CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 8, 2007
Baseball Sweeps Tri-State – Finishes 4th in Final MIAA Standings;
All-MIAA Track and Field Teams Released;
All-MIAA Softball Teams Released
BASEBALL
(written by Drew DeVries ’08)
Calvin 6, Tri-State 0
Calvin 9, Tri-State 0
GRAND RAPIDS - The Knights silenced the Thunder this afternoon by sweeping a
doubleheader by shutting them out twice. Todd La Forest (Clio/Clio) pitched a
complete game shutout to defeat Tri-State in game one. In the second game,
coming off of three days rest in which Andy Draayer (Denver, CO/Denver
Christian) shut out Tri-State in the previous meeting, Draayer did it again
working five innings of shutout ball to collect his fifth win of the season.
Calvin (15-22 overall, 15-13) finishes the season in fourth place in MIAA
standings.
Game one started off slow with not much action until the bottom of the third
inning. The Knights rattled off four runs in the inning as it all started with
an Alex Marcus (Willmar, MN/Willmar Sr) one out double. With two Tri-State
errors and another pair of Calvin hits, the Knights led 4-0 after three.
Meanwhile, La Forest continued to mow down Tri-State batters putting out
sixteen straight after giving up a leadoff single to begin the game. Tri-State
didn't collect another hit until the sixth inning but it was too late as the
Knights had built a 6-0 lead. Jacob Vriesman (Denver, CO/Denver Christian)
scored in the fourth when Matt Schepel (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian)
tripled to right center. Calvin added one more in the fifth when off a
sacrifice fly to the first baseman hit by Vriesman. Kyle Gurzynski
(Ludington/Ludington) standing on third base during the play, noticed home
plate was not being covered and was able to beat out the catcher to score.
La Forest pitched his second complete game of the season in only his fourth
start and was credited with the win to improve his record to 5-1. La Forest
scattered only three hits in the game while striking out four.
Game two started off the same way for the Thunder as its lead off man once
again singled to start the game. But Draayer got into a rhythm and shut down
the next eight batters. Draayer got plenty of run support from his offense as
the Knights scored two right away in the bottom of the first inning. Vriesman
scored on a sacrifice fly from Marcus and Nick Caudle (Grandville/Calvin
Christian) came around to score off one of four Tri-State wild pitches. The
Thunder struggled on the mound in the game throwing four wild pitches resulting
in three Calvin runs.
Calvin added another run in the second and after four innings, held a
commanding 9-0 lead. Caudle, Marcus, and Chris Blacklidge (Comstock
Park/Comstock Park) each had multi-hit games with two hits for each of them
while Kyle Fletcher (Fort Wayne, IN/Concordia Lutheran) led the team with two
runs batted in for the game.
Draayer lasted five strong innings to gain the win improving his record to 5-3
as he allowed only four hits and struck out two. It was the final game for the
senior pitcher along with outfielder Nick Caudle. Kyle Cousins (Holland/Holland
Christian) entered the game in relief pitching the final two innings allowing
only one hit.
FINAL 2007 MIAA BASEBALL STANDINGS
Hope 22-6
Adrian 20-8
Albion 17-11
Calvin 15-13
Tri-State 11-17
Alma 10-18
Kalamazoo 9-19
Olivet 8-20
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
The All-MIAA men's and women's track and field teams have been released and 24
Calvin athletes have been so honored. Of the 24, 11 are from the men's team and
13 are from the women's team.
Headling the list of all-conference selections from the Calvin men's track and
field team is senior Josh Meckes who has landed a spot on the honor squad for a
fourth straight year. A native of Bay City and a graduate of Saginaw Valley
Lutheran High School, Meckes was a big point producer for Calvin at the MIAA
Field Day last week as he took second in the long jump, third in the discus,
fourth in the triple jump and seventh in the javelin.
Picking up all-conference honors for the second time from Calvin are senior
Todd Schuster (Denver, CO/Denver Christian HS), juniors Kelby McClelland
(Mercer, PA/Mercer HS) and Joel Baker (Kalamazoo/Kalamazoo Christian HS) and
sophomore Jed Christiansen (Greenville, PA/Greenville HS). Calvin athletes
receiving All-MIAA honors for the first time include juniors Jared Cok
(Bozeman, MT), Tad Hulst (Zeeland/Zeeland HS), Ryan Jensen (Northview HS) and
Jon Gries (King of Prussia, PA/Upper Merion Area HS) and sophomores Nate DeHaan
(Byron Center/South Christian HS) and Erik VanKampen (Elmhurst, IL/Timothy
Christian HS).
At the MIAA Field Day last week, Schuster repeated as MIAA champion in the 800
meters, winning with a time of 1:53.28. He also ran a leg on Calvin's first
place 4x400 meter relay team that clocked in with a time of 3:21.39. McClelland
also successfully defended a pair of titles at the MIAA Field Day, winning the
110 high hurdles (15.33) and 400 meter hurdles (54.47) while running a leg on
Calvin's second place 4x100 meter relay team. He also placed seventh in the
long jump.
Baker was a double-winner last week, winning the 200 meters with an NCAA III
provisional qualifying time of 21.75 and the 400 meters with a time of 48.88.
