CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 20, 2005
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
NAPERVILLE, IL * The Calvin men's and women's track and field teams closed out the regular season with a flourish at the North Central College Last-Chance Meet Friday night as several Calvin athletes established either NCAA III provisional or automatic qualifying performances.
For many Calvin athletes, the season now becomes a waiting game as they will hope that their NCAA III provisional qualifying performances will make the final cut when the field for the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships is announced next Monday night.
One individual who will not have to wait to find out if he is in the national meet is junior Nate Meckes (Bay City) who posted throws of 58-0 ½ in the shot put and 171-1 in the discus. Meckes has already qualified with superior throws in both events.
Younger brother Josh Meckes (Bay City) will likely join Nate at the national meet as he took first in the long jump Friday night with a season and collegiate-best of 23-8 ¼. The jump was also a strong NCAA III provisional qualifying mark and came on the sixth and final jump of the night and potentially the season for Meckes. A year ago, Meckes qualified for the national meet in the long jump and finished 12th.
Also improving his chances for qualifying for the national meet on Friday night was senior Aaron Iverson (Radnor, OH). Earlier in the week, Iverson received a prestigious Fulbright Grant for post-graduate study. On Friday night, Iverson sparkled on the track as he took first place in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a season-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 9:14.0. The time places Iverson on the proverbial "bubble" but improves his chances after he entered the week 20th on the list with his Friday night time likely moving him into the top 15 or 16.
Also improving his chances for national qualification was senior Jeff Engbers (Whitinsville, MA) as he took third in the 1,500 meters with a season-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 3:53.32. Engbers also will be on the "bubble" but now sits somewhere between 15th and 20th position on the national list.
In the 4 x 400 meter relay, the Calvin quartet of senior Reuben Sportel (South Christian HS), Jared Cok (Bozeman, MT), junior Brian VanDyken (Grand Rapids Christian HS) and freshman Joel Baker (Kalamazoo Christian HS) clocked a season-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 3:17.03. The time will not be good enough for national qualification but was a season-best time by more than a full second.
Other notables for Calvin included freshman Kelby McClelland (Mercer, PA) clocking a season-best time of 15.23 in the 110 high hurdles, a second place jump of 46-1 ½ by junior Tim Zwiers (Pella, IA) in the triple jump and sophomore Paul Rollett (Chatham, IL) winning the 10,000 meters in 32:52.94.
On the women's side, Calvin had several standout performances. One of the best all-around efforts of the night was turned in by junior Christine Hendricks (Cincinnati, OH) who has already qualified for the national meet in the heptathlon. Hendricks prepped for next week's heptathlon by taking fifth in the shot put Friday night with a career-best throw of 38-2 ¼ and followed with a career-best jump of 17-11 in the long jump that was good for fifth place. In addition, she took sixth in the 100 meter hurdles with a collegiate-best time of 15.16.
Sophomore Lydia Singer (Wilmington, DE) also had a career night as she took second in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a career-best and strong NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 10:57.8 that should cement her a spot in next week's national meet.
Also nearly assuring herself a spot for the national meet next week was junior Camille Medema (Grand Rapids Christian HS) who shattered an 11-year old school record in the 800 meters with a second place and strong NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 2:12.79. The time eclipsed the previous record of 2:13.21 set by Calvin All-American Kathy Haddox in 1994. It was also a personal-best for Medema by nearly two seconds.
Clocking the second-best time of her career on Friday night was senior Sue Abbring (Highland, IN) as she won the 200 meters with an NCAA III automatic qualifying time of 24.40. Abbring currently holds the top time on the national list in the event at 24.38.
In the 400 meters, Calvin sophomore Lisa Winkle (South Christian HS) posted a career-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying and third place time of 57.33. The time will put Winkle on the national list "bubble" in the event but will give her a chance of competing in her first-ever individual event at the national meet.
Winkle was one of four Calvin runners to clock sub-60 second 400 meter runs on Friday as freshman Sarah Wittingen (East Grand Rapids HS) clocked a time of 57.88, sophomore Katie Bolt (Grand Rapids Christian HS) clocked a time of 59.50 and sophomore Katie VanderLaan (Grand Rapids Christian HS) a time of 59.76.
Wittingen also had a big performance in the 100 meter hurdles as she took third with an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 14.67 that she also give her a chance to advance in the event for next week's national meet.
Sophomore Kelly Zwier (Kalamazoo Christian HS) added a season-best and NCAA III provisional qualifying jump of 18-2 ¼ in the long jump. Also a career-best jump, the mark will not likely advance Zwier to next week's national meet.
In the shot put, Calvin senior Lisa Nanninga (Grand Rapids Christian HS) and sophomore Megann VanderVliet (Ancaster, ON) both tuned up for next week's national meet as Nanninga took first in the shot put with a throw of 45-9 ¼ with VanderVliet second at 45-1 ½. Nanninga is currently seeded second on the national list while VanderVliet is seeded fourth.
In addition, Calvin took the top two spots in the high jump with junior Kim Vanderzee (Shoreline, WA) winning with a height of 5-4 ½ with Bolt clearing the same height but taking second on the basis of more attempts.
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Sat May 21 01:04:33 2005
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