CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 2, 2014
Track and Field Teams Win MIAA Titles;
Baseball Takes Two From Adrian in Dramatic Fashion;
Softball Bows Out of MIAA Tournament
(Editor's Note - All-Conference Information on Men's and Women's Tennis and Women's Lacrosse will be sent out later on Saturday)
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
ALMA, Mich. - The Calvin women's track and field team continued its MIAA dominance, capturing its 25th consecutive MIAA title including its 29th overall. The Knights finished with a first place total of 274.5 points with Hope second with 185.5 points.
Calvin's current string of 25 consecutive MIAA titles is the longest active championship streak in MIAA women's athletics history and dates back to 1990. During that streak, Calvin has shared the title only three times and won it outright on 22 occassions.
Calvin used depth and first place power on Friday to pull away for the league crown.
Senior Julie Busscher (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) repeated as league champion in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes. She won the 100 meters in 12.57 and then won the 200 meters in a career-best time of 24.99. Her 200 meter time currently places her 12th on the NCAA III qualifying list.
Senior Hilary Banning (Whitinsville, MA/Whitinsville Christian HS) was also a double-winner at the meet. One day after winning the long jump, she claimed the triple jump title, cranking out a jump of 37-5 1/4. She was part of a 1-2 Calvin finish in the event as freshman Carissa Weiss (Mount Prospect, IL/Mount Prospect HS) was second in 34-8 1/2.
In the javelin, senior Lauren Madden (Orland Park, IL/Chicago Christian HS) repeated as league chamion, winning with a throw of 119-5. She led a 1-3-5 Calvin finish as junior Jordyn Platt (Wood dale, IL/Timothy Christian HS) was third (109-6) and junior Haley Stadnikia (Jackson/Northwest HS) was fifth (109-1).
In the 400 meter hurdles, Calvin went 1-2-3 as junior Breanna Verkaik (Holland/Holland Chrisistian HS) won with a career-best time of 1:04.00 while junior Kelley Tuinenga (Grand Rapids/South Christian HS) was second (1:05.74) and sophomore Kally Verkaik (Holland/Holland Chrisitan HS) third in 1:06.11.
Kally Verkaik also added a second place finish in the 100 meter hurdles in a time of 15.61.
In the steeplechase, junior Paige McGahan (Brighton/Brighton HS) continued her strong outdoor track season, winning with a career-best time of 11:08.34 that places her 25th on the NCAA III qualifying list. She was part of a 1-3-4 Calvin finish as senior Alyssa Oram (Cheboygan/Home Schooled) was third (11:17.01) and junior Kimby Penning (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) fourth (11:30.19).
In the 5,000 meters, freshman Cassie Vince (Amherst, OH/Amherst HS) led a 1-2 Calvin finish, winning in a time of 17:32.71 while junior Sarah Danner (Watkins Glen, NY/Charles Dickerson HS) was second in 17:46.99).
Calvin capped off the meet in the 4x400 meter relay as its team of Tuinenga, senior Olivia Butler (Grant/Grant HS), senior Stephanie Bennett (Rockford, IL/Christian Life Center) and Breanna Verkaik took second in a time of 4:01.43.
"I thought our women's team was outstanding over the last two days," said Calvin head track and field coach Bret Otte. "Our seniors led the way by our underclassmen also stepped up in a big way. We have a very unselfish and giving team. When no one cares who gets the credit individually, that's when the team begins to roll and that's the way our women's team has performed this year."
The league title is the fifth under Otte's watch.
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
ALMA, Mich. - The Calvin men's track and field team wrapped up its 39th MIAA title including its 20th in the last 21 years with a impressive two-day performance at the MIAA Field Day competition at Alma College. Calvin concluded competition on Friday with a first place total of 210 points, finishing 52 points ahead of second place Hope.
Calvin used strength across the board in the field events to pull away for the team title as the Knights piled up 113 points in the field events over the two days of competition.
Junior Erik Holstege (Keswick, VA/Monticello HS) was a catalyst for the Knights as he surprised the field on Friday by winning the triple jump with a career-best leap of 43-6 after entering the competition unseeded. Holstege's winning jump came one day after he had placed second in the long jump. Earlier on Friday, he also placed fourth in the high jump (5-10 1/4) while also winning the 110 high hurdles (15.07), placing eighth in the 200 meters (23.35) and leading off Calvin's 4x100 meter relay team of sophomore Joel Brouwer (Elmhurst, IL/Timothy Christian HS), sophomore Cole Evans (Chicago, IL/Walther Lutheran HS) and senior Carter Holthouse (Willard, OH/Willard HS) to a third place time of 43.22.
In the discus, Calvin pulled off a 1-4-5 finish as senior Ben de Waal Malefyt (Midland Park, NJ/Eastern Christian HS) took first place with a toss of 158-5 while senior Andrew Dykstra (Whitinsville, MA/Whitsinville Christian HS) was fourth (133-9) and sophomore Eric Jipping (Canton/Plymouth Christian HS) fifth (130-3).
