From: Jeff Febus (jfebus@calvin.edu)
Date: Wed Aug 20 2003 - 10:57:16 EDT
August 20, 2003
Calvin Track & Field Teams Receive Academic Honors From USTCA
Although the 2003 outdoor track and field season has long been over, the
post-season awards continue to roll in for the Calvin men's and women's
track and field teams.
For the third straight year, both teams have received the all-academic team
award from the United States Track and Field Coaches Association (USTCA). In
addition, seven members of the women's team and three members of the men's
team have received individual all-academic accolades from the USTCA.
With 10 individuals on the USTCA all-academic list, Calvin posted the
fourth-highest total among schools with athletes who received the award.
Wisconsin-LaCrosse and Wartburg College (IA) led all schools with 16 athletes
from their respective schools with Buena Vista University (IA) placing third
with 12 athletes on the list. Overall, 30 teams earned the all-academic team
award from the USTCA. Joining Calvin from the MIAA on the team list was the
Adrian College women's track and field team.
Teams were eligible for the honor if they had a minimum of 14 members who
participated in the 2003 outdoor season and recorded a minimum 3.100 (4.000
scale) cumulative grade point average as a group. To qualify individually, a
student-athlete needed to have recorded a minimum cumulative grade point
average of 3.25 and participated in their NCAA division outdoor track and field
championships or met an NCAA provisional or automatic qualifying standard
The Calvin women's track and field team posted a 3.476 combined team grade
point average while the Calvin men's track and field team posted a cumulative
grade point average of 3.377.
Individuals from the Calvin women's track and field team that received
all-academic recognition were seniors Mandy VanDenBosch and Annie VanderLaan of
Grand Rapids Christian High School, junior Jessie Lair of Southfield Christian
High School, sophomores Laura Hamilton (Downers Grove, IL) and Kristen Carlson
(Encinitas, CA) and freshmen Missy Smith (Grand Rapids Christian HS) and
Christine Hendricks (Cincinnati, OH). All seven individuals competed at the
2003 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships with VanderLaan, Hamilton,
Carlson and Hendricks gaining NCAA III All-America accolades. VanderLaan
captured the national title in the grueling heptathlon competition and also
raced to All-America finishes as a member of Calvin's 4x100 meter relay team
and in the 100 meter hurdles. Carlson and Hamilton were All-Americans as
members of the 4x100 meter relay team while Hendricks was an All-American in
the heptathlon.
On the men's side, senior Joel Klooster (Chatham, ON), junior Hendrik Kok
(Lynden, WA) and sophomore Nate Meckes (Bay City) received USTCA all-academic
recognition. All three athletes garnered NCAA III All-American honors at the
2003 national meet as Klooster took eighth in the 10,000 meters, Kok placed
fifth in the 5,000 meters and Meckes took fourth in the shot put and sixth in
the discus.
Both Calvin track and field teams were led by head coach Dr. Jong-Il Kim who
was named USTCA Division III Men's and Women's Coach of the Year in Outdoor
Track and Field, becoming the first coach in NCAA III history to capture both
awards in the same year.
The Calvin women's track and field team finished sixth at the 2003 NCAA III
Championships with 30 points while the men's team tied for 13th place with 15
points. The sixth place finish by the Calvin women's track and field team
marked its 11th consecutive top-20 national finish.
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Wed Aug 20 2003 - 10:57:59 EDT