CSR (NCAA III T&F Championships - Day 2 - Part II)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2004

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

Part II

DECATUR, IL * After two complete days the Calvin women are in good position to make a run at the national championship in the final day of competition on Saturday. Calvin is in second place with 24.2 points trailing first place Wisconsin Oshkosh who has 32 points. The Calvin men are in 17th place with seven points heading to the final day of competition. Calvin crowned two All-Americans in the afternoon of Friday's competition including Justin Grasmeyer (Norwalk, CA/Valley Christian) in the discus and Sarah Hastings (Traverse City/Traverse City Central) in the 3000 meter steeplechase.

*Justin Grasmeyer, Discus * Calvin sophomore Justin Grasmeyer (Norwalk, CA/Valley Christian) took his place on the All-America stand after throwing his way to a seventh place finish in the men's discus. Grasmeyer's throw of 164-8 was one inch better than eighth place and eight inches shy of sixth place.

Grasmeyer's finish did not surprise throwing coach Norm Zylstra. "Last weekend we went to Oshkosh, WI and Justin had a chance to compete against a heavy field including seven of the guys that competed today. He had a solid meet and beat all of them except for one. I just had a feeling that he would do well here at nationals."

*Sarah Hastings, Steeplechase * Calvin senior Sarah Hastings (Traverse City/Traverse City Central) was crowned an All-American in the 3000 meter steeplechase. She finished fifth overall with a time of 10:52.19. She began the race and quickly fell to tenth position but pushed her way up as the race went one, capped by a stellar last lap that saw her gain three positions on the field. It is the first time that Hastings is received All-America honors for track and field―she was an All-American in cross country in 2003 and 2004.

Brian Diemer, one of Calvin's distance coaches, said Hastings overachieved in the steeplechase. "You can measure the size of a steeplechaser, but you can't measure the size of the heart in a steeplechaser. Today Sarah Hasting ran with a huge heart."

Al Hoekstra, the other distance coach, agreed. "You could tell by the first four laps that she didn't have her best stuff, but she truly willed her way to a fifth place finish today."

*Andy Yazzie, Steeplechase * Calvin junior Andy Yazzie (Gallup, NM/Rehobath Christian) had his dreams to repeat as an All-American in the 3000 meter steeplechase snapped on Friday afternoon at Frank M. Lindsay Field. Yazzie finished 14th in a 16-man field. His time for the event was 9:36.63 while his time last year as an All-American was 9:10.41.

*Sue Abbring, 100 meter dash trial * Calvin junior Sue Abbring (Highland, IL/Illiana Christian) advanced to the 100 meter dash final. She was second in her heat with a time of 12.11 and has the third fastest time going into tomorrow's final. The final will be at 2:50 on May 29, 2004.

Men's Team Scores

1 Wisconsin La Crosse 34.0
2 Wisconsin Whitewater 22.0
3 Willamette University 20.0
4 Wisconsin Oshkosh 16.0
5 North Central College 14.0
6 Elizabethtown College 13.0
7= Wheaton College (Ma) 10.0
7= McDaniel College 10.0
7= ClaremontMuddScripps 10.0
7= University Of Chicago 10.0
11 College of New Jersey 9.0
12= Wheaton College (Ill) 8.0
12= New Jersey City U 8.0
12= Nebraska Wesleyan 8.0
12= Middlebury College 8.0
12= Haverford College 8.0
17= Wisconsin Platteville 7.0
17= McMurry University 7.0
17= Calvin College 7.0
17= Albright College 7.0

Women's Team Scores

1 Wisconsin Oshkosh 32.0
2 Calvin College 24.2
3= Central College (Ia) 18.0
3= Amherst College 18.0
5 Univ of St. Thomas 16.0
6 Williams College 15.0
7 Bates College 13.0
8= Wisconsin La Crosse 10.0
8= Trinity U (Texas) 10.0
8= Gustavus Adolphus 10.0
8= Adrian College 10.0

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Fri May 28 21:46:04 2004