In the high jump, freshman Jeiel Burrell (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) took second at a height of 6-4, missing out on the win on total misses. Senior Gerrit VanKlaveren (Sarnia, ON/St. Clair Secondary) also chipped in with a fourth place finish in the triple jump mark of 42-8.
In addition, sophomore David Dadzie (Accra, Ghana/Ghana International School) was sixth in the hammer throw with a heave of 140-11.
Holstege came up with Calvin's lone win on the track Friday but the Knights were solid throughout the day with solid depth.
In the 3,000 meter steeplechase, junior Steven Haagsma (Grandville/Calvin Christian HS) took second in 9:27.06 while senior Stephen Tubergen (Mount Prospect, IL/John Hersey HS) was second in the 1500 meters (4:05.36) while adding a hard-fought seventh place finish in the 800 meters (1:59.59).
In the 400 meters, freshman Blake DeGroot (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) took third in a time of 50.51. In the 5,000 meters, sophomore Ethan Anderson (Stillwater, MN/Stillwater Area HS) ran a strong race, placing second in 15:18.79 while senior Philip Spitzer (Kingsley/Buckley HS) was fourth (15:28.27) and freshman Nathan VanHaitsma (Olympia, WA/Olympia HS) was fifth (15:37.90).
Calvin capped off the meet with a fourth place finish in the 4x400 meter relay as the team of Brouwer, sophomore Justin Dykema (Zeeland/Unity Christian HS), freshman Andrew Woznick (Rockford/Rockford HS) and DeGroot clocked in with a time of 3:26.03.
"I think we did very well on the track but I think the field events made the last couple of days for us," said Calvin head track and field coach Bret Otte. "I think our guys in the field events really jelled and gave us a big boost and made the margin of victory a little bigger than what we thought it would be. I think the events on the track were as competitive throughout the league than they have been in a long time and I think we did a good job of holding of our own."
The league title is the fourth in men's track and field under head coach Bret Otte. "Winning a league championship is not something we take for granted," said Otte. "Our senior group really came together this year and pushed the train to make this (championship) happen. Our seniors were very unselfish and selfless and that made all the difference."
BASEBALL
Calvin 3, Adrian 2
Calvin 6, Adrian 5
(By Mark DeHaan)
The Calvin men's baseball team hosted the Bulldogs of Adrian on Friday afternoon. The Knights were looking to keep one game ahead of Hope to stay in second place.
Calvin did its best to hold on to the second place position with its play on Friday. Receiving strong pitching in both games, the Knights earned a pair of walk-off wins by scores of 3-2 and 6-5 to steal two games from the first-place Bulldogs.
Friday was also senior day for the Knights as Louis Hill, Jack Jorgenson, Cory Laster, Matt Schepel, Kyle Spoelma, Grant VanderWall, and Jeff Victor were honored between games.
In game one, Adrian took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, a run which was answered by the Knights in the bottom of the second.
The Bulldogs scored another in the top of the third to again go up a run, and Adrian again threatened in the fifth.
With runners on second and third with two outs, a Bulldogs batter hit a ball into left field, which appeared to be a sure hit and two runs scored - but, a diving catch by senior Matt Schepel, looking over his shoulder, gave Calvin the important third out and kept the Knights only down one run.
Calvin's offense capitalized on the momentum, scoring in the bottom half of the inning the tie the game at 2-2.
In the seventh, the Knights loaded the bases after an error by the Adrian defense. Junior Peter Cupery then hit a single into centerfield, which scored sophomore Travis Kraai, and Calvin claimed a 3-2 walk-off win in the first game.
Senior Cory Laster earned the win, scattering eight hits, giving up two earned runs and striking out three. Kraai went 2-for-2 from the plate, scoring two runs, while Schepel was 2-for-4 with one RBI to go with his highlight-reel grab.
For Adrian, Sam Fischer went 3-for-4 with one run scored, while Ryan Dorow was 2-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI.
In game two, Schepel continued his strong Senior Day in the third inning. Walking into the batter's box with the bases loaded, Schepel hit a deep fly ball on a 1-1 count which carried over the right-center field wall for a grand slam home run and a 4-0 Calvin lead.
In the top of the fifth, Adrian scored three to cut the Knights lead to 4-3, two on a single by Fischer.
After a scoreless bottom of the fifth for Calvin, the Bulldogs scored two more in the sixth, and the Knights trailed 5-4.
The top of the seventh then saw Calvin get off to a promising start. Junior Grant Van Putten hit a leadoff double down the first base line, which was followed up by a RBI single from junior Ben Wohl to tie the game at 5-5.
Two walks and two outs then brought sophomore Jordan VanderWall up to the plate with the bases loaded with two outs. Just as Cupery had the game before, VanderWall came through in the clutch with a grounder through the right side of the infield which scored Wohl to give the Knights their second walk-off win of the day.
