CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 14, 2015
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
HOLLAND - Forced to dig deep, the Calvin women's swimming and diving team found what it needed to claim its 11th consecutive MIAA title Saturday night at the Holland Aquatic Center. Calvin concluded the four-day MIAA Championships competition with a first place total of 783 points, holding off rival Hope which placed second with 748 points while Kalamazoo - in the thick of the title hunt throughout the competition - placed third with 700 points.
The MIAA title is the 13th in program history - all under the watch of current head coach Dan Gelderloos. Calvin's current string of 11 consecutive league crowns is the longest streak in MIAA women's swimming and diving history, surpassing the run of 10 consecutive titles recorded by Hope from 1980-to-1989.
Calvin entered Saturday with a 24-point lead over Hope but saw the lead erased on the opening event of the evening as the Flying Dutch put up 42 points in the 1,650 freestyle to Calvin's 13 to take a three-point lead over the Knights.
Calvin responded with a 48-35 swing in the 200 backstroke led by senior Erika Waugh (Berne, IN/South Adams Hs) who won the race in an MIAA and school record time of 2:02.62. Junior Megan Schroder (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) was fourth (2:08.49) and senior Betsy Otten (Sheboygan, WI/Sheboygan County Christian HS) eighth (2:16.77). Waugh's winning time was also an NCAA B' cut time. The swing in points gave Calvin the lead and the Knights never trailed again.
Freshman Abby VanHarn (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) then provided an electric moment in the 100 freestyle, winning in an NCAA B' cut time of 52.14 while freshman Rachel Mattson (Ann Arbor/Ann Arbor Huron HS) was fifth (53.18), sophomore Adrienne Wesselius (Sioux Center, IA/Unity Christian HS) seventh (53.31) and freshman Ana Estrella (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) eighth (54.18).
Calvin then outscored Hope 41-38 in the 200 breaststroke as senior Lexi Scott (Dexter/Dexter HS) took second in a career-best and NCAA B' cut time of 2:23.31 while freshman Klara OH (Kent, WA/Home School) was fourth (2:27.98) and sophomore Nicole Karl (Riverview/Riverview HS) ninth (2:31.03).
In the 200 butterfly, junior Alayna Gallegos (Lakeville, MN/Lakeville HS) made a late bid for the win before finishing in third with an NCAA B' cut time of 2:08.57 while sophomore Karine Rose (Hilton, NY/Hilton HS) was seventh (2:23.34).
Calvin's one-meter diving contingent then delivered 49 points as four divers scored. Freshman Sarah Bradley (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton North HS) was fourth (440.60), senior Rebecca Mumby (Spring Lake/Spring Lake HS) sixth (428.20), freshman Nicole Langerak (Jenison/Jenison HS) seventh (418.95) and sophomore Hillary Glover (Wyoming/Calvin Christian HS) ninth (366.65). During the afternoon prelims, Mumby qualified for the upcoming NCAA III Diving Regionals with a season-best score of 433.75.
The Knights then needed just to swim the 400 freestyle relay clean and they did more than that - winning the race with a time of 3:31.60. The relay included Mattson, Wesselius, Schroder and VanHarn.
"All the credit goes to the young women on this team," said Calvin head swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "They wanted this championship and they were not afraid to go for it no matter what the consequences. We had huge performances this week from our juniors and seniors but we also had huge performances from our freshmen and sophomores. Winning 11 titles in a row is not an easy feat. We've had to beat some very good teams over the years so this is a significant accomplishment for Calvin College."
Gelderloos also noted the contributions from his assistant coaches - diving coach Aaron Paskvan and assistant swim coaches Katie Van Dam and Jordan Schrotenboer. "We could not have done what we did this year without our coaches," said Gelderloos. "They are tremendous and I really mean tremendous. They do so many little things to help develop our young athletes. It's been a total team effort and I think that is what makes this championship all the more rewarding."
MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
HOLLAND - The Calvin men's swimming and diving team made it sweet to repeat, capturing its second consecutive MIAA title on Saturday night, placing first at the MIAA Championships with a commanding first place total of 863 points. Calvin's point total was a 68-point improvement over its 2014 MIAA championship total.
Calvin finished nearly 200 points clear of second place Kalamazoo which tallied 672 points. Hope was third with 642 points.
Calvin crowned four more individual champions on Saturday led by junior Johnson Cochran (Mount Vernon, OH/Mount Vernon HS) who repeated as MIAA champion in the 200 breaststroke, winning with an NCAA B' cut time of 2:01.85. The MIAA champion in the 100 breaststroke the night before, Cochran was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Swimmer at the conclusion of the meet. Cochran is just the second individual in Calvin men's swimming and diving history to be named the MIAA's Most Valuable Swimmer, joining Steve Ruiter who claimed the award in 1983.
Cochran was one of three Knights to swim in the 200 breaststroke finals as senior Travis Vincent (Novi/Novi HS) was sixth (2:10.48) and senior Andrew Vanderlei (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) seventh (2:10.64).
Junior Caleb Meindertsma (Annondale, VA/Trinity Christian HS) and sophomore Brett Stoughton (Centerville, IN/Centerville HS) also repeated as league champions Saturday night with Meindertsma winning the 1,650 freestyle and Stoughton the 200 butterfly.
