From: Jeff Febus (jfebus@calvin.edu)
Date: Mon May 19 2003 - 22:44:00 EDT
Calvin Sports Report for May 19, 2003
Calvin Sending 16 to NCAA III Track & Field Championships
The Calvin men's and women's track and field teams will send a combined 16 athletes to the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field championships this weekend. The Calvin men will send six individuals while the Calvin women will send 10.
The national meet will be hosted by St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. The first day of competition is slated for Thursday, May 22. The final day of competition will be held on Saturday, May 24.
A year ago, the Calvin men finished second as a team with 41 points for its highest-ever national team finish while the Calvin women finished 12th with 18 points. The Calvin women have posted 10 consecutive top-20 national finishes and have four top-four national finishes during the span. The Calvin men have posted 10 top-10 national finishes overall including three in the top four.
Both Calvin track and field teams captured MIAA titles this spring with the men winning their 10th straight league crown and the women their 14th straight league title.
A full schedule of this week's NCAA III Track and Field Championships can be found on the St. Lawrence web site at: http://web.stlawu.edu/sports/03ncaatrack/schedule.htm. Up-to-date meet results will be posted at: www.Raceberryjam.com.
The following is a biographical breakdown of the 16 individuals that will represent Calvin at the national meet this week.
Calvin's National Meet Track Teams
Calvin Men
CAMERON BARON--A native of Lake Stevens, Washington (Lake Stevens High School) who is a senior, Baron will compete in the high jump and will be making his second appearance at nationals. At the 2001 NCAA III Championships, Baron took fourth in the high jump to earn All-America accolades. Baron was a member of the All-MIAA track and field team for the third straight year this spring after capturing the MIAA high jump title for a second consecutive season. He is seeded 9th with a jump of 6-10 1/4.
DAVE HAAGSMA-A native of Grand Rapids (South Christian High School) who is a junior, Haagsma will compete in the 10,000 meters and will be making his first appearance at nationals. Haagsma was a member of the All-MIAA track and field this spring and was the MIAA champion in the 5,000 meters. In 2001 and 2002, Haagsma was the MIAA champion in the 10,000 meters. This past fall, Haagsma placed 49th at the NCAA III Cross Country Championships as Calvin finished second as a team. Haagsma is seeded 16th in the 10,000 meters with a time of 30:39.02 established at the Hillsdale "Gina" Relays April 25.
JOEL KLOOSTER-A native of Chatham, Ontario (Chatham Christian High School), Klooster is a senior and is making his third strip to the NCAA III Track and Field Championships. Klooster will compete in the 10,000 meters where he is the top seed with a time of 29:36.82, established earlier this year at the Stanford Invitational. A year ago, Klooster earned national runner-up honors in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Klooster is a three-time NCAA III Track and Field All-American and a two-time NCAA III Cross Country All-American. He also finished fourth in the 5,000 meters at the 2000 NCAA Track and Field Championships. In addition, Klooster captured the MIAA title in the 10,000 meters earlier this month with an MIAA record time of 30:22.20. His performance landed him a spot on the All-MIAA track and field team for the third time in his running career.
HENDRIK KOK-A native of Lynden, Washington (Lynden Christian High School) who is a junior, Kok will compete in the 5,000 meters. He is making his second trip to the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. A year ago, Kok took third in the 5,000 meters and sixth in the 1,500 meters at the NCAAs to earn All-America honors in both events. This past November, Kok was an NCAA III Cross Country All-American as he placed ninth at the national meet. At the MIAA Track and Field Championships earlier this month, Kok repeated as MIAA champion in the 1,500 meters and earned a spot on the All-MIAA track and field team for the second straight year. Kok is seeded fourth in the 5,000 meters for this week's national meet with a time of 14:26.74.
NATE MECKES-A native of Bay City (Lutheran Westland High School) who is a sophomore, Meckes will compete in the shot put and discus and will be making his first trip to nationals. Earlier this spring, Meckes captured MIAA titles in the shot put and discus, setting league records in both events. He was named to the All-MIAA team and was voted the MIAA's Most Outstanding Field Performer. Meckes has also shattered Calvin records in the shot put and discus this spring. He is seeded second in the discus (177-2) and seventh in the shot put (56-3 ¾).
ANDY YAZZIE-A native of Rehoboth, New Mexico (Rehoboth Christian High School), Yazzie will compete in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and will be making his first trip to nationals. Earlier this year, Yazzie captured the MIAA title in the steeplechase and was named to the All-MIAA Track and Field Team. He is seeded 12th in the event with a time of 9:11.28. Yazzie is the son of Calvin alumnus Elmer Yazzie who appeared on the cover of Wheaties' cereal boxes during the early 1980's for his long-distance running efforts.
Calvin Women
SUE ABBRING-A sophomore from Highland, Indiana (Illiana Christian High School), Abbring is making her second straight trip to the national meet. Abbring is scheduled to compete in the 100 and 200 meters and in the 4 x 100 meter relay. Abbring is seeded 11th in the 100 meters (12.12) and fourth in the 200 meters (24.52). Calvin's 4 x 100 meter relay team is seeded ninth (47.79). Earlier this year, Abbring shattered Calvin records in the 100 and 200 meters as well as an MIAA record in the 200 meters. Abbring was also selected to the All-MIAA track and field team for the second straight year. A year ago, Abbring competed in the 200 meters at the national meet and ran legs on Calvin's All-America 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams.
KRISTEN CARLSON-A sophomore from Encinitas, California, (Santa Fe Christian High School), Carlson is making her first trip to nationals. She will compete in the 4 x 100 meter relay.