VanPutten and Wohl were each 2-for-4 in game two, each scoring two runs while Wohl added one RBI. Schepel was 1-for-2 with two walks, one run scored, and four RBI. Junior Ben Guilfoyle got the win on the mound, pitching two innings of relief, allowing just one hit.
Fischer was 1-for-3 with three RBI in the second game for the Bulldogs.
"You couldn't have scripted a better pair of games. I thought we played really well the first game, and ultimately, Peter came through with a big hit and Cory pitched really well. In game two, we got off to a lead, they fought back, but we didn't quit," said head coach John Sparks. "Our seniors are an outstanding group, and you have guys that have played all different roles. All of them are great guys with outstanding character, and I'm really happy to end the regular season this way at home for them."
Calvin improves to 17-9 in the MIAA and 25-13 overall with the wins, earning it's highest win total since 2008. The Bulldogs fall to 20-6 in league play and 26-12 overall.
The Knights will travel to Adrian tomorrow for two more games. The first game of the twinbill is set to start at 1:00 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Hope 15, Calvin 12
Trine 10, Calvin 1
ANGOLA, Ind. - The Calvin softball team saw its season come to an end on Friday as the Knights fell to rival Hope 15-12 in a winner's bracket final game and then dropped a 10-1 decision to top-seed Trine in an elimination game. Calvin finishes the year with an overall record of 22-15 - marking its highest win total since the 2005 season. Calvin was also making its first appearance in the MIAA Tournament since 2005.
The game agaisnt Hope concluded Friday morning after being suspended due to darkness Thursday night after the top of the sixth, with Hope leading 13-11 at the time of the suspension. Hope advances to the 2014 MIAA Championship round.
The back-and-forth-contest saw the two teams combine for 27 hits and eight errors. There were four lead changes in the game.
The Flying Dutch scored six runs and batted around in the second-inning. All of the runs scored with two outs. Calvin returned the favor with a big third inning, scoring eight runs of their own and batting around in the process.
The teams exchanged leads and each added to their totals before Hope took the lead for good with a three-run sixth. Kelsey Cooper came in to score on a double-steal to tie the score at 11-11. Emma Page executed a squeeze-play to score Sammi Adams and give the Dutch the lead for good. Julie Sobieski added an infield single.
Hope added two more insurance runs in the seventh. Calvin rallied to push across a run in the bottom of the inning, but Kate Laverty shut the door to earn the save.
Sobieski had a banner day for Hope, finishing 5-for-5 with seven RBI's. Autumn Anderson finished 2-for-6 with two RBI's. Cooper also finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
Ashley Jakus and Merin Cok each drove in three runs with three-hit days for the Knights.
Trine then broke out the bats in a 10-1 five-inning victory over Calvin by run-rule to eliminate the Knights from the 2014 MIAA Tournament.
TU hit three home runs and scored eight runs in the opening two innings to build an early lead that proved too much for the Knights to overcome.
Trine wasted no time getting on the board. RBI-singles by Kaitlyn Clark and Kendra Marshall made the score 2-0. Rachel Harris capped the inning with a two-run bomb to chase Knights starter Cassidy Vlot before she could record an out. Vlot had held the top offense in the conference to one run in the Knights' 5-1 upset-victory yesterday.
The power surge continued for the Thunder in the second. With runners on second and third, Clark launched a three-run bomb to left. Marshall followed with a solo shot for back-to-back home runs to make the score 8-1.
The Thunder tacked on single runs in third and fourth. Bree Fuller picked up the win in the circle with five innings of work. She surrendered a run on three hits, walked one and struck out five. The junior is 20-1 on the season.
Vlot picked up Calvin's lone-RBI in the bottom of the first with a run-scoring single. Vlot had a strong tournament for the Knights with a victory in the circle and four RBI's.
Clark finished 3-for-4 with four RBI's. Marshall drove in three runs on two hits, while Harris had two RBI's for Trine.
Despite the pair of defeats, Calvin first-year head coach Tim Syrek was upbeat at the conclusion of the tournament.
"Heading into this season we had three main goals," said Syrek. "Our first goal was to reach 20 wins. Our second goal was to get back to the MIAA Tournament and our third goal was to get a signature win. With our win over Trine yesterday, we finished off completing all three goals. We are pleased with the season but not satisfied. This team never quit and made this season a successful one. Our goal now is to keep building for the future and I am confident that we will do that."
The losses to Hope and Trine on Saturday concluded the collegiate careers of Calvin seniors Ashley Jakus, Caitlin Callow, Lina Avila and Janelle Agren.
Calvin also held the distinction of being the only MIAA team during the season to defeat Trine as the Thunder went 16-0 in the regular season. After losing to Calvin on Thursday, the Thunder proceeded to defeat Olivet, Calvin and then Hope twice out of the loser's bracket to win the MIAA Tournament title. Trine gains the MIAA's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA III Tournament.
Received on Sat May 3 02:00:52 2014
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