Meindertsma won the 1,650 freestyle in a school record and NCAA B' cut qualifying time of 15:51.30, missing the MIAA record by three-tenths of a second. Meindertsma led a 1-3-6 Calvin finish in the 1,650 as junior Aaron Venema (Grand Haven/Grand Haven HS) was third (16:36.67) and freshman Max DeYoung (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Eastern HS) sixth (17:11.15).
Stoughton won the 200 butterfly in a career-best and NCAA III B' cut qualifying time of 1:52.56. Freshman Steven Tarske (Pinckney/Pinckney HS) took the consolation final, taking ninth with a time of 2:00.20.
In the 200 backstroke, freshman Skyler Fish (Ionia/Ionia HS) continued to churn his way through the competition, winning the race in an NCAA B' cut qualifying time of 1:51.97. Fish led a 1-3 Calvin finish as freshman Tanner Vincent (Novi/Novi HS) was third in a time of 1:53.79.
In the 100 freestyle, Calvin placed three in the finals with senior Mitch Schroder (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) taking second (46.80), junior Brandon Muma (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Eastern HS) fourth (47.15) and senior Alex Baumann (Holland/Holland Christian HS) seventh (47.53).
Calvin's 400 freestyle relay team of Fish, Tanner Vincent, DeYoung and sophomore Eli Holstege (Keswick, VA/Covenant HS) took fourth in a time of 3:08.86.
"We came out yesterday with a refreshed attitude," said Calvin head swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "I told our guys to relax and have fun. They took that to hard and really let loose the last two days. In some respects I wish we could redo Wednesday night because we were so uptight with such high expectations. I think the thing we learned is that we have to relax, enjoy the competition and let everything else fall in place. When you look at the total picture of this meet, it was a huge success for our team."
MEN'S BASKETBALL
By Mark DeHaan
The Calvin men's basketball team claimed a share of the MIAA regular season title on Saturday but had to wait approximately five hours to do so. Calvin opened the afternoon with a 66-48 win over Trine at Van Noord Arena. Alma then defeated Hope 91-84 Saturday night, allowing Calvin to move two games in front of both Trine and Hope with just two regular season games left on the schedule for all three schools. The MIAA regular season title is Calvin's 31st overall, second in three years and ninth under current head coach Kevin Vande Streek. The Knights also locked up the top seed for the upcoming four-team MIAA Tournament which begins on February 26.
Saturday also saw Calvin honor its four seniors prior to its game against Trine: Jordan Brink, Tyler Dykstra, TJ Huizenga, and Dan Stout.
The Knights held the lead for the entire first half and into the opening minutes of the second. Trine then seemed ready to take the game into its hands when the Thunder took their first lead of the game with 13:23 to go at 39-37. The Knights responded though, and over the remaining time, outscored the Thunder 29-9 to earn a 66-48 win.
Calvin jumped out to a 7-0 advantage behind a pair of layups and a three from senior Tyler Dykstra.
With 13:52 to go in the first, a layup from freshman Connor VanderBrug put the Knights ahead by double-digits at 17-6.
A 12-2 run by the Thunder in the next four minutes then cut Calvin's advantage to 19-18 midway through the first half.
The Knights responded with an 11-5 run, bumping their lead back up to 30-23.
The halftime score then settled at 32-25. Calvin shot 50% in the first half while Trine hit 34.5% of its field goals. Connor VanderBrug led the Knights with nine points while Jake Bagley also scored nine for the Thunder.
In the second half, Trine opened on a 12-5 scoring run to tie the game at 37-37.
Out of a media timeout, the Thunder took their first lead of the ball game on a jumper from Tyler Good at 39-37.
After a three-pointer from Trine put the Knights down five, Calvin regained its offensive touch to outscore the Thunder 10-0 in the next three minutes and regain a 47-42 advantage.
The Knights continue to roll on the offensive end, and with 3:38 remaining, senior Jordan Brink hit a three-pointer that turned out to be the dagger, giving Calvin a 60-46 lead.
The Knights then closed out a 66-48 victory, holding the Thunder to just six points in the final 11:32.
Calvin shot 48.1% for the game, holding Trine to 33.3% shooting. The Knights out-rebounded the Thunder 43-24.
Individually, Brink led Calvin with 17 points. Dykstra added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and VanderBrug contributed 12.
For Trine, Tyler Good scored 15 while Bagley and Jared Holmquist each added 12.
"I thought in the second half we did a good job, we just had a stretch where we couldn't make a shot. Then, all of the sudden, we got a couple in a row, pulled ahead, and our defense did a good job," said head coach Kevin Vande Streek. "We certainly didn't cut a net down today - we have work to do. We want to celebrate and be happy because that's a good team we beat today, but we have two really tough games to come."
The win saw solid performances from all four of Calvin's seniors.
"Our seniors are really hard working guys, so coachable," said Vande Streek. "They bring different talent sets but they mesh so well. They're willing to sacrifice their own minutes and shots for the betterment of the team."
