CKSR (Nicole Michmerhuizen Named Recipient of MIAA's Sheila Wallace Kovalchick Scholar-Athlete Award)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR JUNE 5, 2014

Nicole Michmerhuizen Named Recipient of Sheila Wallace Kovalchik Scholar-Athlete Award

ROYAL OAK, Mich. - Awards by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association to the outstanding senior scholar-athletes from its member schools during the 2013-14 academic year have been announced by Commissioner David Neilson.
Mark Ghafari of Kalamazoo College has received the Albert L. Deal Scholar-Athlete Award, while Nicole Michmerhuizen of Calvin College has been presented the Sheila Wallace Kovalchik Scholar-Athlete Award.
"Mark and Nicole have had marvelous careers these last four years in the classroom, on the field of competition, and as role models in our conference. Their selection for these awards from such an exceptional group of nominees is an achievement for which they should take great pride," Commissioner Neilson said.
The awards recognize senior class athletes who have excelled in academics and athletics, as well as displayed outstanding leadership in their respective communities. The awards honor two former MIAA commissioners, Albert Deal (1971-91) and Sheila Wallace Kovalchik (1991-2002).

Nicole Michmerhuizen Bio
A native of Holland, Mich. and graduate of Holland Christian High School, Nicole Michmerhuizen was an eight-time letter winner as a student-athlete at Calvin, four in cross country and four in track and field. She was a five-time All-MIAA selection during her career, three times in track and field and twice in cross country.

In track and field, Michmerhuizen was a four-time MIAA champion, four-time national qualifier and three-time All-American. She won the women's 10,000-meter run in 2012 and again this year, setting a new MIAA record in the event with a time of 35:35.10. She broke a 20-year-old MIAA record in the women's 5,000 meters in 2013, posting a time of 17:08.23, and repeated as champion in the event this year at Field Day. She won the national championship in the 10,000 meters at last year's NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships and finished second in the event at this year's nationals. She placed second in the women's 5,000 meters at the 2013 Division III indoor track and field finals.

In cross country, Michmerhuizen won MIAA Most Valuable Runner honors in 2012 as she led the Knights to the conference championship, finishing 17 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor at the championship meet.

Michmerhuizen graduated in May from Calvin with a double major in chemical engineering and biology, finishing with a 3.99 grade point average. She was on the Dean's List at Calvin all four years and a four-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. She has twice been named to the Capital One NCAA Division III Academic All-America Team in track and cross country - a third-team selection in 2012 and a first-team selection last year. She was earlier this year selected to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, which she will use to pursue her Ph.d in pharmacology at the University of Michigan.

In addition, Michmehuizen received the prestigious Goldwater Research Scholarship last year, which she used to work with a Calvin professor to research DNA traits associated with a person's predisposition to developing Type 1 diabetes. She has been published as first author on research articles in the Journal of Physical Chemistry and Biophysical Journal, and twice presented posters at the annual Biophysical Society meeting.

Michmerhuizen was also involved in campus and community activities as a Calvin student. She was a member of the college's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, volunteered for Special Olympics, served at a homeless shelter and was a Sunday School teacher. She also served on a student-advisory committee that evaluated candidates for an opening in Calvin's chemistry department.

Nicole Michmerhuizen is the daughter of Mark and Tammy Michmerhuizen of Holland, Mich.

Michmerhuizen is the is the eighth individual from Calvin to receive the Kovalchik Award as Carissa Verkaik (2013), Rebecca Kamp (2012), Melissa Oosterhouse (2011), Sarah Wittingen (2008), Lisa Winkle (2007), Christine Hendricks (2006) and Annie VanderLaan (2003) were all previously so honored.
Received on Thu Jun 5 12:35:55 2014