KATIE CORNER-A junior from Grand Rapids (GR Catholic Central High School), Corner is making her second straight trip to the NCAA III Championships and will compete in the shot put and discus. A year ago, Corner placed fifth in the discus to earn All-America honors in the event. Corner is seeded second in the discus (155-10) and 20th in the shot put (43-3 3/4). During the year, she shattered Calvin and MIAA records in the discus while repeating as MIAA champion in the event. Corner landed a spot on the All-MIAA Track and Field team for the second straight year and was named the MIAA's Most Outstanding Field Performer. Earlier in the spring, Corner shattered the Calvin record in the shot put, only to have it broken later in the year by senior teammate Mandy VanDenBosch.
LAURA HAMILTON-A sophomore from Downers Grove, Illinois (Timothy Christian High School), Hamilton is making her second straight trip to nationals. She will compete in the 400 hurdles where she is seeded 17th (1:03.28) and in the 4x100 meter relay. A year ago, she ran on Calvin's All-America 4x400 meter relay team that placed fifth at the national meet. At the MIAA Championships earlier this month, Hamilton repeated as league champion in the 400 hurdles and earned a spot on the All-MIAA track and field team for the second straight year.
SARAH HASTINGS-A junior from Traverse City (Traverse City Central High School), Hastings is making her second trip to nationals. She will compete in the 3,000 meter steeplechase where she is seeded fifth (10:54.89) and in the 5,000 meters where she is seeded 17th (17:13.90). A year ago, Hastings took 19th in the 10,000 meters and 13th in the 5,000 meters at the national meet. She is also coming off an All-American cross country campaign as she placed 25th at the 2002 NCAA III Cross Country Championships, helping Calvin finish fifth as a team. In track and field this spring, she helped lead Calvin to its 14th straight MIAA title as she captured the inaugural MIAA steeplechase title with a league record time of 11:13.2. For her efforts, she landed a spot on the All-MIAA track and field team for the second straight year.
CHRISTINE HENDRICKS-A freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio (Turpin High School), Hendricks is the second freshman in Calvin history to earn a trip to the national meet in the heptathlon event. Esther Varhmeyer, a 1997 Calvin graduate, also accomplished the feat in 1994. Hendricks qualified for nationals in the heptathlon with a score of 4,326 points last week at a last-chance meet hosted by North Central College that has her seeded 15th in a field of 19 participants. During last week's heptathlon competition, Hendricks uncorked a throw of 38-8 ¾ in the shot put that ranks as the sixth-best shot performance in Calvin women's track and field history. Also a member of the Calvin volleyball team, Hendricks was selected to the All-MIAA track and field team after placing second in the 100 meter hurdles and fifth in the javelin throw and long jump.
JESSIE LAIR-A junior from West Bloomfield (Southfield Christian High School), Lair is making her third straight trip to nationals. She will compete in the 10,000 meters where she is seeded 13th (36:38.30). A year ago, Lair took 11th in the 5,000 and 15th in the 10,000 meters. Lair took first place in the 5,000 meters at the MIAA Championships this spring for a third straight year and also earned a spot on the All-MIAA team for a third straight season. She is also coming off an All-American cross country campaign as she placed 13th at the 2002 NCAA III Cross Country Championships.
MISSY SMITH-A freshman from Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids Christian High School), Smith is making her first trip to the NCAA III Championships. She will compete in the pole vault where she is seeded seventh (11-9 ¾). At the MIAA Championships earlier this month, Smith captured the league pole vault title with a league record vault of 11-7 ¾. Smith is one of two MIAA competitors headed to the national meet in the women's pole vault as Adrian freshman Amanda Haines is seeded fifth in the event (12-0). Smith is no stranger to championship level meets as she captured the MHSAA Division I state title in the pole vault in 2000 and the Division II state pole vault title in 2002.
MANDY VANDENBOSCH-A senior from Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids Christian High School), VanDenBosch is making her first trip to the NCAA III Championships. VanDenBosch will compete in the shot put where she is seeded 12th with a throw of 44-9 ¾. The qualifying throw by VanDenBosch came at a last-chance meet hosted by Aquinas College two weeks ago. At the MIAA Championships earlier this month, VanDenBosch repeated as league champion in the shot put and landed a spot on the All-MIAA track and field team for the second straight year. She is the daughter of current Grand Rapids Christian girls basketball coach Al VanDenBosch, a 1973 Calvin College graduate.
ANNIE VANDERLAAN-A senior tri-captain from Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids Christian High School), VanderLaan is making her third straight trip to nationals. She will compete in the two-day heptathlon competition where she is seeded second with 4,812 points - a school-record total compiled at the Hillsdale "Gina" Relays April 24 & 25. VanderLaan will also compete in the 100 meter hurdles where she is seeded sixth (14.57) and in the 4x100 meter relay. VanderLaan is a four-time NCAA III All-American in track and field including a two-time All-American in the heptathlon. At the 2001 national meet, VanderLaan took fifth in the heptathlon with a score of 4,462 points. She then took fourth in the event at the 2002 national meet with a score of 4,674 points. At the 2002 national meet, VanderLaan also ran legs on Calvin's All-America 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams. Earlier this month, VanderLaan was named the MIAA's Most Outstanding Runner for the second straight year as she capt!
ured the MIAA title in the 100 meter hurdles for a fourth straight year, becoming the eighth individual in MIAA women's track and field history to win an event at the league meet four straight years. She also became the first MIAA athlete to do so in the 100 meter hurdles. She also landed a spot on the All-MIAA track and field team for a fourth straight year. VanderLaan is also the Calvin and MIAA record holder in the 100 meter hurdles. Like VanDenBosch, VanderLaan is also the daughter of a Grand Rapids Christian High School basketball coach as her father Tom VanderLaan, a 1975 Calvin College graduate, is the varsity boys basketball coach at Grand Rapids Christian High School.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Mon May 19 2003 - 22:45:31 EDT