The Knights improve to 17-6 overall and 10-2 in the MIAA, while Trine falls to 15-8 and 8-4.
Calvin now looks forward to Wednesday when it travels to Olivet. The Knights and Comets will tip-off at 6:00 p.m. at the Cutler Events Center.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
The Calvin women's basketball game scheduled to take place at Saint Mary's on Saturday was postponed by weather. It will be made up Monday night (February 16) at 6:30 p.m. at Saint Mary's.
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
By Mark DeHaan
The Calvin College Invitational was held at the Sturrus Indoor Track inside the Huizenga Tennis and Track Center on Saturday on Calvin's campus.
The Knights are preparing for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, which are only a month away on March 13-14 in North Carolina.
Calvin competed against Albion, Aquinas, Hope, and Siena Heights on Saturday.
In the long jump, junior Ayoola Ayooluwa took fourth with a leap of 15' 9¾".
Calvin's first top finish of the night came in the triple jump, where sophomore Carissa Weis won with a jump of 34' 5¾".
In the shot put, junior Stacie Mead took fifth with a throw of 37' 4". Freshman Bethany Love duplicated the fifth place finish in the weight throw with a toss of 43' 5¾".
Senior Christina Geating then took fourth in the pole vault with a jump of 9' 6" and a third place finish in the high jump at 5' 2¼".
In the 4x200 meter relay, the Calvin team of junior Maria Steblay, sophomore Bethany Van Eck, senior Kelley Tuinenga, and senior Amy Sybesma took third in 1:52.46.
The 3000 meters then saw a 2-3 finish for Calvin, with senior Paige McGahan taking second in 10:56.99 and sophomore Jessica Mulder third in 10:57.00.
Freshman Jenna Dyksen took fourth in the 60 meter hurdles in a time of 9.41. Dyksen later took fifth in the 200 meter dash in a time of 27.24.
In the 400 meter dash, freshman Caroline Boss earned second in 1:01.76, freshman Tiffany Applewhite took third in 1:02.11, and freshman Marissa McGahan placed fourth in 1:02.71.
The Knights then ended the meet with a second place finish in the 4x400 meter relay. The team of Dyksen, Marissa McGahan, Applewhite, and senior Mia Rienstra finished in 4:08.44.
"Our women's weight throwers had some nice results," said head coach Bret Otte. "Carissa Weis, in the triple jump, was a few inches off her all-time best. Last night, we had the women's pentathalon at Grand Valley. Maria Steblay, Bethany Van Eck, and Kelley Tuinenga participated in that and came back to run the 4x200 today, and that went well, considering they did five events yesterday."
Calvin will return to action next Saturday when the Knights participate in the GVSU Tune-Up Invite.
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
By Mark DeHaan
The Calvin College Invitational was held at the Sturrus Indoor Track inside the Huizenga Tennis and Track Center on Saturday on Calvin's campus. Other teams joining the Knights included Albion, Aquinas, Hope, and Siena Heights.
The Calvin men, looking toward the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in a month, had a number of strong performances, especially in the distance events.
The Knights opened up the meet with a first-place finish as senior Erik Holstege won the long jump with a leap of 22' 2½". Holstege also claimed first in the triple jump with a final jump of 44" 7½".
Sophomore David Dadzie took fourth in the shot put with a throw of 41'6", then took fifth in the weight throw with a distance of 42" 4¼".
The pole vault saw sophomore Nathan Marcus tie for third at 13' 6".
Freshman Jon Cok claimed second in the high jump at 6' 5".
In the track events, the Knights took third in the 4x200 relay, with the team of Cole Evans, Holstege, Alex Karr, and Marcus James finishing in 1:35.54.
In the 3000 meters, Calvin took nine of the top ten sports. Senior Stephen Haagsma led the way with a time of 8:40.82. Sophomore Jordan Kramer took third in 8:52.80 while senior Josh Ferguson took fourth in 8:53.35.
Holstege continued his strong day in the 60 meter hurdles, taking first in 8.45.
In the 400 meter dash, freshman Ethan Valentine fittingly took first, running in a time of 49.43.
In the 200 meter dash, sophomore Joel Brouwer took fourth in 23.58, followed closely by freshman teammate Joel Ooms in fifth at 23.73.
Senior Stephen Tubergen won the one mile run in a time of 4:26.35, with junior Matt Oram taking third in 4:30.35 and sophomore Jonathan Schaap fourth in 4:31.28.
The Knights finished strong, earning first in the 4x400 relay. The team of Valentine, Brouwer, freshman Noah Buteyn, and Ooms finished in 3:29.05.
"Jon Cok had a really nice day in the high jump, Stephen Haagsma had a nice race in the 3000 meter, Erik Holstege won the 60 meter hurdles and raced last night at Grand Valley, then Jordan Kramer had a breakthrough in the 3000, breaking nine minutes and setting a 20-second personal best" said head coach Bret Otte. "When you get an interesting mix of schools - NAIA and NCAA DIII - it comes out to a nice balanced meet, and I think we accomplished that."
Calvin now looks forward to next Saturday when it will travel to nearby Allendale to take part in the GVSU Tune-Up Invite.
Received on Sun Feb 15 02:13:49 2015
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