CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR DECEMBER 7, 2013
Swimming and Diving Teams Wrap up Competition at Calvin Winter Invitational;
Men's Basketball Throttles Wheaton at MIAA/CCIW Challenge;
Women's Basketball Stretches Win Streak to Three With Win at Trine
MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
The Calvin men's swimming and diving team completed its most successful performance at its own Calvin Winter Invitational Saturday night, finishing second in the final standings with an overall team score of 583 points. Grand Valley State won the men's competition with a first place team score of 1,320 points.
On Saturday, Calvin continued to shatter school records and post NCAA III B' cut qualifying times. In the morning prelims, sophomore Johnson Cochran (Mount Vernon, OH/Mount Vernon HS) broke his own school record in the 200 breaststroke with an NCAA III B' cut qualifying time of 2:03.56. In the evening finals, he broke the record again, taking second with a time of 2:03.27. In the 500 freestyle, sophomore Aaron Venema (Grand Haven/Grand Haven HS) crushed the school record with an NCAA III B' cut qualifying time of 4:35.44, breaking the previous school mark of 4:38.37 set by A.J. Penninga in 2003. Venema's time was good for third place.
In the 200 medley relay, Calvin's team of freshman Brett Stoughton (Centerville, IN/Centerville HS), Cochran, senior Peter Johnson (Oak Forest, IL/Home Schooled) and senior Andrew Mitchell (Iron Mountain/Kingsford HS) raced to a school record and NCAA III B' cut qualifying time of 1:32.83. The time breaks the previous school record of 1:33.75 set in 2002.
Yet another school record was broken by Mitchell in the morning prelims in the 100 freestyle as he cruised to a time of 46.06, breaking the previous record of 46.21 set by Brad White in 2002. Mitchell later took fourth in the evening finals with a time of 46.35.
In the 100 butterfly, Stoughton raced to a third place finish in a season-best time of 50.47.
In the 200 breaststroke, Cochran was one of two Calvin swimmers to reach the championship finals as junior Travis Vincent (Novi/Novi HS) was seventh in a time of 2:09.84.
In the 200 IM, Stoughton was fourth (1:56.41) and Vincent fifth (1:56.83) while Cochran took seventh (1:59.47).
Finally, Calvin's 400 freestyle relay team of sophomore Mitch Schroder (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS), Mitchell, Stoughton and junior Alex Baumann (Holland/Holland Christian HS) took third in a season-best time of 3:05.10.
Calvin also received valuable points from freshman diver Dirk Tanis (Holland/Holland Christian HS) who was fifth on the three-meter board with a score of 311.05 points.
"It was an incredible weekend of performances by our men's team," said Calvin head swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "I can't say enough good things about each and every one of them. We still have a long way to go in the season but this was a huge momentum boost for our team and our program."
Calvin will now prepare for its Christmas break trip December 31-to-January 7 in Puerto Rico.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
The Calvin women's swimming and diving team completed a stellar weekend of competition on Saturday, finishing third at its own Calvin Winter Invitational with a final team score of 593 points. Grand Valley State won the women's competition with 1,193 points while Northern Michigan was second with 742.5 points.
A highlight of the day was turned in by sophomore Michaela Rookus (Hudsonville/Hudsonville HS) as she broke Becky Weima's school record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 58.04. Weima's previous school record time was 58.47.
Rookus later took third in the 200 IM with a time of 2:08.38.
In the 500 freestyle, junior Kathryn Wrobel (Arden Hills, MN/Moundsview HS) had a season-best time of 5:10.29 in the morning prelims and then took sixth in the evening finals with a time of 5:17.05.
In the 200 backstroke, junior Erika Waugh (Berne, IN/South Adams HS) took fourth in a time of 2:07.77 after clocking a season-best time of 2:06.87 in the morning prelims.
Junior Lexi Scott (Richmond, IN/Richmond HS) had a sixth place finish in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:26.82 and was later sixth in the 200 IM with a time of 2:10.74.
Calvin's 200 medley relay of senior Kristy Kinzer (Fort Wayne, IN/Homestead HS), Rookus, Scott and freshman Adrienne Wesselius (Sioux Center, IA/Unity Christian HS) took seventh in 1:48.54 while its 400 freestyle relay team of Rookus, senior Margaret Rechel (Worthington, OH/Thomas Worthington HS), Kinzer and Wrobel took fourth in a time of 3:36.03.
