CKSR (Track and Field Teams Wrap Up MIAA Titles/Baseball Drops Both Ends of a Doubleheader With Alma)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 6, 2011
Track and Field Teams Wrap Up MIAA Titles;
Baseball Drops Both Ends of a Doubleheader With Alma

TRACK AND FIELD
OLIVET - The MIAA championship streaks are still very much alive for the
Calvin men’s and women’s track and field teams. Both Calvin teams took first
place at the MIAA Field Day on Friday at Olivet College and in doing so,
claimed MIAA crowns.
On the men’s side, Calvin took first place with 212 points, finishing 64
points ahead of second place Hope. The MIAA Field Day title gives the Calvin
men a share of the final league title with Hope as the Flying Dutchmen took
first at the MIAA Jamboree last month. The MIAA Field Day is worth one-half of
the final league crown with the MIAA Jamboree making up the remaining half. The
Calvin men have now won at least a share of the last 18 MIAA track and field
titles and have won every MIAA Field Day competition since 1987.
On the women’s side, Calvin wrapped up its 20th consecutive outright MIAA
title including its 22nd overall by posting a first place score of 284 points
at the MIAA Field Day, 66.5 points ahead of second place Hope. The championship
streak by the Calvin women’s team is the longest championship streak in MIAA
women’s athletics history.
MEN’S RECAP
Calvin used depth in its distance ranks and a number of solid performances in
the Friday field events to pull away to the victory at the 120th MIAA Field
Day. In the 800, 1,500, 3,000 meter steeplechase and 5,000 meters, Calvin
scored a combined 97 points Friday afternoon.
In the steeplechase, Calvin swept the top four spots with junior Nick Kramer
(Dyer, IN/Illiana Christian HS) repeating as league champion in the event with
an NCAA III provisional qualifying time of 9:08.98. Senior Ben Van Wyk (Sussex,
NJ/High Point HS) was second in 9:36.21 followed by sophomore Matt Vander Roest
(Ann Arbor/Ann Arbor Huron HS) in third (9:38.23) and senior Jake Baker (Grand
Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) in fourth (9:54.84). Kramer later captured
the 5,000 meter title with a time of 15:13.01. He was part of a 1-2-3-5 Calvin
finish with Vander Roest second (15:17.68), senior Rhett Morici (St. Charles,
IL/St. Charles North HS) third (15:18.63) and sophomore Greg Whittle (Galeburg,
IL/Galesburg Hs) fifth (15:29.74).
Whittle had a big day as he led a 1-3-6-8 Calvin finish in the 1,500 meters,
winning the race with a time of 4:01.50 while senior Alex Wrobel (Arden Hills,
MN/Mounds View HS) third (4:01.69), senior Ben Dykema sixth (Oak Brook,
IL/Timothy Christian HS) sixth (4:05.98) and freshman Sam Kerk (Hartland,
WI/Lake County Lutheran HS) eighth (4:06.78).
In the 800 meters, junior Carson Sterchi (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake
Central HS) led a 1-5-6-8 Calvin finish with Sterchi repeating as league
champion with a time of 1:56.25 while Dykema was fifth (2:00.63), junior Josh
Stuive (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) sixth (2:01.46) and Wrobel eighth
(2:08.90).
In the Friday field events, sophomore Aaron Meckes (Bay City/Saginaw Valley
Lutheran HS) came up with a clutch performance in the discus, taking second
with a throw of 147-7. Freshman Matt Christians (Grand Rapids/South Christian
HS) also had a clutch effort, taking second in the high jump with a leap of 6-7
1/2, just missing a late attempt at 6-8 3/4 that would have been good for an
NCAA III provisional qualifying mark.
In the triple jump, sophomore Kyle Jasperse (Escondido, CA/Escondido Calvin
Christian HS) was second (43-10 1/2) and sophomore Russell Kamps (Gallup,
NM/Rehoboth Christian HS) third (43-3 3/4).
Other notable performances for the Calvin men on Friday included freshman Ryan
Huffman (Maumee, OH/Kenston HS) placing fourth in the 400 meters (50.45) and
freshman Calvin Kuyers (Lansing/Lansing Christian HS) taking second in the 400
meter hurdles with a career-best time of 55.48.
MIAA FIELD DAY MEN’S FINAL SCORES
Calvin 212
Hope 148
Albion 130
Adrian 128
Trine 68
Alma 60
Olivet 25

