CSR (Calvin Track & Field Teams Wrap Up MIAA Titles - Baseball DH With Alma Postponed)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 7, 2010
Men's and Women's Track and Field Teams Capture MIAA Titles;
Baseball Doubleheader at Alma Postponed
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
ALMA—The Calvin men’s and women’s track and field teams overcame raw, wet and
windy weather conditions to extend their championship streaks Friday afternoon
at the 119th MIAA Field Day. The two-day event was hosted by Alma College.
In the women’s competition, Calvin finished with a first place total of 282.5
points, 76 points ahead of Hope to wrap up their 21st consecutive MIAA title.
The Calvin women’s championship streak is the longest active streak in MIAA
women’s athletics history. Calvin has also now won a league-leading 25 MIAA
titles in women’s track and field.
In the men’s competition, Calvin finished with a first place total of 254
points, 39 points ahead of Hope. The finish allowed the Knights to wrap up
their 16th consecutive league title including their league-leading 35th
overall.
Both titles were the first under first-year Calvin head men’s and women’s
track and field coach Bret Otte.
“I have to credit our athletes for never giving up, despite the weather
conditions,” said Otte. “We had some things that went better than what we had
hoped and some things that did not go as well as we would have hoped but the
consistent thing was that neither of our teams ever gave up. They continued to
keep the pressure on throughout the meet and I think that proved crucial in the
final outcome. When a team builds on collective energy, it makes a huge
difference.”
Otte also praised his coaching staff. “We’ve got the best group of assistant
coaches in the country,” said Otte. “We have incredible expertise throughout
our staff and any one of them could lead this team if they had to. I am truly
blessed to have the type of support that I have with our track and field
program, particularly in my first year as the head coach.”
The Calvin women’s team claimed seven individual titles and one relay crown on
Friday. The Calvin women got the running portion of the meet off with a bang,
sweeping the top four spots in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, with senior
Elizabeth Smit (Kirkland, WA) winning the event for the second straight year,
posting a time of 11:06.56. She was followed by senior Nicole Farr (Wheaton,
IL) in second place (11:09.61), senior Gretchen Braymer (Erie, PA) in third
place (11:13.20) and freshman Alyssa Penning (Grand Rapids Christian HS) in
fourth place (11:16.20).
In the shot put, junior Sarah Reasoner (Cambridge, MN) repeated as champion,
winning with a throw of 40-4 1/4 taken during an driving morning rainstorm.
In addition, junior Kim Wigboldy (Chandler, AZ) picked up the second MIAA
javelin title of her career, winning with a toss of 118-2 to go with a second
place finish in the long jump the night before.
Other Calvin event winners included junior Rachel Boerner (Bergenfield, NJ) in
the 400 meters (57.99), sophomore Jordan Gabrielse (Unity Christian HS) in the
400 meter hurdles (1:05.29), sophomore Jodi Hoekstra (Homer Glen, IL) in the
1500 meters (4:42.17) and sophomore Kaitlin Diemer (South Christian HS) in the
800 meters (2:18.61). Of note, Tuuk also ran in the 800 and 1500 during the
afternoon, placing fourth in the 1500 and second in the 800 to wrap up a
grueling day of competition.
Diemer’s win also provided excitement as she roared out to a 15-meter lead on
the opening lap and then held on strong over the final 100 meters to win the
race by a full second.
Diemer also led off Calvin’s winning 4x400 meter relay team (4:06.30) that
also included sophomore Rebecca Hiemstra (Dusseldorf, Germany), junior Alison
Tuuk (Grand Rapids Christian HS) and Gabrielse.
On the men’s side, Calvin had five event champions on Saturday and one relay
title. Like the women’s competition, Calvin also got off to a strong start in
the running events in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, taking four of the top five
spots including a first place time of 9:09.42 by sophomore Nick Kramer (Dyer,
IN/Illiana Christian HS). Kramer’s time was a strong NCAA III provisional
qualifying time and should book his ticket for the upcoming NCAA III Track and
Field Championships. Kramer was one of three Calvin runners to post provisional
qualifying times in the steeplechase as junior Ben VanWyk (Sussex, NJ) was
second (9:20.03) and senior George Visser (Winfield, IL) fourth (9:23.70).
