CSR (Calvin Sports Report for March 19, 2011)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 19, 2011
 
Carissa Verkaik Named First Team All-American by d3hoops.com;
Baseball Team Sweeps Norwich University in Tucson Opener;
Softball Splits Pair of Games in the Desert
Men's Tennis Wins Pair of Matches at Huizenga T & T
Track and Field Teams Open Outdoor Campaigns at Rhodes Open
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
 
Calvin College sophomore Carissa Verkaik was named a first team d3hoops.com
All-American this evening. The All-America teams were announced at halftime of
Saturday's NCAA national championship women's basketball game between Amherst
and Washington University.
 
Chelsie Schweers of Christopher Newport was named the 2011 d3hoops.com Player
of the Year while Nancy Fahey of Washington University was the d3hoops.com
Coach of the Year.
 
A native of Holland and a graduate of Holland Christian High School, Verkaik
was a third team d3hoops.com All-American a year ago.
 
Earlier this week, Verkaik was named the d3hoops.com Great Lakes Region Player
of the Year and was also named an honorable mention All-American by the Women's
Basketball Coaches Association and State Farm.
 
This year, Verkaik averaged 19.8 points and 9.5 rebounds a game while also
blocking 123 shots for an average of 4.1 blocks-per-game. She also connected on
59.6 percent of her field goal attempts and 86.7 percent of her free throw
attempts.
 
She was particularly adept against nationally-ranked opponents. In Calvin's
six games against nationally-ranked opponents this year (Carthage, Chicago,
Wisconsin-Whitewater and three against Hope) averaging 19.7 points, 11.7
rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots per game while connecting on 54.8 percent of her
field goal attempts and 92.0 percent of her free throw attempts. She also
notched double-doubles in five of Calvin's six games against nationally-ranked
teams.
 
Over the course of the year, she tallied 14 double-doubles and on two
occassions, missed a triple-double by just one blocked shot. She was named to
all-tournament teams three times this year, doing so at the Wisconsin Lutheran
Tip-Off Tournament, the Olivet College Thanksgiving Classic and the Cal
Lutheran Posoda Royale Holiday Classic. She was later named the MIAA’s Most
Valuable Player for the second year in a row and earned a spot on the All-MIAA
first team. In Calvin’s MIAA regular season finale against Trine, she became
the fastest player in Calvin women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 points
for her career.
 
Heading into next year, Verkaik sits 10th on the Calvin career scoring list
(1,121 points) and sixth on the Calvin career rebounding list (557).
 
Over the course of the season, she led Calvin to an overall record of 25-5
which included a share of the MIAA regular season title with Hope and Calvin’s
first MIAA Tournament title since 2007. The Knights later advanced to the
second round of the NCAA III Tournament before falling to eventual national
quarterfinalist Chicago 67-62.
 
BASEBALL
 
TUCSON, AZ - The Calvin baseball team opened its spring trip with a
doubleheader sweep over Norwich University Friday afternoon, defeating the
Cadets 11-5 and 22-6.
 
Senior Peter Steiner had a big afternoon for the Knights, belting a homerun in
game one and picking up the pitching victory and also belting a double in game
two. In game one, junior Scott Tipton and senior Andrew Bosma added triples to
aid a collection of Calvin pitchers that included starter Eric Poencet and
freshman Cory Laster. Calvin is scheduled to face Buena Vista (IA) College late
Saturday night with the game set to begin at approximately 10:30 p.m. (EST).
 
SOFTBALL
 
TUCSON, AZ - The Calvin softball team opened its season on Saturday by
splitting a pair of games, defeating St. Olaf College 12-6 and falling to
Otterbein College 11-3.
 
In the win over St. Olaf, freshman Lina Avila went the distance to pick the
pitching victory. Sophomore Hannah DeWeerd belted a homerun - the fourth of her
collegiate career. In game two, freshman Danae Miedema and sophomore Shelby
Mast split time in the pitching circle with Miedema taking the loss. A number
of Calvin errors led to six unearned runs by Otterbein.
 
