February 26, 2004
Calvin Lands Six on All-MIAA Swimming & Diving Teams
Weima Named Women's MVP
GRAND RAPIDS * Calvin College freshman Rebekah Weima has been named the MIAA's MVP in women's swimming and diving. A native of Caledonia and a graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School, Weima is the first freshman in MIAA women's swimming and diving history to receive the MVP award. Weima is the sixth Calvin athlete to receive MIAA MVP honors this year including the second freshman to do so as freshman Sarah Weesies of Kalamazoo Christian High School was so honored in women's soccer this fall. Weima is also the third Grand Rapids Christian High School graduate to be named league MVP as Grand Rapids Christian High School graduates Kris Koster and Kurt Visker received league MVP honors in men's cross country and men's soccer respectively this fall. Other Calvin MVP's this year include David Haagsma in men's cross country (co-MVP with Koster) and Jessie Lair in women's cross country.
At the MAA Swimming and Diving Championships held last week at East Grand Rapids High School, Weima shattered MIAA records in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events and captured league crowns in the 100 and 200 freestyle. Her times in the 100 (51.38) and 200 freestyle (1:51.29) are currently ranked as the fastest times in NCAA III women's swimming this year. In just her first year, Weima has shattered Calvin records in the 50 freestyle (23.79), 100 freestyle (51.38), 200 freestyle (1:51.29), 500 freestyle (5:10.67) and 200 backstroke (2:13.88). She has also been a part of Calvin's 400 medley and 800 freestyle relay teams that have established new school marks this year.
Weima was one of four individuals from the Calvin women's swimming and diving team to land a spot on the All-MIAA team as seniors Sara TerHaar and Brittney Stevens, sophomore Abby Johnson and freshman Alex Wilson were also so honored.
TerHaar is from Bradenton, Florida. She is graduate of Bradenton Christian High School and is making her second straight appearance on the All-MIAA team. At the league championships last week, TerHaar repeated as league champion on the three-meter diving board and finished as league runner-up on the one-meter board. TerHaar's total of 431.56 on the three-meter board at the MIAA Championships was an NCAA III automatic qualifying mark.
Stevens is from Mankato, Minnesota and a graduate of Mankato West High School. She is making her third straight appearance on the All-MIAA team At the MIAA Championships, Stevens took second in the 200 freestyle, third in the 500 freestyle and seventh in the 100 breaststroke. She was also a part of Calvin's record-setting 800 freestyle relay team that posted an NCAA III 'B cut qualifying time of 7:48.49.
Johnson is from Grand Haven and a graduate of Grand Haven High School. She is making her second straight appearance on the All-MIAA team. At the MIAA Championships last week, she took second in the 200 IM and 400 IM and third in the 200 butterfly. She was also a part of Calvin's record-setting 400 medley (4:02.28) and 800 freestyle relay teams.
Wilson is from Ellsworth, Ohio and is a graduate of Western Reserve High School. At the MIAA Championships, Wilson took fourth in the 400 IM and 200 breaststroke and sixth in the 200 IM.
On the men's side, a pair of Calvin veterans received All-MIAA accolades as senior Brad White and junior Peter Boumgarden were selected to the conference honor squad.
White hails from Traverse City although he is a graduate of Dayton (OH) Christian High School. He is making his fourth straight appearance on the All-MIAA team and is the sixth individual in Calvin men's swimming and diving history to land a spot on the All-MIAA team four straight years. The other individuals from Calvin to have done so are Robert Reehorn (1977-1980), Steve Ruiter (1983-1987)Charlie VanderPloeg (1985-1988), Mike Lubbers (1993-1996) and A.J. Penninga (2000-2003). At the MIAA Championships last week, White took second in the 200 freestyle and third in the 50 and 100 freestyle. He was also a member of Calvin's 400 and 800 freestyle relay teams that posted NCAA III B' cut qualifying times.
Boumgarden is from Naperville, Illinois. He is a graduate of Naperville North High School and is making his third straight appearance on the All-MIAA team. At the MIAA Championships last week, Boumgarden repeated as league champion in the 100 and 200 butterfly while finishing third in the 200 IM. With his first place finish in the 100 butterfly, Boumgarden captured the gold medal in the event for the third straight year. He was a national runner-up in the 100 butterfly as a freshman at the 2002 NCAA III Championships. Boumgarden was also a part of Calvin's 400 and 800 freestyle relay teams last week.
The Calvin women's swimming and diving team took second at the MIAA Championships last week with 422 points while the men's team took fourth with 291 points.
CALVIN WOMEN TAKE OVER FIRST PLACE IN MIAA WOMEN'S ALL-SPORTS AWARD
Hope College remains in first place in the overall MIAA Commissioner's Cup and Men's All-Sports standings but Calvin College has taken over first place in the MIAA Women's All-Sports Standings.
The MIAA presents separate awards for the best cumulative finish in men's and women's sports as well as an award for the best cumulative finish in all league sports (men and women). the separate awards are known as the Men's All-Sports Award and the Women's All-Sports Award while the cumulastive award is known as the Commissioner's Cup.
The final standings for the all-sports awards will be deterimined on the bassis of each college's standings in eight of nine sports for men and and eight of nine sports for women. These point-totals will be added together to determine the winner of the Commissioner's Cup.
The standings after the winter season are bases on five of six sports for men and five of six for women.
Commissioner's Cup Standings Through Winter Sports Standings
Hope 121
Calvin 111
Albion 85
Kalamazoo 69
Alma 63
Olivet 40
Adrian 30
Women's All-Sports Award
Calvin 64
Hope 62
Alma 43
Albion 42
Kalamazoo 39
St. Mary's 31
Olivet 18
Adrian 13
Men's All-Sports Standings
Hope 59
Calvin 47
Albion 43
Kalamazoo 30
Olivet 22
Alma 20
Adrian 17
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Thu Feb 26 17:44:07 2004
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