CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR AUG. 29, 2005
DETERS DOMINATES IN SCRAPPERS' VICTORY
Jim Deters came up with the best pitching performance of his professional
career last Wednesday night in helping the Mahoning Valley Scrappers gain a 4-3
victory over the Jamestown Jammers.
A 2005 graduate of Calvin College, Deters went six full innings against the
Jammers and struck out seven batters without allowing a walk. Deters also gave
up just two hits and just one earned run. He departed the game with a 3-2 lead
but was not credited with the victory as the Jammers tied the game in the
eighth inning before the Scrappers would score the game-winning run in the
bottom of the ninth.
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a Class A short season league affiliate of
the Cleveland Indians.
Deters is now 3-3 on the year with a 2.25 earned run average. He leads the
Scrappers in innings pitched (60) and has 44 strikeouts against just 15 walks
this year.
For more on his pitching performance against the Jamestown Jammers, please
visit the Youngstown Vindicator News web site at:
http://www.vindy.com/content/sports/local_regional/318129206252154.php
2005 Men's Cross Country Outlook - Knights Look to Remain on Top
(Editor's Note: Sixth Preview in a Series of Seven Fall Sports Outlooks)
Calvin will enter the 2005 cross country season with several streaks on the
line. The Knights have captured 18 straight MIAA titles - the second-longest
championship streak in league history. Calvin has also captured eighth straight
Great Lakes Regional crowns as well as posting seven consecutive top-four
national finishes.
So will the streaks continue?
"Our goal is to keep every one of those streaks going," said veteran
Calvin men's cross country coach Brian Diemer. "We have some work to do,
but we also have the talent to get the job done."
To keep the streaks going, the Knights will need to retool with just nine
returning letterwinners from a 2004 team that captured its second straight
national title including its third in the last five years.
"There's no question that this year's team will have several new
faces," said Diemer. "At the same time, our returning runners are very
determined to continue the tradition that has been established from our past
teams. The talent is there. The question is whether this group has the drive
and determination to deliver on its pre-season goals."
The Knights do have a good place to start in junior Tim Finnegan (Los Alamos,
NM) who is a two-time All-American in both cross country and track and field.
Finnegan is coming off a sensational outdoor track and field campaign that saw
him earn All-America plaudits in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs. Finnegan
was also Calvin's second finisher at the 2004 NCAA III Cross Country
Championships (28th individually) and should take over Calvin's number-one
spot this fall.
"Tim is one of the most talented runners that the Calvin men's cross
country program has ever had," said Al Hoekstra who shares the men's cross
country coaching duties with Diemer. "If he puts it all together this fall
and stays healthy, he has the ability to finish in the top 10 at the national
meet and make a run for one of the top spots."
Finnegan is one of three returning runners from Calvin's national meet team
last year as junior Ben Hammer (Williamsburg, Mich.) and sophomore Bill
Reynolds (Newtown Square, PA) also return. Hammer took a big jump forward last
fall, placing seventh at the MIAA Championships and 18th at the Great Lakes
Regional meet to earn first team All-MIAA and Great Lakes All-Region honors.
Earlier this summer, Hammer showed off his road racing skills, winning the
National Cherry Festival 5K race with a time of 16:03. Reynolds also took a big
step forward last fall, finishing sixth at the MIAA Championships and 11th at
the Great Lakes Regional meet to also earn first team All-MIAA and Great Lakes
All-Region accolades.
Hammer is coming off a solid outdoor track and field campaign that saw him
post a career-best time of 31:43 in the 10,000 meters. After a sensational
freshman campaign on the cross country course last fall, Reynolds struggled
through injuries during the outdoor track and field season. Reynolds rebounded
late in the year to clock an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 14:47.27
in the 5,000 meters at a last-chance meet hosted by North Central College.
Senior Harrison Jorritsma (Beamsville, Ontario) is another strong candidate to
break into Calvin's lead group. Jorritsma took eighth at the 2004 MIAA
Championships to land a spot on the All-MIAA first team. He then served as
Calvin's alternate runner at both the Great Lakes Regional and NCAA III
Championships. During the spring, Jorritsma just missed NCAA III provisional
qualifying times in the 10,000 meters (31:31.80) and 3,000 meter steeplechase
(9:28.65).
