CKSR (Calvin Mourns Loss of Longtime Fan and Calvin Professor / Calvin Winter Sports Athletes Receive MIAA Weekly Awards)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR FEB. 13, 2017

Calvin Mourns Loss of Longtime Fan and Calvin Professor;
Calvin Winter Sports Athletes Receive MIAA Weekly Awards

CALVIN MOURNS LOSS OF DON WILSON

Calvin College has lost another legendary Knight.
Longtime Calvin College sociology professor Don 'Doc' Wilson passed away early Sunday morning.
As a Calvin professor and also in retirement, Wilson and his wife Hilda were incredible supporters of Calvin's athletics teams. In particular, Wilson was an inveterate fan of the Calvin men's and women's track and field teams. Beginning in 1977, he attended more than 35 consecutive MIAA Field Days, often witnessing his beloved Knights capture MIAA track and field titles.
In addition, he attended several NCAA III outdoor Track and Field Championships, traveling to places such as St. Lawrence University in upstate New York and Waverly, Iowa, in northern Iowa.
Beyond track and field however, Wilson and his wife Hilda were regulars at nearly every Calvin home sporting event. At one point, he estimated that he and Hilda attended on average nearly 100 Calvin sporting events a year.
"I find Calvin athletes to be highly disciplined and remarkably fine people," he said in an interview with Calvin's alumni magazine Spark in 2008. "The kids have adopted Hilda and me as their mascots," he joked.
"Don's passing is indeed a great loss for the Calvin community," said Dr. Nancy Meyer, Calvin's co-director of athletics and former Calvin women's cross country coach. "His teaching was legendary and his love for Calvin and his students was so apparent, but I'd argue that his love for athletes was extraordinary."
In 1996, he was selected the Division III recipient of the Sears Diehard Fan of the Year - an award given out by the Sears Corporation to one loyal fan at the Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA levels.
The award brought Wilson a hefty trophy as well as two tickets to the NCAA National Championship of his choice. He and Hilda later chose to attend the 1997 NCAA I Men's Basketball Final Four in Indianapolis and saw an Arizona team led by head coach Lute Olson win the national title with a win over the University of Kentucky.
A signature of Wilson's tenure was his devotion to sending cards to every one of his students on their birthday including Calvin's student-athletes. At other times, he would send cards with simple words of encouragement. In addition, he sent cards to fellow faculty and staff members on their birthday, often purchasing cards in bulk to prepare for the upcoming year.
At one point, Wilson estimated that he sent out nearly 6,000 cards a year.
With his sociology office located just a few doors down from the Calvin Sports Information office for several years, Wilson was a frequent drop-in, often searching for the latest sports news or the most recent media guide to have rolled off the printing press.
Also an ordained pastor, Wilson married more than 300 Calvin students during his time as a professor. Some of the married couples were Calvin student-athletes.
"I think the thing that stands out to me about Don was his support and encouragement for students," said former Calvin men's athletics director and longtime Calvin track and field coach Dr. Ralph Honderd. "He and his wife Hilda went out of their way to get to know every individual on our teams as well as coaches and parents. They were a wonderful couple who provided joy to everyone."
Don Wilson was preceded in death by Hilda who passed away last May.
He was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He graduated from Des Moines East High School and later earned his bachelor's degree at Wheaton College (Il.) and his master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Chicago. His research interest was cultural anthropology.
Prior to teaching at Calvin, he served as a professor at his alma mater Wheaton College.
In 2008 he was presented with Calvin's Faith and Learning Award for his longtime service to the college.
He is survived by his children David and Sarah Wilson as well as several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
A funeral service at Church of the Servant in Grand Rapids is scheduled for this Friday at 4 p.m. with a light supper to follow.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named Ali Spayde its Player of the Week in women's basketball for games played through Feb. 12.
Spayde, a junior from Lewis Center, Ohio, averaged 16.0 points per game and 4.0 assists per game last week as the Knights recorded victories over Olivet and Adrian.
She leads the MIAA in scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game and in field goals at 139.
Last Wednesday, Spayde scored 12 points in the victory over Olivet. She also recorded four assists and two rebounds.
At Adrian on Saturday, she tallied 20 points, four assists and three rebounds.
She is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time in her career.

MEN'S TENNIS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - David Brown picked up Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Player of the Week honors on Monday for matches through Feb. 12. This is the first time in his career that Brown has claimed the honor.
"I am very happy for David," said Calvin head coach John Ross. "He is very deserving of this honor. I thought that he played really well on Saturday. He has worked really hard and it is nice to his hard work get rewarded."
Brown, a junior from Lake Zurich, Illinois, posted a perfect 2-0 record in singles play and in doubles play on Saturday. At No. 4 singles, he defeated Scott Daluga of Augustana, 6-1, 6-0. He then topped Alex Koziel of Concordia at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-2.
In doubles competition, Brown and Rodrigo Castellanos Vaca Guzmán won at No. 2 doubles against Augustana, 8-0. He would tally another victory at No. 1 doubles with Taylor Asfour against Concordia, 8-0.
Brown and the Knights are back in action on Feb. 25 at Lake Forest.
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - For the second-straight week, Jenna Dyksen has claimed a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association weekly honor. This week, Dyksen earned MIAA Field Athlete of the Week honors, after being the MIAA Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 8. This is the third time in her career she has been named the Athlete of the Week.
"Jenna is really deserving of this honor," said head coach Bret Otte. "She has performed well all season. Jenna was great again on Friday and I'm really proud of her."
A junior from Hawthorne, New Jersey, recorded a pair of victories at the Aquinas Little Meet.
Dyksen won the long jump with a season-best leap of 18' 1 ½", which ranks 20th currently in Division III. She also clocked in the fastest time of the day in the 200 meters at 26.33, her fastest time of the season.
She currently holds the eighth-fastest Division III time in the 60 meter hurdles at 9.00 and is 39th in the triple jump at 36' 7".
Dyksen and the Knights return to action on Friday at Grand Valley.

MEN'S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Jordan Kramer has been named the MIAA Track Athlete of the Week for the second time this season.
"I am happy that Jordan earned this honor," said head coach Bret Otte. "He has been working really hard and has recorded some really great times this year."
A senior from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, Kramer led the Knights in the 5000-meter race with a season-best time of 14:39.15 that places him 17th on the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field performance list, with a converted time of 14:48.56. He also has the 35th-best time in the 3000-meter race at 8:36.46.
Kramer and the Knights return to action on Friday at Grand Valley.
Received on Mon Feb 13 22:08:40 2017