CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 16, 2010
Carissa Verkaik Named to d3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region First Team/Named d3hoops.com Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year;
John Mantel Selected to Participate in Inaugural NABC Division III College All-Star Game in Salem Saturday Morning
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin College freshman Carissa Verkaik has been named to the d3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region first team in women's basketball. In addition, Verkaik has been named the d3hoops.com Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year.
A native of Holland and a graduate of Holland Christian High School, Verkaik is the first player from Calvin to be named Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year by d3hoops.com which has been selecting all-region teams since the 2001-02 season. Verkaik is one of two MIAA players named to the d3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region team as Carrie Snikkers was named to the first team and was named the Great Lakes Region Player of the Year.
Verkaik recently concluded a record-setting freshman campaign. During the 2009-10 season, Verkaik scored 46 points in a 93-77 win over Adrian, establishing a Calvin and MIAA single-game record in the process. The point total is the highest single-game total in NCAA III women's basketball this spring. Verkaik also established an MIAA single-season record for blocks-per-game average, blocking 60 shots in 16 league games for an average of 3.75 blocks-per-contest.
Over the course of the entire season, Verkaik averaged 18.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.4 blocks and 1.5 assists per game. She connected on 56.9 percent of her field goal attempts, 82.4 percent of her free throw attempts and 45.8 percent (11 of 24) of her three-point field goal attempts.
Verkaik was a two-time d3hoops.com Team of the Week selection during the season and was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Player and selected to the All-MIAA first team. Calvin finished the year with an overall record of 24-5. The Knights were 14-2 in league play, good for second place in conference play. The Knights also earned a bid to the NCAA III Tournament - their 12th overall.
Verkaik is the fourth individual in Calvin women's basketball history to receive d3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region honors as Marcia Harris, Lisa Winkle and Kristen McDonald were all previously so honored.
2010 d3hoops.com Women's Basketball Great Lakes All-Region Teams: http://www.d3hoops.com/all-region/10/glakewom.htm
ALL-TIME CALVIN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL d3HOOPS.COM ALL-REGION SELECTIONS
2009-10 Carissa Verkaik (1st team) - Verkaik was also named Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year
2007-08 - Marcia Harris (1st team)
2006-07 - Lisa Winkle (1st team) & Marcia Harris (3rd team) - Winkle was also named Great Lakes Region Player of the Year.
2005-06 - Lisa Winkle (1st team)
2004-05 - Kristen McDonald (2nd team) & Lisa Winkle (2nd team)
2003-04 - Lisa Winkle (3rd team)
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin College senior John Mantel will kick off his final spring break as a Calvin student with one final collegiate basketball game. A native of Chelsea and a graduate of Chelsea High School, Mantel has been selected to participate in the first-ever NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) Division III College All-Star game this Saturday in Salem, Virginia. The NABC All-Star game was instituted this year after the NABC decided to permanently elimate the consolation game from the NCAA III Men's Basketball Final Four.
The final rosters for the first NABC Division III All-Star Game were released this afternoon. The game will take place at the Salem Civic Center at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 20, before the Division III men's basketball national championship game.
In accordance with NCAA rules, all players must be seniors or have exhausted their eligibility. The coaches are former Division III men's basketball head coaches.
Two players will be added to each roster from the teams that are defeated in the Division III national semifinals on Friday night.
Mantel will play with the West team on Saturday coached by former UW-River Falls coach Rick Bouwen. The East team will be coached by former Hanover coach Mike Beitzel.
"This is a great honor for John and for our program," said Calvin men's basketball coach Kevin Vande Streek on Tuesday. "John has had a wonderful career at Calvin and we are all thrilled to see him get this opportunity."
During the 2009-10 season, Mantel averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. He concluded his career 12th on the Calvin career scoring list with 1,263 points and sixth on the Calvin career rebounding list with 680 rebounds. At the conclusion of the season, Mantel was named to the All-MIAA first team for the second straight year after helping lead Calvin to its second consecutive outright MIAA regular season title.
A mechanical engineering major at Calvin, Mantel is currently part of a team of five students working on a senior design project that involves modifying a 12-horse power engine. The goal of the modification is to decrease emissions and increase effeciency of the motor that is designed for lawnmower use. Mantel has already accepted a job with an engineering company in Ann Arbor and will begin full employment with the company in June.
Prior to graduating however, Mantel will look forward to playing one more collegiate basketball game. "I am really honored to be selected," said Mantel earlier this afternoon. "To be honest, it was a pleasant surprise. I did not expect it but I am looking forward to playing in the game and representing Calvin College."
Mantel is scheduled to fly to Salem on Thursday night. Calvin's spring break official begins late Friday afternoon.
There will be a live video broadcast of the collegiate all-start game, with Pat Coleman, Joe Davis and Dave McHugh of d3hoops.com on the call from Salem. Tickets are part of the daily ticket for Saturday at the Salem Civic Center, which includes the national title game at 1 p.m. ET.
Rosters for the all-star game can be found on the d3hoops.com Web site at: http://www.d3hoops.com/news.php?item=3028
Received on Tue Mar 16 21:45:59 2010
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