CALVIN WEEKEND SPORTS WRAP-UP FOR APRIL 24, 2004
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
HILLSDALE - Over the past several years, the Calvin men's and women's track and field team has made a habit of producing national qualifying performances at the Hillsdale "Gina" Relays. That trend continued this past weekend as the Knights recorded national qualifying times and marks throughout the three-day invitational.
The invitational opened on Thursday with the first day of the heptathlon and decathlon competition. Calvin had a trio of individuals competing in the heptathlon in sophomore Christine Hendricks (Cincinnati, OH) and freshmen Lorilyn Vogel (Sioux City, IA) and Lisa Winkle (South Christian HS). When the seven-event competition had concluded, Hendricks had taken seventh with an NCAA III provisional qualifying total of 4,362 points 28 points short of her All-America total of a year ago when she placed eighth at the NCAA III Championships. In addition, Winkle was ninth (3,964 points) and Vogel 10th (3,867 points) in the first heptathlon competition for the duo.
Calvin junior Paul Wagner (Kenowa Hills HS) also competed in the decathlon and took 10th with 5,480 points.
The national qualifying marks had just begin however as the men's 10,000 meter run featured four individuals from Calvin that recorded either NCAA III automatic or provisional qualifying times. Leading the pack was senior Matt Edwards (Grand Blanc HS) who took fifth overall with an NCAA III automatic (and career-best) qualifying time of 29:49.87 that currently ranks as the fastest 10k time in NCAA III track and field this spring. He was followed by senior David Haagsma (South Christian HS) in ninth place (29:57.61, career-best), senior Tim Avery (Rochester, NY) in 14th place (30:25.27, career-best) and senior Kris Koster (Grand Rapids Christian HS) in 15th place (30:27.14, career-best). The times by Haagsma, Avery and Koster were all strong NCAA III provisional qualifying times.
Earlier in the evening, junior Andy Yazzie (Rehoboth, NM) took fourth in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase with an NCAA III provisional qualifying tie of 9:07.72 while senior teammate Kyle Carrick (Tokyo, Japan) also had an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 9:22.00.
In the women's 10,000 meters, Calvin senior Jessie Lair (Southfield Christian HS) clocked in with an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 37:38.7 that was good for seventh place. In the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase, Calvin senior Sarah Hastings (Traverse City Central HS) had a career-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 10:57.78 while senior Jodi VerMeulen (Holland Christian HS) also had an NCAA III provisional qualifying and career-best time of 11:15.23 that was good for seventh place.
Perhaps the biggest highlight for fans of Calvin track and field however was the performance of 2001 Calvin graduate Lindsay (Mulder) Sicilia as she captured the long jump competition with a meet record leap of 20-8 ¼. A graduate of Calvin Christian High School, Sicilia's jump was less than two inches short of a conditional qualifying mark for the U.S. Olympic trials this summer in Sacramento, California, as well as a career-best leap. Calvin has never had one of its female athletes earn a trip to the U.S. Olympic trials in track and field.
On Saturday, Calvin received a handful of strong performances in the field events. In the women's discus, senior Katie Corner (Grand Rapids Catholic Central HS) took second with an NCAA III automatic qualifying throw of 159-4. The throw is her second-best mark of the spring. Junior Lisa Nanninga (Grand Rapids Christian HS) took fourth in the women's shot put with an NCAA III provisional qualifying mark of 44-2 ¾. On the men's side, freshman Josh Meckes (Saginaw Valley Lutheran HS) took seventh with a season-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying mark of 23-2 ¾. Sophomore Justin Grasymeyer (Norwalk, CA) also took ninth in the discus with an NCAA III provisional qualifying mark of 158-5.
Another big highlight on Saturday came in the women's 200 meters as junior Sue Abbring (Highland, IN) took second with a season-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 24.54. Abbring also anchored Calvin's 4x100 meter relay team (Meredith Homer, Winkle, junior Laura Hamilton, Abbring) that took fifth with a season-best and strong NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 48.04. She also anchored Calvin's 4x400 meter relay team that took fourth with an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 3:55.76.
Other Calvin highlights included:
*Sixth place finishes by sophomore Chris Friebel (Shelby, OH) in the 100 meters (11.03) and 200 meters (22.20)
*A third place finish by sophomore Missy Smith (Grand Rapids Christian HS) in the women's pole vault (11-6 ¼)
*An NCAA III provisional qualifying and career-best time of 3:56.00 in the men's 1,500 meters by junior Jeff Engbers (Whitinsville, MA)
*a season-best time of 54.77 in the 400 meter hurdles by junior Reuben Sportel (South Christian HS) that was good for 10th place
*A season-best time of 42.82 by Calvin's 4x100 meter relay team that included freshman Rob Zandstra (Hebron, IN), Sportel, sophomore Brian VanDyken (Grand Rapids Christian HS) and Friebel
*Strong performances by VanDyken in the 200 meters (22.66) and 400 meters (49.54)
*An NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 1:03.00 by junior Laura Hamilton (Downers Grove, IL) in the 400 meter hurdles
*A season-best time of 2:16.11 by sophomore Camille Medema (Grand Rapids Christian HS) in the 800 meters that just missed an NCAA III provisional qualifying mark.
Full results of the Hillsdale Gina Relays can be found at: http://www.hillsdale.edu/chargers/mens/track/2004_GinaResults/Results.htm
Both Calvin track and field teams will now prepare for the MIAA Championships Friday and Saturday with Calvin serving as host.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
A pair of Calvin women's tennis players received All-MIAA accolades over the weekend at the MIAA Championships, hosted by Albion College. Named to the All-MIAA first team for the first time in her career was Calvin sophomore Amy Zeilstra (Oak Brook, IL) while junior Rachel Pater (South Christian HS) was named to the All-MIAA second team for the first time in her career.
The Calvin women's tennis team took fifth at the MIAA Tournament but also tied for third in the final league standings with St. Mary's taking first and Albion second.
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Sun Apr 25 22:27:57 2004
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