown for a record 16th straight
year. The women then continued on to win their 14th straight Great Lakes
Regional title while the men won the regional crown for the seventh straight
year and for the 14th time in the last 16 years.
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