CKSR (Calvin Swimming and Diving Teams Take Fourth Place at Calvin Winter Invite;Men's Basketball Falls to Carthage at CCIW/MIAA Challenge)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR DEC. 1, 2012

Calvin Swimming and Diving Teams Take Fourth Place at Calvin Winter Invite;
Men's Basketball Falls to Carthage at CCIW/MIAA Challenge

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

By Mark DeHaan
The Calvin Winter Invitational concluded Saturday evening after its third day
of competition. Another strong day in the pool for the Knights saw a number of
top finishes as both teams took fourth in the final team standings.
The Calvin women started the finals portion of the meet with a fifth place
finish in the 400 yard freestyle relay. The relay team of senior Stephie Fox
(Kentwood, Mich./Home Schooled), senior Rachel Colasurdo (Chesapeake, VA/Home
Schooled), freshman Michaela Rookus (Hudsonville/Hudsonville HS) and sophomore
Kathryn Wrobel (Arden Hills, MN/Moundsview HS) swam the race in 3:36.81. In the
200 yard medley relay, the team of senior Kristy Kinzer (Fort Wayne,
IN/Homestead HS), senior Elizabeth Counsell (Indianapolis, IN/Heritage
Christian HS), Colasurdo and Rookus finished second in 1:47.14, just off an
NCAA III B’ cut time. In the 500 yard freestyle, Wrobel picked up an eighth
place finish by swimming a 5:17.91.
Sophomore Erika Waugh (Berne, IN/South Adams HS) followed that up with a
record-setting performance in the 200 yard backstroke. Waugh swam the race in
2:05.59, breaking her own school record of 2:06.29 she set last year as a
freshman. She finished second in the race. Her time was also an NCAA III B’ cut
time. Colasurdo continued her strong night in the pool in the 100 yard
butterfly by finishing in 1:00.15, good for sixth. Counsell also had a strong
night, finishing second in the 200 yard backstroke in 2:21.65. Rookus added a
first place finish in the 200 yard IM, finishing in 2:08.97, just missing the
NCAA B’ cut standard.
In the one meter board, senior Sam Klaasen (Holland/Holland Christian HS)
picked up her second first place finish of the invitational with a total score
of 427.95.
On the men’s side, the Knights relay team of junior Andrew Mitchell (Iron
Mountain/Kingsford HS), freshman Johnson Cochran (Mount Vernon, OH/Mount Vernon
HS), junior Peter Johnson (Oak Forest, IL/Home Schooled) and senior Mark
Rushlow (Goshen, IN/Northridge HS) earned a fourth place finish in the 200 yard
medley relay in 1:34.32. Calvin freshmen Aaron Venema (Grand Haven/Grand Haven
HS) and Caleb Meindertsma (Annondale, VA/Trinity Christian HS) added seventh
and eighth place finishes in the 500 yard freestyle in 4:47.56 and 4:48.67,
respectively. Mitchell then claimed a fifth place finish in 1:55.21 in the 200
yard backstroke.
A great swim by Rushlow saw him take second place in the 100 yard butterfly in
49.92. In the morning prelims, he clocked an NCAA III B’ cut time of 49.91. In
the 200 yard breaststroke, Cochran took sixth in 2:10.59 while sophomore Travis
Vincent (Novi/Novi HS) finished seventh in 2:11.17. Rushlow then earned a top
finish in the consolation race, good for ninth overall in the 100 yard
freestyle, finishing in 47.06.
The final swimming event of the invitational was the 200 yard IM. Senior
Stephen Kraft (Warsaw, IN/Home Schooled) took fourth in that event for Calvin,
finishing in 1:59.19 while Vincent took the top spot in the consolation race,
good for ninth overall in 1:59.51.
The final point tallies saw both men and women finish fourth. The Calvin women
totaled 451.5 points, with Grand Valley State University taking first with 824
points. The Calvin men earned 487.5 points over the three days, with Grand
Valley also taking the top spot with 943 points.
“No matter what happens at the meet, it’s always a successful meet because the
team gets to go through the whole process of prelims-finals for two and a half
days. It’s a good test to reiterate what we train for,” said head coach Dan
Gelderloos. “This last evening, we’re highlight by Erika Waugh, set a school
record in the 200 backstroke. Elizabeth Counsell swam a very nice 200
breaststroke and Mark Rushlow had another solid 100 butterfly. Both relays put
up times that are really solid and set us up well for trying to qualify to go
to NCAAs in Texas. It has been a very successful meet.”
The Calvin swim team now looks forward to its annual trip to Florida over
Christmas break before returning to action January 11 and 12 at the University
of Chicago Classic.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Story by Mitch Blankespoor
WHEATON, IL – The Calvin College men’s basketball team faced off against
Carthage College (WI)in the second day of the CCIW/MIAA Challenge. Calvin fell
to Carthage 74-63 at Wheaton’s King Arena. Calvin drops to 6-2 on the season.
The Red Men got off to a good start. Carthage’s hi-low game worked flawlessly
in the first ten minutes. Sophomore forward Luke Johnson (Naperville,
IL/Wheaton Academy) assisted on four Mitchell Thompson (Orland Park,
IL/Sandburg) layups giving Carthage a 24-14 lead ten minutes into the contest.
With the Knights still trailing 27-20 at the 5:35 mark of the first half,
sophomore Jordan Brink (Dyer, IN/Illiana Christian) came back onto the floor
and took over. Brink hit two tough jumpers, one from the baseline and the
other from the elbow, to cut the Red Men’s lead to three. Brink scored eight
of Calvin’s final ten points of the half. Calvin trailed 34-30 at the break.
“We came out lethargic in the first half,” said Calvin head coach Kevin Vande
Streek after the game. “You can’t do that against a good team and expect to
win.”
The Knights wasted no time cutting into the Carthage lead. A tip in from
sophomore forward Tyler Dykstra (Holland/Holland Christian) and two free throws
from junior center Tyler Kruis (Grandville/Calvin Christian) gave Calvin a
39-38 lead, its first since the 16:04 mark in the first half.
In the next ten minutes, Calvin would extend its lead to as many as six
points. Three three pointers from Carthage junior Kevin Sykes Jr. (Tinley
Park, IL/Frankfort-Lincoln-Way North) kept the Red Men within striking
distance.
And strike is exactly what Carthage did. The Red Men ended the game on an
18-3 run. Senior forward Tyler Pierce (Westmont, IL/Westmont HS) scored 11 of
his game-high 23 during this run. Thompson chipped in 15 points, 13 of which
came in the first half. Johnson scored 12 points for the victorious Red Men.
Kruis led the Knights with 18 points and nine rebounds. Brink had 13 points.
Dykstra and senior forward Tom Snikkers (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) had seven
points each.
Calvin will travel to the Upper Peninsula on December 8 to face Finlandia for
an in-region game. Finlandia is coached by former Alma head coach Terry
Smith.
 
 
Received on Sat Dec 1 22:54:33 2012