June 2, 2005
Calvin Men's Cross Country/Track & Field Programs Land Three on ESPN The
MagazineAcademic All-District IV Men's Team
The Calvin men's cross country and track and field teams have already proven
that they can produce high marks in the field of competition this year. Now
they are showing they can also score high in the classroom.
Three members of the Calvin men's cross country and track and field teams
have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV team in the
cross country/track and field college division.
Named to the Academic All-District IV men's team are seniors Hendrik Kok, Jeff
Engbers and Nate Meckes. All three individuals now advance to the national
ballot and are eligible for Academic All-America consideration.
The college division of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America program
includes NCAA II, NCAA III and NAIA schools. The Academic All-District and
All-America teams are selected by the College Sports Information Director's
Association of America (CoSIDA). To be eligible for nomination, an individual
must be a starter or a key reserve with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20.
Kok is from Lynden, Washington and is a graduate of Lynden Christian High
School. He is receiving Academic All-District IV honors for the third time in
his career as he was named to the second team in 2003 and to the first team in
2004.
A two-time NCAA III cross country All-American, Kok played a key role in
Calvin repeating as national champions this fall as he took 39th at the NCAA
III Championships and served as Calvin's fourth finisher. At the Great Lakes
Regional meet one week prior, Kok took fourth place and landed a spot on the
Great Lakes All-Region team for the third straight year. He also earned a spot
on the All-MIAA first team in cross country as he helped Calvin capture its
18th straight MIAA title.
A two-time Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year in cross country, Kok is
also a three-time NCAA III All-American in track and field.
A biology major, Kok carried a 3.68 grade point average and was graduated from
Calvin this past December. He is currently attending graduate school in
Arizona with plans to become a physician's assistant.
Engbers and Meckes are making their first appearances on the all-district
team.
Engbers is from Whitsinville, Massachusetts, and is a graduate of Whitinsville
Christian High School. This past fall, Engbers helped lead the Calvin men's
cross country team to its second straight national title as he led Calvin's
finishers at the national meet with a 23rd place finish that was good for an
All-America berth. During the year, he also landed spots on the All-MIAA first
team and Great Lakes All-Region team.
A two-time national qualifier in track and field, Engbers then picked up
All-America honors in the 1,500 meters last weekend at the NCAA III Track and
Field Championships with a sixth place finish that helped the Calvin men finish
sixth in the final team standings.
A secondary education major with an emphasis in physical education, Engbers
was recently graduated from Calvin with a 3.52 GPA. He will enter graduate
school next fall at Western Michigan University where he has received a
graduate assistantship in its physical education department.
Meckes is from Bay City and is a graduate of Lutheran Westland High School. A
three-year member of the Calvin men's track and field team, Meckes is coming
off a record-setting spring.
During the 2005 outdoor season, Meckes established new Calvin records in the
shot put (58-7 1/2) and discus (194-10) as well as setting new MIAA records in
both events. At the MIAA Field Day this spring, Meckes was crowned as league
champion in both the shot put and discus while also placing fourth in the
javelin. A week ago, he was named the Division III Great Lakes Regional
Athlete of the Year in men's track and field for the second time in three
years. He then collected a pair of All-America certificates, placing second in
the discus and fourth in the shot put. His second place throw of 194-10 in the
discus marked the second-best throw in NCAA III track and field history and
also qualified him for the upcoming USTAF National Championships June 23 in
Carson, California. Meckes is now a four-time NCAA III track and field
All-American, a three-time All-MIAA selection and has received the MIAA's
award as Most Outstanding Field Event Performer twice.
Meckes carries a double major in physical education and psychology and holds a
3.41 grade point average. He plans to return to Calvin next fall as a
fifth-year senior. He did not compete during the 2004 season and holds one
year of track and field eligibility.
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Thu Jun 2 11:35:33 2005
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Thu Jun 02 2005 - 11:35:33 EDT