In the women's one-meter diving, junior Rebecca Mumby (Spring Lake/Spring Lake HS) took fifth (347.10) while freshman Becky Freed (Rochester, Hills/Rochester Stoney Creek HS) was eighth (328.15).
"I was very pleased with our how our women competing all three days during this meet," said Calvin head swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "It wasn't just our top swimmers that led us - it was also several in the consolation swims. We are looking forward to continuing our improvement over the second half of the season."
Calvin will now prepare for its Christmas break trip December 31-to-January 7 in Puerto Rico.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 78, Wheaton 51
By Mark DeHaan
Calvin faced off against fellow top-25 ranked opponent Wheaton on Saturday afternoon on the second day of MIAA/CCIW Challenge. The Knights came in ranked ninth nationally while Wheaton came in ranked 13th.
Playing arguably its most complete half of the season in the first half, Calvin took the lead early and did not look back, claiming a 78-51 victory. The final score marked Calvin's largest-ever margin of victory over Wheaton in men's basketball and snapped a seven-game losing streak against Wheaton dating back to 2005.
The Knights (6-2) took an early double-digit advantage at 24-12, hitting 10 out of 11 shots to open up the game.
Calvin's defense continued to play strong, and Wheaton (5-3) was held to a single field goal for the final 10 minutes of the first half while the Knights opened up a 45-21 lead by halftime.
Calvin shot 68% in the first half while the Thunder shot just 25%. Wheaton was 2-for-15 from three-point range in the opening half.
In the second half, the Knights continued to hold the Thunder in check despite the large lead. Wheaton never came any closer than 21, and Calvin claimed an impressive 78-51 victory. The 27-point margin was Calvin's largest ever margin of victory over the Thunder.
Sophomore Jordan Daley and senior Tyler Kruis led the Knights with 17 points each. Daley's point total tied a career high. Junior Jordan Brink added 16 points.
Tyler Peters led all scorers with 21 points for Wheaton while Brayden Teuscher had 15.
"That was pretty much the total package for us today. Our intensity for 40 minutes was really good. Our confidence and our trust and our system and ourselves; all that matched together and ended it being a pretty good result," said head coach Kevin VandeStreek. "It is hard to be up 24 at half time against a good team. You sometimes get a tendency to be passive, but I felt we had guys step up and make plays."
The Knights now look forward to next week Saturday when they welcome Finlandia to Van Noord Arena. Next Saturday's contest will start at 3 p.m.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 68, Trine 63
ANGOLA, IN - The Calvin women's basketball team stretched its win streak to three games with a 68-63 conference victory at Trine University Saturday afternoon.
Calvin led 40-26 at halftime and continued to hold a double-digit lead with five-and-a-half minutes remaining but a series of missed free throws by the Knights allowed Trine (1-5 overall, 0-1 MIAA) to creep to within three points with 19 seconds remaining at 66-63.
Junior Hannah Acre (DeWitt/DeWitt HS) iced the game with a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining as the Knights held on for the win.
Calvin (5-2 overall, 2-1 MIAA) received 19 points from junior Breanna Verkaik (Holland/Holland Christian HS) while junior Kayla Engelhard (Unionville/Saginaw Valley Lutheran HS) and Acre had 16 points apiece.
Junior Maria DeKuiper (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian HS) added nine points and five rebounds.
Trine was led by Kelsey Henselmeier with 22 points while Alivia Recker had 14 points and Amy Newell 10 points.
Calvin was 24-of-30 at the free throw line but missed three free throw attempts in the closing minutes.
Calvin also forced Trine into 22 turnovers with the Knights holding a 42-32 rebounding advantage.
"Any time you can get a victory at Trine it's a good win," said Calvin women's basketball coach John Ross. "Coach (Steve) Mix does a great job with his team and they always present a challenge for us. We have some things to work on but we'll take the win, particularly since we are close to exams. I like the way this team is coming together."
Calvin returns to action on December 19 when it travels to Illinois Wesleyan for a 7 p.m. contest.
Received on Sun Dec 8 00:13:59 2013
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