CKSR (Track & Field Teams Take Early Lead at MIAA Field Day/Tennis Teams Split vs Hope in MIAA Tournament Action)

From: Jeffrey Febus <jfebus@calvin.edu>
Date: Thu May 02 2013 - 22:44:34 EDT

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 2, 2013
 
Track and Field Teams Take Early Lead at MIAA Field Day;
Men's Tennis Edges Hope in MIAA Tournament Semifinals;
Women's Tennis Falls to Hope in MIAA Tournament Semis
 
TRACK AND FIELD
 
HOLLAND - The Calvin men's and women's track and field teams moved into first
place on the first day of competition at the MIAA Field Day hosted by Hope
College. The MIAA Field Day is worth one-half of the final league crown. The
MIAA Jamboree - held three weeks ago - makes up the remaining half. Both Calvin
teams took first place at the earlier MIAA Jamboree.
 
Through one day of competition, the Calvin men's team has 72 points, 38 points
ahead of Hope while the Calvin women's team has 62.5 points with Alma second
with 58 points.
 
Ranked 24th nationally, the Calvin men took first place in just one event on
Thursday but flashed strong depth throughout the day to pile up an early first
place point total. Senior David VandeBunte led the charge by winning the 10,000
meters in a time of 31:17.38 while sophomore Jacob Kuyvenhoven was third
(32:02.68) and senior Kevin Peterson fourth (32:16.68). Senior Alex VanHaitsma
was also sixth.
 
Sophomore Erik Holstege also continued to excel, placing third in the long
jump (21-4) while gaining the top seed in the 110 high hurdles out the prelims
(15.36) while also advancing into the 200 meter finals with a prelims time of
22.95. Holstege was one of three Calvin runners to advance to the finals in
the 110 high hurdles as sophomore Calvin Kuyers was third and freshman Joel
Ooms fifth. Kuyers and Ooms also went 3-4 in the prelims of the 400 meter
hurdles.
 
Field events were a strength for the Calvin men as Holstege was one of three
Knights to score in the long jump. In the men's discus, senior Aaron Meckes was
third (51-7) and junior Andrew Dykstra fifth. Dykstra was also third in the
javelin (168-6) and freshman David Dadzie fourth.
 
in the pole vault, junior Evert Geerlings was one of four Calvin Knights to
score points with Geerlings third (13-5), freshman Luke Wolters fourth (12-9),
freshman Will Hobson fifth (12-9) and freshman Collin Martin seventh (12-0).
 
"I thought we had a strong first day," said Calvin head coach Bret Otte. "We
filled some gaps that were weaknesses a year ago. Our men's team has put
together a strong push to win a championship. We've put ourselves in good
position. Now we just have to go out and give it our best tomorrow."
 
On the women's side, Calvin took first place in two events Thursday. Senior
Carissa Verkaik got the day rolling by winning the high jump for the third
consecutive year, doing so with a jump of 5-3. She was one of three Calvin high
jumpers to score points as sophomore Christina Geating was second and sophomore
Kelley Tuinenga seventh.
 
Geating then continued on to win the pole vault (10-4 1/2) while sophomore
Carmen Bilbao was third and freshman Daisy Peters fifth.
 
In the 10,000 meters, sophomore Sarah Danner took second (38:17) while
sophomore Hannah Kregel was fifth and junior Natalie Patterson sixth.
 
In the long jump, freshman Kara Steenstra was fourth and junior Hilary Banning
sixth. In the prelims, junior Julie Busscher had the top time in the 100 meters
(12.95) and the second-fastest in the 200 meters (25.73).
 
"Our women's team continues to be strong in events we have shown strength in
all spring," said Otte. "We have a talented women's team with a lot of balance.
We are looking forward to the competition on Friday."
 
Action continues on Friday at 10 a.m.
 
MEN'S TENNIS
Calvin 5, Hope 4
By Mitch Blankespoor
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Coming off a loss at the hands of the Flying Dutchmen
last week, the Calvin men’s tennis team hosted Hope in the MIAA Tournament
semifinals May 2 looking for revenge. The match lasted well over four hours,
and also included a rain delay. Calvin edged Hope, defeated the Flying Dutchmen
5-4 at Strikwerda Tennis Center.

In the previous match at the DeWitt Tennis Center, the Knights lost all three
doubles flights en route to a 6-3 loss at Hope. Calvin was determined to not
fall behind early again.

“We knew we needed to win two of the three doubles flights,” said Calvin head
coach John Ross after the match.