Other returning letterwinners include seniors Tyler Zwagerman (Holland, Mich.)
and Jessie Kleinjan (Chino, Calif.), junior Todd Schuster (Denver, Col.) and
sophomores Jon Gries (King of Prussia, Pensylvania) and Peter Clemo (Grand
Rapids, Mich.).
Look for Zwagerman to make a push for Calvin's top seven after finishing
11th at the MIAA Cross Country Championships. Zwagerman also clocked a sub-15
minute 5k last spring during the outdoor track and field season, recording a
time of 14:55.27 at the Hillsdale Gina Relays. Kleinjan has been a solid
contributor during his Calvin career. The California native was 26th at the
2004 MIAA Cross Country Championships but missed the bulk of the 2005 outdoor
track and field season with an injury.
Schuster meanwhile will be riding a wave of momentum gained from the recent
2005 outdoor track and field as he posted an NCAA III provisional qualifying
time of 1:53.49 in the 800 meters and a career-best time of 3:57.22 in the
1,500 meters.
Gries and Clemo are young runners with strong potential. Gries was 21st at the
2004 MIAA Cross Country Championships while Clemo was 33rd.
Joining the mix of Calvin runners with collegiate experience will be Carthage
College transfer Tad Hulst (Zeeland, Mich.). Hulst placed ninth at the CCIW
Cross Country Championships last fall and earned a spot on the All-CCIW men's
cross country team. He then posted the top Carthage finish at the rugged
Midwest Regional meet, placing 46th individually.
"We've got a good mix of veterans and some younger guys that have been
waiting in the wings," said Diemer. "They'll get their shot to step up
this year as we have several spots up for grabs. My guess is that our top seven
will not be decided until shortly before the regional meet in November. We've
had healthy competition within our team for spots in our top seven throughout
the past several years and I expect more of the same this fall."
Also looking to crack into the top group will be individuals from a talented
freshman class.
The headliner of the class is incoming freshman Jed Christiansen (Greenville,
Pensyl.) who was the runner-up at the 2004 Pennsylvania State AA Cross Country
Championships. Christiansen then captured the Pennsylvania State AA title in
the 1,600 meters this spring (4:21.17) while placing third in the 3,200 meters
(9:22.41). Andrew Stutzman (Kutztown, Pensyl.) is another Pennsylvania native
to watch in the freshman group. Stutzman took third behind Christiansen at the
state cross country championships and was then sixth in the 3,200 meters
(9:30.84) at the AA state track and field finals.
Some of the other freshmen to watch include Kevin Rooney of Denver, Colorado,
and Michael O'Shaughnessy of Elk Rapids, Michigan.
O'Shaughnessy was third at the 2004 MHSAA Division III State Cross Country
Finals and then took fourth in the 1,600 meters at the 2005 MHSAA Division III
State Track and Field Finals. Rooney took fourth at the 2004 Colorado High
School Athletic Association Division III State Cross Country Finals and then
placed second in the 1,600 (4:33.30) and fifth in the 3,200 meters (10:15.49)
at the 2005 CHSAA Division III State Track and Field Finals.
"It's a strong freshman class," said Hoekstra who played an integral
role in recruiting the incoming group. "The potential is there. Now the
challenge is to turn the potential into production."
According to Diemer, the upcoming cross country campaign will also provide a
different mental focus for the Knights.
"I think there was more pressure on our team last year because of the way we
won the 2003 (national) title (with six All-America performances. We had
several runners back from that team and everyone pointed to us as the team to
beat in 2004. We dealt with that pressure well and pulled off another
(national) championship. I think this year we're just one of several teams
looking to make a run for one of the top (national) spots. We're definitely
not the clear cut favorite like last year. There's several teams out there
that could win it. That should make for a very fun and exciting season across
the nation."
Calvin will open its season at the Parkside Invitational hosted by the
University of Wisconsin-Parkside September 17 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Calvin
will then host an MIAA Jamboree on September 24. Calvin will also compete at
the prestigious Notre Dame Invitational on September 30 and will then journey
to the Michigan Intercollegiates October 7 with Oakland University serving as
host. The Knights will also compete at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational
October 15. The MIAA Championships are scheduled for October 29 with Kalamazoo
serving as host. The NCAA III Regionals are slated for November 12 in
Cincinnati, Ohio, with Wilmington serving as host. The NCAA III Cross Country
Championships are slated for the following week on November 19 in Deleware,
Ohio. Ohio Wesleyan University will host the national meet.
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Mon Aug 29 12:24:58 2005
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