CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR May 20, 2008
Calvin announces its highest athletic awards
Calvin College has announced the 2008 recipients of its highest athletic
honors: the Beré Memorial Award and the Kay Tiemersma Athletic Award.
Ricky Tilton of Gap, Pennsylvania, is this year's Beré Memorial Award winner
while Sarah Wittingen is this year’s recipient of the Tiemersma Award.
The Beré Memorial Award has been presented annually by Calvin since 1951. The
Beré honors the top senior male student-athlete, based on athletic ability,
scholastic rank, character and leadership, and is selected by the school's male
coaches and the members of the Athletics Committee. It is given in memory of
Joe Beré, a Calvin student who was killed in a 1949 auto accident on his way to
watch a Calvin basketball game. The winner is selected by the coaches of the
school's men's sports and an Athletics Committee made up of students and
non-physical education department faculty members.
This is the 34th year that Calvin has given the Tiemersma award--presented
annually to the top senior female student-athlete. The award honors Kay
Tiemersma, the first woman physical education teacher in the member schools of
the Christian Schools International organization, and a pioneer in women's
sports. Its presentation is based on athletic ability, scholastic standing,
and character and leadership. The winner is selected by the coaches of the
school's women's sports and an Athletics Committee made up of students and
non-physical education department faculty members.
RICKY TILTON
Ricky Tilton has been a four-year member of the Calvin men’s tennis program.
While at Calvin, he has compiled a career singles mark of 50-25 and a career
doubles record of 59-24. He has also put together a 38-21 career singles record
while playing at No. 1 singles and a 37-16 mark at No. 1 doubles.
Tilton hails from Gap, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Lancaster County
Christian High School.
This spring, Tilton was 10-3 at No. 1 singles despite fighting through a
severe shoulder injury. This fall, he reached the quarterfinals of the ITA
Midwest Regionals for the second straight year. This spring, he was also named
to the All-MIAA first team for the third straight year. During the 2008 season,
he was ranked as high as seventh in the Division III Central Region rankings.
As a junior last spring, he helped the Calvin men’s tennis team gain its
first trip to the NCAA III Tournament since 1996 with the Knights eventually
reaching the second round.
During Tilton’s four-year career, Calvin compiled a won-loss record of 62-20
that included four MIAA runner-up finishes.
At the conclusion of the 2008 MIAA Tournament, Tilton was named the
co-recipient of the MIAA’s Stowe Memorial Award, given for ethics, superb
play and leadership. He also received the MIAA’s Lawrence Green Scholarship
Award, honoring an outstanding scholar-athlete in MIAA men’s tennis.
As a sophomore in 2006, he was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic
All-District team in at college at-large division. A three-time member of the
ITA All-Academic team, Tilton carried a 3.96 grade point average while majoring
in biochemistry and carrying a minor in Spanish.
Tilton was graduated from Calvin this past weekend. He plans to attend medical
school and is currently choosing which school to attend. Eventually, he plans
to use his medical education and Spanish language skills overseas.
SARAH WITTINGEN
Sarah Wittingen hails from East Grand Rapids and is a graduate of East Grand
Rapids High School. A four-year member of the Calvin women’s track and field
team, Wittingen has earned All-America honors seven times in her Calvin
career.
Wittingen has specialized in the hurdles. She holds Calvin records in the 100
meter hurdles (14.28) and 400 meter hurdles (59.96). Her school record
performance in the 400 hurdles came at the 2007 NCAA III Outdoor Track and
Field Championships and allowed her to finish second. Wittingen is a two-time
All-American in the 400 meter hurdles and is the nation’s top seed in the
event for this week’s national meet with a time of 1:00.26.
Earlier this spring, Wittingen was named the MIAA’s Most Outstanding Runner
in women’s track and field for the third straight year. At the 2008 MIAA
Championships, Wittingen captured league titles in the 100 meter hurdles and
400 meter hurdles for the third straight year and helped the Calvin women’s
track and field team capture its 19th consecutive MIAA title.
Wittingen has also been a part of two national runner-up finishes, doing so in
2005 and in 2007. In addition to gaining All-America accolades in the hurdles,
she has been an All-American three times as a member of Calvin’s 4x400 meter
relay team and once as a member of Calvin’s 4x100 meter relay team.
Wittingen is qualified for this week’s national meet in the 100 meter
hurdles, 400 meter hurdles and as a member of Calvin’s 4x400 meter relay
team.
Last June, Wittingen was named a second team ESPN The Magazine Academic
All-American. She has also been named to the United States Track and Field
Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team three consecutive years.
Wittingen has carried a 3.96 grade point average at Calvin while majoring in
accounting. She will graduate from Calvin next year.
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Tue May 20 09:40:19 2008
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.8 : Tue May 20 2008 - 09:40:19 EDT