CSR (MIAA Swimming and Diving Championships Day Three Recap)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR FEB. 16, 2008 (PART TWO)

DAY THREE RECAP OF MIAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Written by Bruce VanBaren ’09)

The Calvin women’s swimming and diving team sealed its fourth straight MIAA
Championship and sixth title this decade edging out Hope College in Saturday’s
Finals at the Holland Aquatics Center. Calvin, who lost its dual meet with
Hope, responded with an impressive 104 point margin of victory over the Dutch.

The MIAA title is the sixth of the 2007-08 academic year for Calvin College.
This fall, Calvin picked up MIAA titles in men's and women's soccer, men's and
women's cross country and in women's volleyball.

“I knew we had depth coming in,” said soaking coach Dan Gelderloos after the
team’s traditional celebration swim. “I was hoping that our depth would pay off
here, but I didn’t think that we would come out this good. It’s phenomenal and
it’s a fun weekend.”

It also marks the first season that Calvin is without four-time national
champion Becky Weima. Gelderloos was thrilled with his team’s performance
without the five-time national champion.

“Becky was a phenomenal swimmer,” said Gelderloos. “But it wasn’t about losing
her; it was about getting the most out of what we have. We have to move on and
that gives more people the opportunity to step up. She started [our success]
and we’re continuing it.”

A national champion alongside Weima a year ago, junior Erica Deur (Holland)
picked up her third straight MIAA Most Valuable Diver Award. Deur shattered the
pool records in both the one-meter and three-meter dives yesterday.

“It’s almost status quo, she’s just so consistent,” said Gelderloos. “Even when
she has one bad dive, the next one is just phenomenal.”

The meet also means the end of MIAA competition for the four seniors on the
women’s swimming and diving team: Sarah Abbott (Grand Rapids), Lis Beal (Grand
Rapids), Stephanie Duncan (Long Grove, IL) and Kat Vinson (Kaneohe, HI).
“This is the first senior class that has not lost [an MIAA Championship], said
Gelderloos. “It’s their leadership that drove this championship.”

It was also an electric atmosphere inside that Holland Aquatic center that
drove the Knights’ championship. “It’s just exciting,” said sophomore Emily
Roberts (Dekalb, IL). “We train the entire season for this meet and you know
the time you want coming in. Walking in to the music, seeing the stands full
and your parents there; it gets you excited.”

Highlighting Saturday’s finals for the women was a one-two-three sweep of the
200 Yard Breaststroke with sophomore Maggie Vail (Portage) winning her first
career MIAA competition with a NCAA III provisional qualifying time and Calvin
school record of 2:23.48. Finishing second and third for the Knights also with
NCAA III provisional qualifying times were Abbott and Roberts with 2:25.64 and
2:25.77 respectively.

“For those girls to come through like that with some big swims was phenomenal,”
said Gelderloos. “Maggie Vail, to see her time drop like that and Emily
[Roberts] the way she was able to out touch her competitor came down to just
guts. And Sarah Abbot to come out of nowhere to get the second place finish was
awesome.”

“It’s exciting,” said a smiling Vail who had just been informed that her time
was a school record. “I’ve never won an [MIAA] meet before so it’s great.”

It was a near flip of yesterday’s 100 Yard Breaststroke finals that Roberts
won, followed by Vail and Abbott. “When everyone around you is doing well it
raises the bar,” said Roberts.

“I think it makes it better that your teammate beats you,” said Abbott. “[Who
won] doesn’t really matter because we all [got preliminary qualifications],
we’re all going to nationals and we’re all good friends.”

Abbott and Vail credit Roberts, who finished third in the 100 Breaststroke at
nationals a year ago, for a lot of their success. “She is such a tremendous
competitor and really takes all the pressure off,” said Abbott.

Calvin’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay of junior Cara VanWoerkom (Wyoming), Duncan,
junior Julie Wolfe (Westerville, OH) and Vinson was edged out at the last
second by Hope College to finish second in the final event of the night.

Calvin also had a second place finish in the 100 Yard Free Style with
VanWoerkom’s provisional qualifying time of 52.80. Duncan finished fourth with
a time of 53.77. Calvin grabbed three spots in the 1650 Yard Freestyle with
sophomore Laura Price (Warren, PA) as the Knights top finisher in third.
Sophomore Libby Veldhkamp (Grand Rapids) and freshman Lindsey Huizenga
(Rockford) finished fourth and eight respectively. Hope’s Melisa Gerbeth won
the even setting a new MIAA record.
In the 200 Yard Backstroke, freshman Monica Bressler (Sandusky, OH) took fourth
place to Hope’s Brittaney Reest who was later awarded the MIAA Most Valuable
Swimmer. Sophomore Danielle Mitchell (Iron Mountain) finished fifth in the 200
Yard Butterfly.

Click here for complete women’s results in both Saturday’s preliminaries and
Finals. (http://www.miaa.org/wsw/index.html)

FINAL WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES 1. Calvin 497, 2. Hope 351, 3. Kalamazoo 183, 4.
Olivet 170, 5. Saint Mary's 129, 6. Albion 115, 7. Alma 109.

On the men’s side, Calvin edged out Albion by 13 ½ points, 239 to 225.5, to
hold on to fourth place.

“I’m very satisfied,” said Gelderloos. “With the women’s team [winning the MIAA
Championship] it’s very hard to stay focused when you’re not competing for an
[MIAA] title.”

Senior John Boumgarden’s (Naperville, IL) third place finish in 100 Yard
Freestyle and strong leg in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay cemented the Knights
finish.

“I’m very happy,” said Bomgarden of his third place finish in the 100 Yard
Freestyle. “It was a close race, all of us guys were right there.”

“John Boumgarden has a very good shot at going to nationals [after his
performance in the 100 Yard Butterfly yesterday] and I couldn’t be more proud
of him,” said Gelderloos.

Boumgarden finished second yesterday with a NCAA III provisional qualifying
time in the 100 Yard Butterfly and also picked up a provisional qualifying time
in tonight’s 100 Yard Freestyle.

Boumgarden’s relay team finished fourth with a time of 3:13.20, just in front
of Albion College. Hope, who captured its first men’s swimming and diving title
since 2005, won the event with a time of 3:04.29. Junior Keith Conrad (Wheaton,
IL) was the next highest finisher for the Knights taking fourth in the 200 Yard
Butterfly.

For complete results of Saturday’s preliminaries and finals visit:
http://www.miaa.org/msw/index.html

FINAL MEN’S STANDINGS 1. Hope 543, 2. Olivet 504.5, 3. Kalamazoo 429, 4.
Calvin 239, 5. Albion 225.5, 6. Alma 148

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Sun Feb 17 00:24:51 2008