MIAA MEN’S TRACK FINAL STANDINGS
1. Calvin
1. Hope
3. Adrian
3. Albion
5. Trine
6. Alma
7. Olivet
WOMEN’S RECAP
Like the men, the Calvin women used distance strength and field event power to
pull forward for the first place triumph at the MIAA Field Day at Olivet
College. Calvin claimed individual titles Friday afternoon in the steeplechase,
1,500 meters and 5,000 meters while also winning titles in the shot put and
triple jump.
Junior Jodi Hoekstra (Homer Glen, IL/Chicago Christian HS) had a monster
afternoon, winning the steeplechase in an NCAA III provisional qualifying time
of 10:52.61 while senior Gretchen Braymer (Erie, PA/Collegiate Academy) was
second (10:56.60) and freshman Alyssa Oram (Cheboygan, MI) fourth (11:30.24).
Braymer then took home the 5,000 meter title, winning with a time of 18:34.08
while Hoekstra was second (18:34.17), freshman Nicole Michmerhuizen
(Holland/Holland Christian HS) sixth (18:59.20) and junior Christine Hartley
(Pewaukee, IL/Lake Country HS) eighth (19:13.89).
In the 1,500 meters, junior Kaitlin Diemer (Caledonia/South Christian HS)
claimed a league title with a first place time of 4:40.89. She was also third
in the 800 meters (2:20.52) while freshman Rebekah Folkema (Renfrew, ON/Renfrew
Collegiate Institute) was fourth (2:21.25).
In the field events, senior Sarah Reasoner (Cambridge, MN/Cambridge-Isanti HS)
won the shot put for the third straight year, winning with a MIAA and Calvin
record heave of 47-2 1/2. Her throw shattered the previous MIAA record of 46-1
set by Lisa Nanninga in 2005 and also broke the Calvin record of 46-11 1/2 -
also set by Nanninga in 2005. Reasoner led a Junior Kelly Peterson (Ramsey,
MN/Anoka HS) also picked up a field event title for Calvin, winning the triple
jump with a jump of 35-11 1/4. She was part of a 1-3-6 Calvin finish as
freshman Hilary Banning (Whitinsville, MA/Whitinsville Christian HS) was third
(35-4) and junior Laura Sybesma (Ceritos, CA/Valley Christian HS) sixth (32-9
1/2). Also coming up with strong performances in the field events for Calvin on
Friday were senior Leigha Oberle (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS)
taking third in the hammer (133-0) and senior Kim Wigboldy (Chandler, AZ/Valley
Christian HS) taking second in the javelin (120-4).
Back on the track, senior Rachel Boerner (Bergenfield, NJ/Hillcrest Lutheran
Academy) repeated as league champion in the 400 meters, winning with a time of
57.24. Freshman Julie Busscher (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) had a strong
day in the sprints, winning the 200 meters (26.55) while placing second in the
100 meters with a season-best time of 12.66. Junior Lindsey VanderBrug
(Elmhurst, IL/Timothy Christian HS) added a third place finish in the 100 meter
hurdles (15.93) while junior Jordan Gabrielse (Allendale/Unity Christian HS)
was second in the 400 meter hurdles (1:07.04).
MIAA WOMEN’S FIELD DAY FINAL SCORES
Calvin 284
Hope 217.50
Alma 85
Adrian 77
Olivet 54
Albion 43.5
Trine 13
FINAL MIAA WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD STANDINGS
1. Calvin
2. Hope
3. Adrian
4. Alma
5. Albion
6. Olivet
7. Trine
BASEBALL

Calvin dropped both ends of a doubleheader to visiting Alma on Friday, falling
9-4 in eight innings in game one and 4-2 in game two. In game one, Calvin
mounted a comeback to tie the game 4-4 and had the bases loaded with one out in
the seventh but could not bring home the winning run. Alma then scored five
times in the top of the eighth to pull away. In game two, Calvin held a 2-0
lead but Alma scored four runs in the top of the seventh with three of the runs
unearned to gain a come-from-behind win. The Knights are now just a game ahead
of the Scots in the MIAA standings at 14-12 in league play.
GAME RECAPS
By Sports Information Student Assistant Andrew Knot
Calvin fell in extra innings on Friday, dropping a 9-4 result in the first
game of a doubleheader against Alma.
The Scots got on the board early with two runs in top of the first. Adam
Rezmer knocked in two runs down the right field line. Calvin would remain
scoreless until the fourth inning. By then, Alma had tallied two more runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, sophomore Tyler Tos scored on an error, making the
score 4-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Knights threatened once again. Calvin loaded
the bases with no outs and scored on a wild pitch. Then, with the bases
loaded, junior Jake Van Alten was pegged not once, but twice, at the plate.
Both times, however, he wasn’t awarded a base, with the umpire ruling that Van
Alten didn’t adequately avoid the pitch. On the subsequent pitch, Van Alten
was then called out on strikes on a controversial strike three, ending the
Calvin threat.
The Knights left the inning after scoring just one run, but with a new sense
of energy. Calvin responded in the bottom of the sixth two game-tying runs.
Peter Steiner slapped a triple to right center field and Scott Tipton also
batted in a run.
Tied up in the seventh, Calvin managed to load the bases. Calvin loaded the
bases with one outs. The Knights were unable to score.
The Scots broke the game open in the top of the eighth. Alma put up five
runs, a few of them aided by Calvin errors. The Knights were unable to muster
up an answer in the bottom half of the inning on the short end of a 9-4 score.
In the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, the Knights lost to Alma in
late-game fashion.
Calvin put the first two runners on base in the bottom half of the first
inning. Ben Cok then laid down a bunt to advance the runners to second and
third with one out. The Knights were unable to bring the runs across however,
and entered the second inning with no score.
Again in the second, Calvin put runners on first and second but couldn’t come
away with any runs.
Alma responded with runners on first and second in the top of the third, but
senior Peter Steiner got out of the inning by forcing a ground out to second.
The game remained scoreless entering the fourth inning.
Sophomore Tyler Tos knocked a base hit to center field. Tos then stole second
and Steve VanderMolen drew a walk to first. Mike Fuller and Tos then executed
a picture-perfect hit and run to score the game’s first run. The fourth inning
ended after VanderMolen was called out at the plate.
Meanwhile, Steiner was efficiently managing the game from the mound. Entering
the seventh inning, Steiner had scattered four hits and kept the Scots off the
board.
Then, with runners on the corners and two outs in the sixth, Mike Fuller
sliced a base hit down the third base line and scored Trent Zwiers.
But Alma clawed back in the top of the seventh. The Scots posted four runs in
the top of the inning. Calvin threatened in the bottom of the seventh by
loading the bases, but failing once more to bring the runs across.
MIAA BASEBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 5-6-11 GAMES

Adrian 22-2
Hope 14-10
Calvin 14-12
Alma 13-13
Albion 12-14
Kalamazoo 10-16
Trine 10-16
Olivet 7-19
Received on Fri May 6 23:44:08 2011