He also ran on Calvin's winning 4x400 meter relay team and on its second place
4x100 meter relay squad. A distance standout, Christiansen took third in the
1,500 meters and second in the 5,000 meters.
Cok took second in the 400 meters and fourth in the 200 meters and was a
member of Calvin's 4x400 and 4x100 meter relay teams. Hulst was an important
point producer for the Knights in the middle-distance events, taking second in
the 1,500 meters and third in the 800 meters. Jensen was a key performer for
the Knights in the throwing events, winning the discus (154-11) and taking
second in the shot put. Gries earned a spot on the all-conference team by
winning the 5,000 meters (15:18.45) while DeHaan was an all-league choice by
winning the 3,000 meter steeplechase (9:26.45). VanKampen also came up big for
Calvin in distance events, winning the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:33.97.
At the MIAA Field Day, Calvin took first place with 250.5 points, finishing
nearly 100 points ahead of second place Hope while Albion took third. Calvin's
performance allowed the Knights to capture their 14th consecutive MIAA title.
On the women's side, Calvin captured its 18th consecutive MIAA title. The
championship streak in the longest streak in MIAA women's athletics history. At
the MIAA Field Day, Calvin took first place with a commanding point total of
339 points, more than 140 points ahead of second place Hope.
Leading the list of honorees for Calvin are seniors Lisa Winkle, Megan
VanderVliet, Katie Bolt, Lydia Singer and junior Sarah Wittingen who have all
been named to the All-MIAA team for the third straight year. In addition,
VanderVliet has been named the MIAA’s Most Outstanding Field Event Performer
while Wittingen has been named the MIAA’s Most Outstanding Runner. Wittingen
has been named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Runner for the second straight year.
At the MIAA Field Day, VanderVliet (Oakville, ON/Oakville Trafalgar HS) won
the shot put (44-6) and discus throw (148-1), repeating as league champion in
both events. Wittingen (East Grand Rapids/East Grand Rapids HS) repeated as
league champion in both the 100 meter hurdles (14.57) and 400 meters hurdles
(1:01.37). Her winning time in the 400 meter hurdles was an MIAA record and
NCAA III automatic qualifying time. On Thursday in the prelims, Wittingen
established a new MIAA record in the 100 meter hurdles (14.28) which was also
an NCAA III automatic qualifying time. Wittingen also ran a leg on Calvin’s
first place 4x100 meter (48.56) and 4x400 meter relay teams (3:48.58). The time
by Calvin’s 4x400 meter relay team was an NCAA III automatic qualifying and
MIAA record time.
Winkle (Grand Rapids/South Christian HS) was also a part of both of Calvin’s
winning relay teams. She also repeated as league champion in the long jump
(18-8 1/2) and 200 meters (24.96). Bolt (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian
HS) repeated as league champion in the high jump (5-6) and later captured a
league crown in the 400 meters (58.12).
Singer (Wilmington, DE/Hillcrest Academy of Jos Nigeria) repeated as league
champion in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the MIAA Field Day, winning with a
time of 11:12.28.
Landing spots on the All-MIAA second team from Calvin for the second straight
year are sophomore Julie Bratt (Lynden, WA/Lynden Christian HS) and junior
Christina Overbeck (Seattle, WA/Bellevue Christian HS). Bratt captured the
triple jump title (34-0 ¾) while also taking second in the long jump (16-10).
Overbeck defended her league title in the 10,000 meters, winning with a time of
38:51.54.
Landing spots on the All-MIAA team for the first time from Calvin are senior
Lauren Colyn (Battle Creek/Kalamazoo Christian HS), freshman Heather Koning
(Kalamazoo/Kalamazoo Christian HS), senior Kristen Kalb (Stow, OH/Stow Munroe
Falls HS), freshman Jourdan Johnson (Gales Ferry, CT/Nedyard HS) and sophomore
Calah Schlabach (St. Michaels, AZ/St. Michaels HS).
Colyn took third at the MIAA Field Day in the high jump (5-5) while Koning was
second in the 400 meters (59.35) and ran a leg on Calvin’s first place 4x400
meter relay team. Kalb won her first league title in the javelin last weekend,
winning with an NCAA III provisional qualifying mark of 130-9. Johnson ran on
Calvin’s first place 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams and took third place
in the 200 meters (25.73) and 100 meters (13.00). Schlabach was the MIAA
champion in the 5,000 meters, winning with a time of 18:37.08.
ALL-MIAA SOFTBALL TEAMS ANNOUNCED
The All-MIAA softball teams have been announced and Calvin freshman Leah
VanEnk has been named to the All-MIAA second team. A native of Portage and a
graduate of Kalamazoo Christian High School, VanEnk was 9-11 in MIAA play as a
pitcher, compiling a 2.36 earned run average. She also struck out 80 batters in
112.2 innings of work. She finished fourth in the MIAA in earned run average
and strikeouts and second in innings pitched. She also finished tied for second
in the MIAA in pitching appearances (21).
Calvin finished the MIAA season with a 7-9 conference record that was good for
sixth place in the final league standings.
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Tue May 8 22:25:45 2007
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