CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 27, 2010 (PART TWO)
Melissa Oosterhouse Receives NCAA Elite 88 Award;
Matt DeVlieger Named Recipient of ITA National Arther Ashe Award;
Jessica Koster Claims All-America Honors in 10K at NCAA III Track and Field
Championships
WOMEN'S TENNIS
FREDRICKSBURG, VA - The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) has
announced Calvin College junior Melissa Oosterhouse (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids
Christian HS) is the recipient of the Elite 88 for Division III women’s
tennis.
Oosterhouse is the first individual to receive the award and the second MIAA
athlete to be so honored. Kellen Beckwith of Olivet College received the award
in men's swimming and diving this past March.
The Elite 88, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the
student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of
competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also
achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 88 is
presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point
average (GPA) participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 88
championships.
This is the first year that the Elite 88 Award has been presented to
student-athletes.
Oosterhouse was announced as the recipient in NCAA III women's tennis during a
banquet hosted by Mary Washington University preceeding the NCAA III Singles
Tournament which is slated to begin Friday morning.
A biology major with minors in chemistry and Spanish, Oosterhouse carries a
3.92 grade point average. Last week, she was named to the ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-District team in the women's college at-large division.
During the 2009-10 season, Oosterhouse has compiled a singles record of 25-1
including 23-0 in dual match play. Earlier this month, Oosterhouse was named to
the All-MIAA first team for a third straight year and was also voted the MIAA’s
Most Valuable Player.
Oosterhouse will open play in the NCAA III Singles Tournament tomorrow morning
against Lorne McManigal of Emory University in a first round match.
MEN'S TENNIS
Calvin College junior Matt DeVlieger has received one of the highest honors
from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. DeVlieger has been named the 2010
recipient of the ITA Division III Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and
Sportsmanship.
The ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award recognizes
outstanding individuals in all divisions at the regional and national level. In
August the national winners are honored during a special ceremony hosted by the
USTA during Arthur Ashe Kids' Day inside Ashe Stadium. This award which dates
back to 1982, goes to NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and JuCo men's and
women's players who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership as
well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements.
A native of Grand Rapids and a graduate of Northpointe Christian High School,
DeVlieger's life completely changed in December 2009, when he was paralyzed
from his chest down in a tragic scuba diving incident in Florida. Prepared to
be the No. 1 singles player this past year, Matt is anticipating his new role
as student-assistant next season. He continues to recover in Florida and is
already taking wheel-chair tennis lessons. With faith being first and foremost
in his life, he has been able to maintain a positive outlook on life.
As the governing body of collegiate tennis, the ITA promotes both the athletic
and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, which is
compromised of nearly 1,700 men's and women's varsity coaches representing over
1,200 institutions, administers numerous regional and national championships
and the Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings for over 15,000 college varsity
student-athletes at the NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior College
levels. The ITA also has a comprehensive awards program for players and coaches
to honor excellence in academics, leadership and sportsmanship. The official
ITA web site is www.itatennis.com.
NCAA III TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY ONE RECAP
BEREA, OH -- Calvin College senior Jessica Koster capped off her standout
distance running career at Calvin with an All-America finish in the 10,000
meters Thursday night at Baldwin-Wallace College, placing sixth with a time of
36:28.33. The All-America berth is the second of Koster's track and field
career and the third of her distance racing career at Calvin. Koster was fifth
in the 10,000 meters at the 2009 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field
Championships. She also owns an All-America berth in cross country, placing
34th at the 2009 NCAA III Cross Country Championships, ironically hosted by
Baldwin-Wallace College this past November.
Koster was one of two Calvin runners to compete in the women's 10K on Thursday
night as senior Jesi Hale (Rehoboth, NM/Gallup HS) placed 14th in a time of
38:09.58.
Both Calvin runners had to battle heat and high humidity but found a way to
finish strong according to distance coach Brian Diemer.
"It was not ideal conditions for distance racing but everyone in the field had
the same conditions," said Diemer. "I'm really proud of the way Jessica fought
through the heat and Jesi ran very strong too. Jessica has been battling a bit
of a cold the last two weeks which has slowed her down but tonight she ran
strong and refused to give in to the conditions."
Koster was one of a handful of Calvin athletes that competed on day one of the
NCAA III Track and Field Championships.
In the prelims Thursday afternoon, Calvin College junior Rachel Boerner
(Bergenfield, NJ/Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) breezed into the finals of the 400
meter hurdles, clocking a time of 1:00.64. The time was the second fastest of
the morning prelims, surpassed only by the 1:00.52 turned in by Jamie Simmons
of MIT.
Also competing for Calvin on Thursday was senior Joy Leach (Charlottsville,
VA/Charlottsville HS) in the women's pole vault. Leach finished 16th in the
event with a vault of 11-10 3/4, just missing an attempt at 12-2 3/4 on her
final vault of the day. If Leach would have cleared the bar at 12-2 3/4, it
would have been a career-best effort.
The Calvin women's 4x400 meter relay team of senior Katie Roelofs (Grand
Rapids/Springfield Virginia HS), sophomore Jordan Gabrielse (Allendale/Unity
Christian HS), sophomore Kaitlin Diemer (Caledonia/South Christian HS) and
junior Alison Tuuk (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) also ran in the
prelims but did not advance to Saturday's finals, clocking a time of 3:57.54.
Scheduled to compete for Calvin on Friday are senior Liz Smit (Kirkland,
WA/Bellevue Christian HS) and junior Gretchen Braymer (Erie, PA/Collegiate
Academy) in the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase and sophomore Nick Kramer
(Dyer, IN/Illiana Christian HS), junior Ben Van Wyk (Sussex, NJ/High Point HS)
and senior Aaron Goodman (Milwaukee, WI/Milwaukee Lutheran HS) in the men's
3,000 meter steeplechase.
In addition, junior Sarah Reasoner (Cambridge, MN/Cambridge-Isanti HS) will
compete in the women's shot put while Boerner will run in the women's 400 meter
prelims and senior Kelby McClelland (Mercer, PA/Mercer Area HS) in the prelims
of the men's 110 high hurdles.
Received on Thu May 27 23:39:40 2010
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