CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR FEB. 9, 2016
Men's Lacrosse Team Set to Launch 2016 Season;
Bere'/Tiemersma Alumni Honored at Weekend Reunion;
Tickets Remain for Feb. 20 Calvin-Hope Basketball Doubleheader;
Join Calvin/Hope Trivia Contest;
MEN'S LACROSSE
The Calvin men's lacrosse team is preparing to open its 2016 campaign this Friday when it faces Defiance College on Friday afternoon at the Pontiac Ultimate Soccer Arena.
Friday's game is one of 10 non-conference contests on the Calvin slate including one of three in the month of February. Calvin is scheduled to travel to Centre College (Ky.) on February 20 and will host Wabash College on February 27.
Other non-conference games on the schedule include home contests with Milwaukee School of Engineering (March 5), DePauw University (March 12) and Benedictine, IL (March 30). Calvin will travel to the state of Georgia for its spring break trip and while there, will face Ogelthorpe (March 15) and Piedmont (March 18).
Calvin also has non-conference road games at Capital (March 26) and Carroll (April 2).
The MIAA season is set to begin on April 9 with Calvin set to host Olivet.
Calvin will be led by tri-captains Chris Griffin (Hartland/Hartland HS), Joel Schaefer (Clarksville, MD/Annapolis Area Christian HS and Ethan Brown (Falmouth, ME/Falmouth HS).
Brown is a sophomore defender. He was first on the team last season with 48 ground balls and third with 18 caused turnovers.
Griffin is a junior attackman. He scored 19 goals and added 13 assists last season. In his Calvin career, Griffin has scored 35 goals and tallied 25 assists in 29 games.
Schaefer is a junior midfielder. Last season, Schaefer scored 12 goals, adding 3 assists, while playing in 12 of 15 games. As a freshman in 2014 he scored 19 goals, adding one assist in all 14 games played.
Other returning letterwinners include junior Jake Horstman (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) and sophomores Derek VanderBrug (Woburn, Mass./Lexington Christian Academy), Tyson Butler (Little, CO/Dakota Ridge), Michael Winkler (La Quinta, CA/Palm Desert), Nate Ray (Northville/Northville HS) and Austin Roden (Delaware, Oh./Delaware Christian HS).
Calvin will be under the direction of first-year head coach Luke Griesman. For a preseason interview with Griemsman visit the Calvin website at: http://static.psbin.com/q/m/4uqkfhqytf85gn/CalvinMensLacrosse2016Preview.mp3
2016 JOE BERE MEMORIAL AND KAY TIEMERSMA AWARD SALUTE
On Saturday, February 6, Calvin College honored its past recipients of the Bere' Memorial and Kay Tiemersma Awards. Over 40 individuals gathered at Calvin for a luncheon in the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex and then a public recognition at halftime of the Calvin men's basketball game against Olivet.
The Beré Memorial Award has been presented annually by Calvin since 1951. The Beré honors the top senior male student-athlete, based on athletic ability, scholastic rank, character and leadership, and is selected by the school's male coaches and the members of the Athletics Committee. It is given in memory of Joe Beré, a Calvin student who was killed in a 1949 auto accident on his way to watch a Calvin basketball game. The winner is selected by the coaches of the school's men's sports and an Athletics Committee made up of students and non-physical education department faculty members.
Calvin has given the Tiemersma award--presented annually to the top senior female student-athlete since 1975. The award honors Kay Tiemersma, the first woman physical education teacher in the member schools of the Christian Schools International organization, and a pioneer in women's sports. Its presentation is based on athletic ability, scholastic standing, and character and leadership. The winner is selected by the coaches of the school's women's sports and an Athletics Committee made up of students and non-physical education department faculty members.
The complete list of Bere' and Tiemersma Award recipients includes a wealth of notable facts. Dave VerMerris (1968) and Mark Stacy (1980), and Dirk Pruis (1982) were Bere' Award winners that were three-sport athletes at Calvin. VerMerris was a part of Calvin's soccer, swimming and diving and track and field squads. Stacy meanwhile was a member of the golf, soccer and basketball teams at Calvin. Pruis competed in golf, swimming and diving and track and field.
There have been several three-sport athletes that have received Tiemersma Award honors. Athletes in that group include Bonnie Knaack in 1977 (field hockey, basketball and softball), Laura Vroon in 1984 (cross country, track and field, softball), Kim Lautenbach in 1986 (volleyball, basketball and track and field), Betsy Wilgenburg in 1993 (volleyball, basketball and track and field) and Holly Ondersma in 1995 (volleyball, basketball and softball).
