CKSR (Day Three Recap From NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 28, 2016

Day Three Recap From NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

WAVERLY, Ia. - Calvin College sophomore Ethan Valentine picked up his second NCAA III All-America berth in as many years, placing seventh in the 400 meters at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships Saturday afternoon at Wartburg College.

Valentine clocked in with a time of 48.31. Sophomore Daniel Pietsch of Emory won the race in a time of 46.92.

Valentine was fifth in the 400 meters at the 2015 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He entered Saturday as the No. 2 seed after clocking a school record time of 47.14 in the prelims Friday afternoon.

A native of Mason, Ohio, Valentine (William Mason HS) was unable to keep up with his torrid pace from the day before but still produced an All-America performance, becoming the first runner in Calvin men's track and field history to record back-to-back All-America races in the 400 meter run.

"Ethan has had a tremendous sophomore season," said Calvin head track and field coach Bret Otte. "I know he had hopes of a higher finish today but I am still extremely proud of him. He continues to improve and has a bright future ahead of him."

Valentine was one of two members of the Calvin men's track and field team that competed on Saturday as junior Zach Nowicki (Comstock Park/Calvin Christian HS) took 12th in the steeplechase with a time of 9:39.83. Nowicki went out hard during the first half of the race, running in the top four. Nowicki was unable to keep up with the strong pace over the final three laps however as he faded out of the chase pack.

"This was Zach's first appearance at nationals and he showed a lot of heart and determination," said Calvin co-distance coach Brian Diemer. "He went for it and that's all you can ask for as a coach. Zach learned a lot from this national meet and it will serve him well next year during his senior season. He will be back next fall with a renewed passion."

Al Hoekstra, Calvin's co-distance coach mentioned the growth of Nowicki over his junior campaign. "Zach has taken a big leap forward this year, both in cross country and in track and field," said Hoekstra. "He learned a lot about mental toughness and he learned a lot on how to take the next step up as a runner. We are really looking forward to watching him run as a senior next fall and next spring."

Calvin finished tied for 70th place with two points.

WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

WAVERLY, Ia. - Calvin College senior McKenzie Diemer concluded her collegiate track and field career on Saturday with a 13th place finish in the steeplechase at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Wartburg College.

Diemer clocked in with a time of 11:15.28. Diemer was making her second consecutive appearance at the national meet.

Diemer was one of two runners to compete for the Calvin women's track and field team on Saturday as junior Lauren Strohbehn (Stillwater, Mn./St. Croix Preparatory HS) took 14th in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:23.79. Strohbehn placed third in the 10,000 meters on Thursday for the first All-America berth of her distance running career.

"I'm just proud of both of our runners today," said Calvin co-distance coach Al Hoekstra. "I think the heat played a factor as McKenzie and Lauren both had hard races Thursday. They gave it everything they had today."

"McKenzie and Lauren did everything they could in their races," said Calvin co-distance coach Brian Diemer. "They just didn't have that extra gear left to push higher. I'm proud of them both. McKenzie continued to overcome challenges and was inspiring with her will and determination. Lauren was inspiring with the way she continued to improve and her ability to move to new heights. She ran a very gutsy 5,000 meters and was in the hunt for another All-America finish. She just didn't have quite enough left in her legs"

Calvin finished tied for 44th in the final team standings with six points.
Received on Sat May 28 18:49:31 2016