CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR FEB. 20, 2009
Women's Swimming & Diving Remains on Top At MIAA Championships;
Men's Swimming & Diving Holds Fourth Place Spot;
Track & Field Teams Compete at GVSU Open
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
NOTRE DAME, IN -- With one day of competition left, the Calvin women's swimming and diving team maintains a healthy lead for first place at the MIAA Championships. Bidding for their fifth consecutive MIAA title, the Knights hold a 76-point lead over second place Hope heading into Saturday's final day of competition.
Calvin crowned one individual champion on Friday night and swept both relay events. All three victories were performed in record-setting fashion.
Calvin opened the evening in record-setting form, winning the 200 medley relay with an MIAA and school record time of 1:45.90, breaking the previous MIAA record of 1:48.64 set in 2007 and the Calvin record of 1:47.80 set in 2008. The relay consisted of sophomore Monica Bressler (Sandusky, OH), junior Emily Roberts (Dekalb, IL), senior Julie Wolfe (Westerville, OH) and junior Maggie Vail (Portage Northern HS).
Calvin's individual title came from Roberts in the 100 breaststroke. Roberts won the race in an MIAA and Calvin record time of 1:02.72, breaking the previous MIAA record of 1:05.17 set by Calvin's Katie White in 2007 and the Calvin record time set by Roberts in 2007 of 1:04.52. The (NCAA III A' cut) winning time by Roberts on Friday night is the fastest time in NCAA III women's swimming this year and is the second-fastest 100 breastroke time in NCAA III women's swimming history. The time by Roberts also would have been good for a 12th place finish in the men's 100 breaststroke competition on Friday.
Roberts was part of a one-two Calvin finish in the 100 breaststroke as Vail clocked in with an NCAA III A' cut qualifying time of 1:04.66.
Calvin's other title on Friday came in the 800 freestyle relay as the Knights held off Hope's relay team for the win with an MIAA record and NCAA III B' cut qualifying time of 7:39.12. Hope's relay team took second in an NCAA III B' cut qualifying time of 7:40.01.
In the 200 freestyle, Calvin received four NCAA III B' cut qualifying times as senior Cara Van Woerkom (Calvin Christian HS) took second (1:53.15), junior Laura Price (Warren, PA) took third (1:53.73), sophomore Kendra Kinzer (Fort Wayne, IN) took fifth (1:55.54) and junior Libby Veldkamp (Calvin Christian HS) took ninth (1:55.32). Veldkamp's time came in the consolation finals.
Calvin also racked up points in the 100 backstroke with Bressler taking second (59.27) and sophomore Caitlin Alexander (Holland Christian HS) placed seventh (1:00.33). In the 100 butterfly, Wolfe and Alexander tied for fourth place with NCAA III B' cut qualifying times of 58.50. The times were just three-hundreths off the Calvin record time of 58.47 set by Becky Weima in 2004.
In addition, senior Allison Rober (Logansport, IN) placed fourth in the 400 IM (4:44.52).
"We had another great day," said Calvin head swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "The performance by Emily Roberts in the 100 breaststroke was eye-popping. She is having an incredible meet. Everyone across the board on our team is having a great meet. We're looking forward to tomorrow."
MIAA TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY TWO
Calvin 569.5
Hope 493.5
Kalamazoo 319
Saint Mary's 252
Olivet 248
Albion 212
Alma 151
MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
NOTRE DAME, IN -- The Calvin men's swimming and diving team had a strong second day of competition at the MIAA Championships, building its point total to 246 points. The Knights remain in fourth place but now hold a 31-point lead over fifth place Alma.
Calvin senior Keith Conrad (Wheaton, IL) established a new school record in a 100 breaststroke time trial, clocking in with a time of 59.88, breaking the previous record of 59.94 set by Ryan Preston in 2002. Conrad also swam in the finals of the 100 butterfly and placed sixth with a season-best time of 51.56. In addition, he helped Calvin's 200 medley relay team place sixth with a time of 1:38.71. He was joined on the relay by sophomore Tyler Westman (Naperville, IL), junior Jon Herrema (Grand Rapids Christian HS) and junior Kurt Van Allsburg (Grand Rapids Christian HS).
In the 200 freestyle, freshmen Ross Battoclette (Cincinnati, OH) and Ethan Tatum (Grand Rapids Christian HS) both reached the finals with Battoclette placing seventh (1:45.73) and Tatum eighth (1:46.96). The duo then hooked up with Conrad and senior Matt Bolles (West Ottawa HS) to finish fourth in the 800 freestyle relay with a season-best time of 7:02.14.
In the three-meter diving competition, senior Dennis Steenbergen (Aylmer, ON) reached the finals and took sixth with a score of 340.25 to go with his fourth place finish on the one-meter board the night before.
Van Allsburg also posted a top-eight finish, placing seventh in the 100 backstroke (54.45).
Also scoring points for the Knights on Friday were Bolles with a 12th place finish in the 400 IM (4:29.40), freshman Luke Griffioen (Williamsburg, VA) with a 15th place finish in the 400 IM (4:52.36), Herrema with a 13th place performance in the 100 butterfly (53.30), Westman with a 10th place finish in the 100 backstroke (54.97), freshman Chris Sheperly (Harper Creek HS) with a 13th place finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.20) and freshman Anthony Julius (Forest Hills Northern HS) with a 16th place finish in the 100 butterfly (59.47).
"I was extremely pleased with our performance today," said head swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "It was great to see so many individuals contribute tonight and our finish in the 800 freestyle relay at the end was a great way for us to end the night. We're hoping to continue our strong swims tomorrow."
MIAA TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY TWO
Hope 605
Kalamazoo 574
Olivet 366
Calvin 246
Alma 215
Albion 207.5
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
ALLENDALE -- The Calvin men's and women's track and field teams continued their indoor campaigns on Friday night at the Grand Rapids Championships hosted by Grand Valley State University.
Top performances for the Calvin men included:
*A third place finish by senior Jared Cok (Bozeman, MT) in the 400 meters (49.46)
*A third place finish by senior Nate DeHaan (South Christian HS) in the 1000 meter run (2:31.21)
*A fourth place finish by senior Andrew Stutzman (Kutztown, PA) in the 5000 meter run (15:35.18)
*A second place finish by junior Caleb Rottman (Fargo, ND) in the 60 meter hurdles (8.62)
*A third place finish by Rottman in the high jump (6-3 1/2)
*An eighth place vault of 14-4 by sophomore Eric Michel (Naperville, IL)
*A second place finish by junior Cory Velgersdyk (Bloomington, MN) in the triple jump (40-4)
Top performances for the Calvin women included:
*A third place finish by junior Heather Koning (Kalamazoo Christian HS) in the 400 meters (58.67)
*A fourth place finish by junior Liz Smit (Kirkland, WA) in the 800 meters (2:17.83) and a fifth place finish by junior Nicole Farr (Warrenville, IL) in the 800 meters (2:19.66)
*A fourth place finish by sophomore Gretchen Braymer (Erie, PA) in the 3000 meter run (10:37.35)
*An NCAA III indoor provisional qualifying time of 3:56.71 in the 4x400 meter relay by the Calvin quartet of senior Kristen Van Sickel (Pittsburgh, PA), senior Sarah Wittingen (East Grand Rapids HS), sophomore Rachel Boerner (Bergenfield, NJ) and Koning.
*A second place finish by senior Julie Bratt (Lynden, WA) in the triple jump (36-11 3/4)
*A third place finish by junior Sarah Reasoner (Cambridge, MN) in the shot put (40-8 3/4)
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Fri Feb 20 23:42:26 2009
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