Two sets of sisters were recently honored with the Tiemersma Award with Carissa Verkaik (2013) and Breanna Verkaik (2015) both receiving the honor as basketball and track and field athletes while Rebecca Kamp (2012) and and Lizzie Kamp (2013) were so honored as volleyball players. The first set of sisters to receive the Tiemersma Award however were Sarah Ondersma (1991) and Holly Ondersma (1995).
There is one set of brothers on the Bere' list as cross country and track and field standouts Doug Diekema (1981) and Dan Diekema (1985) are on the honor list. In addition, there is a brother-sister combo with men's soccer player Ed Wilgenburg (1990) and volleyball player Betsy Wilgenburg (1993). There is one married couple from the swimming and diving ranks - Dirk Pruis (1982) and Liesel Pruis (1988). There is also one father-daughter combination as track and field star Ken Tanis (1960) and field hockey standout Leslie Tanis (1989) are part of the group.
Several of the honorees have been either individual national champions or members of national championship teams at Calvin.
On the men's side, John Lumkes (1990) was an individual national champion in the steeplechase in track and field and later ran in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials in the event. In 2012, Nick Kramer was not only the Bere' Award recipient, but also the NCAA III Champion in the steeplechase. In basketball, Steve Honderd (1993) and Chris Knoester (1994) were part of Calvin's 1992 national championship team while Aaron Winkle (2000) was part of Calvin's 2000 national championship squad. In men's cross country, Dan Hoekstra (2002), Joel Klooster (2003), Tim Avery (2004), Tim Finnegan (2007) and Jed Christiansen (2009) were part of national championship teams as Calvin won crowns in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2006.
On the women's side, Betsy Haverkamp (1997) was an individual national champion in the 3,000 meters in track and field while Annie VanderLaan (2003) and Christine Hendricks (2006) were both individual national champions in track and field's heptathlon. Sarah Wittingen (2008) was an individual national champion in the 400 meter hurdles while Kristi Van Woerkom (1999) was a member of a national championship 4x400 meter relay team in track and field. Van Woerkom was an NCAA III All-American in both swimming and in track and field. In swimming, Becky Weima (2006) was a multiple individual national champion in the freestyle events in swimming while former teammate Erica Deur (2009) was a multiple individual national champion on the diving boards.
Amber Blankespoor (1990) has the distinction of playing in a national championship final in volleyball in 1986 and then coming back to coach her alma mater to national championships in volleyball in both 2010 and 2013. Blankespoor is one of several Bere' or Tiemersma Award recipients to have gone on to teach as professors and/or serve as a head coach at Calvin College. Other individuals to have done so include Mary Schutten (1976), Deb Bakker (1982), Sharon Boeve (1985), Don Vroon (1956), Dave VerMerris (1968), Gregg Afman (1976), Jim Timmer (1990) and Dirk Pruis (1982).
Now co-director of athletics at Calvin, Timmer addressed the gathered group on February 6 as did fellow co-director of athletics Dr. Nancy Meyer. "It is with great pleasure that we welcome you back to campus today," said Meyer. "We are delighted to have you as our guests and to bring you here together as a group."
A Bere' Award winner himself, Timmer told the group that the Bere' and Tiemersma Awards are honors that become more meaningful with time. "This is an award that you should continue to treasure," said Timmer. "It means so much more than achievement on the athletic or even academic field. It is about being a servant-leader and as I look around here today, I see servant-leaders that represent our institution and its mission."
BERE'/TIEMERSMA REUNION PHOTO GALLERY: http://calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2015-16/photos/0009/index
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Alumni and friends, don't miss this year's version of the classic rivalry matchup-a Calvin vs. Hope doubleheader.
You will enjoy a great afternoon of basketball on Saturday, February 20, because both the women's and men's teams are playing at home. The women tip-off at 12:30 p.m.; the men tip-off at 3:00 p.m.
Two games. One ticket. $10 each.
But get your seats today -this game will sell out! Call (616) 526-6282 or buy online at:
Cool trivia contest
You, too, can compete in The Rivalry.
Visit trivia.calvinhope.com<http://trivia.calvinhope.com/> to sign up for a trivia quiz that will tipoff at halftime on Saturday, February 20, and is accessible on your computer or mobile device. This site was created by Calvin and Hope computer science students and professors, and will test your knowledge of the rivalry. Login today so you are ready when the competition starts on Saturday!
Received on Tue Feb 9 22:20:36 2016
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