Senior Aaron Goodman (Milwaukee, WI) just missed a provisional qualifying time,
placing fifth in 9:28.38.
In the 110 high hurdles, senior Kelby McClelland (Mercer, PA) captured his
third MIAA title in the event including his first since 2007, clocking in with
a time of 15.14. McClelland was followed by teammate Caleb Rottman (Fargo, ND)
who was second in 15.37. Rottman also took second in the high jump (6-6 3/4).
Other event winners for Calvin on Friday include junior Jake Christiansen (New
Ipswich, NH) in the 5,000 meters (15:19.31), sophomore Carson Sterchi (Crystal
Lake, IL) in the 800 meters (1:54.69) and junior Alex Wrobel (Arden Hills, MN)
in the 1500 meters (3:58.06). Sterchi and Wrobel both won their races by
outleaning a competitor at the tape. The 1500 meter title was the first for
Wrobel and joined his 800 meter title won in 2008 at the same track - Alma’s
Balhle Field. Christiansen’s win in the 5,000 meters sealed first place for
Calvin and marked the first individual MIAA title of his career. Christiansen
ran in a pack of three near the lead before breaking away with a lap-and-a-half
to go.
Sterchi also came up with a clutch performance in the 4x400 meter relay as his
third leg performance allowed Calvin to move into second place and when the
lead team dropped a baton, allowed anchor leg Zach VanderLaan (Holt, MI) to
roar past into first place. VanderLaan then hung tough down the stretch,
holding off a bid from Trine’s anchor man in the final 10 meters to allow
Calvin’s 4x400 meter relay team to win a time of 3:22.52. Joining Sterchi on
the relay team were sophomore Thad Winkle (South Christian HS) and Wrobel.
Wrobel also placed third in the 800 meters to complete a long and tiring
afternoon.
Other notable efforts included senior Joel Klingenberg (Hamilton, ON) placing
second in the discus (142-11), freshman Kyle Jasperse (Escondido, CA) placing
second in the triple jump (43-1), senior Jonathon DeRuiter (Bellingham, WA)
placing third in the triple jump (42-11 1/2) and VanderLaan placing second in
the 400 meters (49.51). In addition, senior Brad Stroner (Lake Odessa Lakewood
HS) also added eighth place finishes in the 100 meters and 200 meters.
At the conclusion of the meet, Otte had words of praise for his senior class.
“Our seniors on both our men’s and women’s teams have been awesome this
year,” said Otte. “We have received exceptional senior leadership all year
long.” Otte singled out McClelland and Stroner in particular. A former MIAA
Most Valuable Runner, McClelland returned to Calvin this year after taking two
years off from school. Stroner did not run last spring but returned as a
fifth-year senior this spring. “The fact that both of those guys chose to come
back was huge for our men’s team,” said Otte. “They were integral in helping
our team win an MIAA title this spring.”
MIAA FIELD DAY MEN’S FINAL TEAM SCORES
Calvin 254
Hope 215
Adrian 99
Albion 70
Alma 63
Trine 57
Olivet 17

MIAA FIELD DAY WOMEN’S TEAM TEAM SCORES
Calvin 282.5
Hope 206.5
Albion 99.5
Adrian 65
Alma 56.5
Olivet 37
Trine 28
BASEBALL
Calvin's Friday baseball doubleheader at Alma was postponed because of
weather. The doubleheader has now pushed the four-game series ahead on the
schedule. Friday's doubleheader will now be made up at Alma on Saturday at 1
p.m. Saturday's original doubleheader scheduled to be at Calvin (with the
Scots) has been moved to Monday, May 10 with Calvin hosting the twinbill
against Alma at 2 p.m.
Received on Fri May 7 23:41:34 2010