CSR (Calvin Athletes Compete at Last-Chance Track and Field Meets)

CALVIN WEEKEND SPORTS WRAP FOR MAY 21-22, 2004

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

The last chance to qualify for the NCAA III Track and Field Championships came this past weekend and several Calvin athletes took the opportunity to do so.

A large group of Calvin athletes competed as a last-chance invitational hosted by North Central College Thursday and Friday while another group traveled to Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday. Results from the Wisconsin-Ohshkosh Invitational were not available and will not be included in this report.

Here are highlights from the North Central College Invitational Thursday and Friday however:

CALVIN MEN

*Hendrik Kok (Lynden, WA), 5000 Meters * Slowed by illness and injury this spring, Kok came up with his finest performance of the track and field season on Friday night as he won the 5,000 meters with a strong NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 14:27.70. Kok's time was just a second off his PR and will gain him a spot in the NCAA III Championship field in the 5K for a third straight year.

*Justin Grasmeyer (Norwalk, CA), Discus * Grasmeyer took third in the discus with a career-best and strong NCAA III provisional qualifying throw of 165-7. Grasmeyer is also likely headed to the NCAAs next week in the event.

*Kyle Carrick (Tokyo, Japan), 3,000 Meter Steeplechase * Carrick took third with a career-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 9:16.15. Carrick's time puts him on the "bubble" to make the national field next week.

*Jeff Engbers (Whitinsville, MA), 1500 Meters * Engbers clocked in with a career-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 3:53.64 Friday night that was good for third place. His time will not qualify for the national meet however as he ranks 24th on the national list.

*Chris Friebel (Shelby, OH), 100 and 200 Meters * Friebel posted season-best times in both events Friday night. In the 100, Friebel took fourth with a career-best time of 10.89 that was just eight-hundreths of a second off a provisional qualifying time. He then took third in the 200 with a time of 21.94.

CALVIN WOMEN

*Katie Bolt (Grand Rapids Christian HS) * Bolt tied for first with teammate Kim Vanderzee (Shoreline, WA) in the high jump Friday with a height of 5-5 ¾. The jump is a strong NCAA III provisional qualifying mark and stands a good chance of landing Bolt a spot in the NCAA III Championship field next week. Vanderzee and freshman teammate Lauren Colyn (Kalamazoo Christian HS) are near locks to qualify for the event while Bolt is closer to the "bubble."

*Sue Abbring (Highland, IN) * Abbring continued her amazing junior year as she took second with an NCAA III automatic qualifying and school record time of 24.38 that as of Friday night, ranked as the top time in NCAA III women's track and field. Abbring was nipped at the finish line by Jessica Fouche of the University of Illinois in Friday's race.

*Jodi VerMeulen (Holland Christian HS) * VerMeulen took third with a career-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 11:05.73 Friday night, lopping nearly three seconds off her previous career-best. VerMeulen is sitting squarely on the "bubble" for next week's national meet and will have to wait until the national qualifier list is announced Monday night.

*Katie Corner (Grand Rapids Catholic Central HS) * Corner took first place in the shot put and discus over the weekend. Her throw in the shot put (44-7 ½) was a career-best and a strong NCAA III provisional qualifying mark. Corner has already qualified automatically in the discus and is a near lock along with junior teammate Lisa Nanninga (Grand Rapids Christian HS) to qualify in the shot put. Freshman teammate Megann VanderVliet (Trafalgar, ON) also has a chance to qualify in the shot put. VanderVliet also produced one of her top throws this year in the discus on Thursday, taking sixth with a throw of 120-6.

*Missy Smith (Grand Rapids Christian HS) * Smith finished in a three-way tie for first place in the pole vault with a height of 11-11 ¾. Smith has already qualified automatically for the NCAAs next week and will be making her second straight trip to the national meet.

*Sarah Hastings (Traverse City) * Hastings took fourth in the 1,500 meters Friday night with a career-best time of 4:44.5. Hastings will head to the national meet in the 3,000 meter steeplechase next week.

**The official NCAA III qualifier list will be announced Monday night. A Calvin Sports Report with all of Calvin's qualifiers will be sent out either late Monday night or early Tuesday morning**

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Sun May 23 08:13:46 2004