GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- Calvin College has announced the 2016 recipients of its highest athletic honors: the Beré Memorial Award and the Kay Tiemersma Athletic Award.
CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 16, 2016
Bere'/Tiemersma Award Recipients Announced;
Softball Players Receive NFCA All-Region Honors
BERE'/TIEMERSMA AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
Johnson Cochran of Mount Vernon, Ohio, is this year's Beré Memorial Award winner while Maggie Kamp of Orland Park, Illinois, is this year's recipient of the Tiemersma Award.
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.
This is the 42nd year that Calvin has given the Tiemersma award--presented annually to the top senior female student-athlete. 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 non-physical education department faculty members.
Johnson Cochran
Johnson Cochran has been a four-year member of the Calvin men's swimming and diving team. A four-time All-MIAA selection, Cochran was a three-time MIAA individual champion in both the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke. During his four years, he helped the Calvin men's swimming and diving program capture its first three MIAA team championships, doing so in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He was the team captain of Calvin's 2016 MIAA championship squad. He was the MIAA's Most Valuable Swimmer in 2015 and was a three-time MIAA Swimmer of the Week.
At the national level, Cochran was a five-time NCAA III All-American, matching the highest total in Calvin men's swimming and diving history. He also claimed NCAA III Honorable Mention All-America honors five times. At the 2014 NCAA III Championships, he placed third in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 200 breaststroke. He then placed seventh in both events at the 2015 national meet. This past March, he placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke and 12th in the 200 breaststroke, helping Calvin finish 15th in the final team standings.
A biochemistry major, Cochran served as a summer biochemistry research assistant at Calvin last summer, investigating the effects of glucose deprivation and inhibitors. He spent the 2014 fall semester studying abroad in Hungary.
A budding musician, he has been a four-year member of the Calvin Jazz Club and has performed keyboards, guitar and vocals for local music groups.
He has also been active in the Calvin community, serving as an assessment coordinator in the Calvin Service Learning Center. In addition, he has volunteered as a sound tech coordinator at Madison Church in Grand Rapids.
Cochran will graduate from Calvin this Saturday. He has future plans of graduate school.
Cochran is the son of Barney and Mary Cochran of Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Maggie Kamp
Maggie Kamp has been a four-year member of the Calvin women's volleyball team.
As a member of the Calvin women's volleyball team, Kamp was a tree-time first team Division III All-American. In 2014, she was named the Division III National Player of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
In 2013, she helped Calvin win its second national title in four years as the Knights defeated Cal Lutheran University in a five-set thriller with Kamp collecting a match-high 28 kills in the final. For her efforts, she was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 NCAA III Finals. Earlier in the 2013 season, she was named the AVCA Division III National Player of the Week after leading Calvin to a 4-0 record at the Midwest Challenge.
In 2014, she helped lead Calvin back to the NCAA III Tournament semifinals for the third consecutive year.
Kamp helped lead Calvin to four consecutive MIAA titles and was a three-time first team All-MIAA selection. In 2012 she was named the MIAA's Freshman of the Year. Over the course of her four-year career, she was a nine-time MIAA Player of the Week.
Kamp is set to graduate from Calvin this Saturday. She is majoring in business marketing with a minor in studio art. A Dean's List student, Kamp has received CoSIDA Academic All-America honors three times, earning second team honors in 2013 and first team accolades in 2014 and 2015. In 2014 and 2015, she was named the CoSIDA Division III Academic All-American of the Year.
She has also been involved in the community, serving as a mentor with Calvin's Girls in Training program in 2012 while also serving as a Special Olympics volunteer in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She has also served as a volunteer at Degage' Ministries in the heartside district of Grand Rapids.
Maggie Kamp is the third member of her family to receive the Kay Tiemersma Award as older sisters Rebecca Kamp (2012) and Lizzie Kamp (2013) were previously so honored.
Maggie Kamp is the daughter of Burt and Lori Kamp of Orland Park, Illinois.
SOFTBALL
Three members of the Calvin softball team have received Division III All-Central Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Senior Lydia Gildea has been named to the NFCA Division III All-Central Region second team while freshmen Maddie DeGroot and Anna Gernant have been named to the third team.
All three players are receiving NFCA Division III All-Region honors for the first time.
A native of Gobles and a graduate of Gobles High School, Gildea is receiving all-region accolades at the catcher position. This season, Gildea batted .408 with seven home runs and 48 runs batted in. She had a total of 18 extra-base hits that also included nine doubles and two triples. In the field, she posted a .979 fielding percentage. She is currently ranked 16th nationally in runs batted in per game (1.33) and 26th in total runs batted in (48).
Gildea's total of 48 RBI established a new Calvin single-season record. In addition, she finished ranked second on the Calvin career list in RBI (126), home runs (15) and doubles (34), third in total bases (232), fifth in hits (141) and triples (6) and seventh in runs scored (78).
Gildea was named MIAA Position Player of the Week once and named to the All-MIAA first team.
A second baseman, DeGroot is from Hudsonville and is a graduate of Hudsonville Unity Christian High School. This spring, DeGroot batted .373 at the leadoff position in the Calvin batting order, scoring 31 runs and driving in 24. She also belted five home runs and was credited with nine doubles and four triples for a total of 18 extra-base hits.
In the field, DeGroot posted a .939 fielding percentage and turned three double plays. She was named MIAA Position Player of the Week once and named to the All-MIAA second team.
Gernant is from West Des Moines, Iowa. A graduate of Valley High School, Gernant is receiving all-region honors at the utility position. This spring, she served as Calvin's lead pitcher while also playing several games in the outfield as well as one game at first base and a handful as Calvin's designated player.
In the pitching circle, Gernant fashioned a 13-7 pitching record with a 2.60 earned run average. She struck out 151 batters in 118.1 innings of work. She is currently ranked 17th nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (8.9) and 35th in total strikeouts. Her win total matched the eight-best single-season total in Calvin softball history while her strikeout total ranks fifth.
At the plate, Gernant batted .333 with 18 runs batted in, two home runs and six doubles. She also scored 19 runs and had an on-base percentage of .426. In the field, she posted a .927 fielding percentage. She was also named to the All-MIAA first team.
Calvin finished the 2016 season with an overall record of 23-13. The Knights tied for fourth place in the final MIAA regular season standings with a 9-7 conference record.
Received on Mon May 16 23:00:17 2016
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