Calvin is back in action on Monday, facing Wisconsin-Eau Claire at 2 p.m.
(PST) and Lewis and Clark at 4 p.m. (PST).
 
MEN'S TENNIS
 
The Calvin men’s tennis team picked up a pair of dual match victories on
Friday inside the Huizenga Tennis and Track Center, defeating Grand Rapids
Community College 9-0 and Grace Bible College 9-0. Grace Bible College is
coached by former Calvin men’s tennis player Jon Miedema. The win over Grand
Rapids Community College will not count on Calvin’s final won-loss record
however as it came against a two-year institution. The Knights are now 1-1 on
the year and return to action on Monday when they compete against Hamline
University (MN) at 9:30 a.m. in a match scheduled to be played in Orlando,
Florida.
 
Calvin-GRCC Box Score:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/mens/tennis/results/2011/cagrcc.htm
Calvin-Grace Bible Box Score:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/mens/tennis/results/2011/cmgrace.htm
 
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
 
MEMPHIS, TN - A week ago, Calvin College senior Sarah Reasoner claimed
national runner-up honors in the women's shot put at the NCAA III Indoor Track
and Field Championships. Reasoner will now get a chance to compete at the NCAA
III Outdoor Track and Field Championships after recording an NCAA III Automatic
(outdoor) qualifying throw of 48-0 1/2 at the Rhodes College Open. She also
posted an NCAA III provisional qualifying mark of 137-11 in the discus.
Reasoner was part of a strong Calvin throwing crew on Saturday as senior Kim
Wigboldy took second in the javelin (124-0) while senior Leigha Oberle was
eighth in the hammer throw (130-2) and fifth in the discus (128-8).
 
On the men's side, sophomore Aaron Meckes was sixth in the discus (150-2) and
fourth in the shot put (49-3).
 
Other highlights for the Calvin men's team included:
 
*A 1-2-3 sweep in the 5,000 meters with junior Nick Kramer leading the way
with a first place and NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 14:44.11 while
sophomore Greg Whittle was second (14:49.69) and sophomore Matt VanderRoest
third (14:55.88).
 
*A third place finish by junior Dan Kerr in the 10,000 meters (31:36.23).
 
*A fifth place finish by senior Alex Wrobel in the mile run (4:21.83).
 
*A first place finish by junior Carson Sterchi in the 800 meters (1:55.86).
 
*A third place finish by senior Ben VanWyk in the 3,000 meter steeplechase
(9:38.20).
 
*A second place finish by Calvin's 4x400 meter relay team of freshman Ryan
Huffman, freshman Calvin Kuyers, Sterchi and senior Kyle Ramthum with a time of
3:23.78.
 
Other highlgihts for the Calvin women's team included:
 
*An NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 56.33 by senior Rachel Boerner in
the women's 400 meter (open) dash.
 
*A second place finish by freshman Nicole Michmerhuizen (38:13.05) and a third
place time by senior Samantha Westveer (38:16.57) in the 10,000 meters.
 
*A fourth place finish by junior Jodi Hoekstra in the 5,000 meters
(17:59.54).
 
*A sixth place time of 49.59 by Calvin's 4x100 meter relay team of freshmen
Julie Busscher, Stephanie Bennett, junior Jordan Gabrielse and Boerner.
 
*A fifth place time by senior Alison Tuuk in the mile run (5:14.77).
 
*A first place (2:17.04) time by junior Kaitlin Diemer and a fifth place time
(2:21.77) by senior Kristen Fletcher in the 800 meters.
 
*A first place (11:26.73) finish by senior Gretchen Braymer and a fourth place
finish (11:40.44) by freshman Alyssa Oram in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
 
*A third place jump of 5-3 3/4 by sophomore Carissa Verkaik in the high jump.
 
Both Calvin teams will now train for a week in Gulf Shores, Alabama. They will
return to action on April 2, competing at the Grand Rapids Open at Houseman
Field.
 
 
Received on Sat Mar 19 23:23:16 2011