The Knights did not get off to a good start. The Hope third doubles team of
seniors Kyle Kreps (Holland/Holland) and Davis Vander Veen
(Clarkston/Clarkston) won 8-1 over Calvin’s third doubles team of senior Jarrod
Brower (Holland/Holland Christian) and junior John Strikwerda (Holland/Holland
Christian).

Despite being down an early break, Calvin senior Brian DeMaagd
(Grandville/Calvin Christian) and junior Loukas Peterson (Brentwood,
TN/Brentwood) rebounded to defeat Hope senior Jason Muller (Petoskey/Petoskey)
and junior Parker Bussies (Zeeland/Zeeland West) 8-6 at second doubles.

Calvin seniors Preston Phillips (Bexley, OH/Bexley) and Phil Reinken (Morton,
IL/Morton) got up an early break at first doubles and held serve to defeat Hope
seniors Bobby Cawood (East Lansing/East Lansing) and Gabe Casher (Ann
Arbor/Pioneer) 8-6.

Going into the six singles flights, Calvin needed three flights to win the
match while Hope needed four. Fifth singles was the first to finish. Brower
defeated Hope sophomore Jon Panzer (Rockford/Rockford) 6-0, 6-3.

Hope responded by winning the next two flights in convincing fashion. Cawood
defeated DeMaagd 6-2, 6-0 at first singles while Muller defeated Reinken 6-0,
6-2 at third singles.

Calvin regained the 4-3 lead in the match when Phillips defeated Bussies 6-4,
7-5 despite being down 5-2 in the second set.

Once again, Hope answered under pressure tying the match 4-4 when sophomore
Cody Herbruck (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Central) defeated Calvin sophomore Tom
Griffin (Elmhurst, IL/Timothy Christian) 6-0, 7-6 (7).

The fourth singles match between Kreps and Peterson would decide who would
advance to the finals. Peterson won the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (4). Kreps
was broken at 6-5 in the second set to force another tiebreak. Peterson won the
first two points, but Kreps responded with the next three.

Then Mother Nature intervened. The rain turned from light to heavy, and forced
the match to be delayed.

After a 30-minute delay, both players took back to the Striwkerda Tennis
Center courts. Peterson won the first two points to make the score 4-3. Kreps
forced the score to 6-6, and won the next two points to force a third set.

In the third set, Peterson broke Kreps at love in the first game. Both players
held serve until Kreps stepped up to the service line down 5-3 and 15-40. The
lefty saved the first match point, but a cross-court forward when long on the
second point. Peterson defeated Kreps 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 6-3 to clinch the
match.

The victory for Peterson over Kreps was his second in as many matches.
Peterson defeated Kreps 7-6 (2), 7-5 April 23 at the DeWitt Tennis Center.

“I give Loukas [Peterson] a ton of credit,” Ross said. “Kyle [Kreps] is one of
the toughest competitors in the conference.”

Calvin improves to 14-5 on the season and is also 5-1 in the MIAA. The Knights
earn a birth in the MIAA Tournament final for the third consecutive year.
Calvin will travel Kalamazoo to take on the Hornets tomorrow, May 3, for a 4:00
p.m. match at Stowe Tennis Stadium.
 
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Hope 5, Calvin 0
Story by Mitch Blankespoor

HOLLAND, Mich. – The Calvin women’s tennis team saw its season come to an end
Thursday, May 2, on the campus of Hope College. The Knights fell 5-0 to the
Flying Dutch in the MIAA Tournament semifinals.

In a match played at Vande Poel-Herrings Stadium, Hope won all three doubles
flights. Calvin did put up a fight in two of the three flights, however.
Seniors Jordan Ipema (Kalamazoo/Kalamazoo Christian) and Elise Doezema (Grand
Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) fell to Melissa Bieri (Holland/Holland
Christian) and Anna Garcia (Battle Creek/Lakeview) 8-6 at second doubles.

Calvin sophomores Samantha Reitsma (Grand Rapids/Northpointe Christian) and
Ali Roode (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) were defeated by Stephanie Huffman
(Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Eastern) and Andrea Pickelman (Marshall/Marshall)
8-5 at third doubles.

Hope needed to win only two singles flights to clinch the match. The Flying
Dutch won the first two matches off the courts. Casey Baxter (Saline/Saline)
defeated Ipema 6-1, 6-1 at second singles. Leah LaBarge
(Hudsonville/Hudsonville) defeated Calvin junior Bethany Zoerhof
(Holland/Holland Christian) 6-2, 6-1 at fourth singles. The match was played
to decision.

Calvin finishes its season with a 6-11 record including a 4-4 mark in MIAA
regular season play.
Received on Thu May 2 22:45:51 2013

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