CKSR (Track and Field Athletes Post Career-Best Times at Gregory Invitational / VanScoyk Advances to Playoff at NCAA III Men's Golf Championships / Softball Trio Receives NFCA Division III All-Central Region Honors)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 16, 2018 (Part Two)
Track and Field Athletes Post Career-Best Times at North Central Gregory Invitational;
VanScoyk Advances to Playoff at NCAA III Men's Golf Championships;
Softball Trio Receives NFCA Division III All-Central Region Honors
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

NAPERVILLE, Il. - A trio of Calvin men's track and field athletes donned the Maroon and Gold Wednesday at the Gregory Invitational hosted by North Central College.

In the 5,000 meter run Wednesday evening, freshmen Justin Varineau (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) and Jonathan Ellis (Batimore, Md./Towson HS) had career-best performances. Varineau placed 12th with a time of 14:53.41, a career-best by nearly eight seconds. Ellis was 14th in 14:58.52, a career-best by seven-and-a-half seconds.
In the hammer throw, junior Brendan VanHouten (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) matched a collegiate-best with a throw of 172-6 that was good for sixth place. VanHouten also placed second in the discus throw with a toss of 154-1.
Competition will continue with the second and final day of competition of Gregory Invitational Thursday afternoon and evening.
MEN'S GOLF

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Ben VanScoyk will continue a four-man playoff on Thursday morning for the final spot remaining at the NCAA Championships. VanScoyk is fighting for the sixth and final individual spot at the championships.

"Scoyk battled into the playoff with four playing for one spot," said head coach Dr. Brian Bolt. "Ben hit four quality shots then sunk a five-footer for par. It was too dark to play on, so we're excited to do it again tomorrow morning."

A senior from Grand Rapids, Michigan, VanScoyk had a two-day total of 148 strokes to finish tied for 39th place.

He joined Grady Anderson of North Carolina Wesleyan, Evan Yue of Goucher and Ryan Muthiora of Kenyon at 148 strokes to force a playoff.

The day was saved for VanScoyk at hole No. 12, where he was able to land a birdie on the par-three hole.

All four golfers landed even at par on the par-five playoff hole at No. 18. The playoff will continue at 7:45 on Thursday morning due to darkness on the course.

SOFTBALL

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association named three Calvin players to the NFCA Central All-Region Team on Wednesday afternoon. Anna Gernant was named to the first team, with Jessica Brasser earning second-team honors and Maddie DeGroot landing on the third team.

"This is a great honor for Anna, Jess, Maddie and our team," said head coach Becky Hilgert. "There is a tremendous group of talented players in the Central Region with some eye-popping statistics. On the mound, Anna showed how dominant she can be at times while also helping our team offensively. Jess and Maddie were our offensive catalysts at the top of the order and made several big plays for us defensively. After a record-breaking season, it is nice for our team and these individuals to get national recognition for their hard work and success."

A junior from West Des Moines, Iowa, Gernant is earning NFCA honored for the third-straight year. In the circle, Anna Gernant posted a record of 14-6 in 2018. She only allowed 33 earned runs in 24 appearances. She finished the year with 194 strikeouts and an earned run average of 1.69. At the plate, she finished with 31 hits, including seven doubles and one home run. The Iowa native recorded 19 RBI and 16 runs.

A senior from Rockford, Michigan, Brasser is on the NFCA All-Region team for the first time in her career. Jessica Brasser led the Knights in many offensive categories, including 60 hits, 14 doubles, a batting average of .420 and an on-base percentage of .447. She also finished the year with two doubles, 34 runs, 29 RBI and a slugging percentage of .545.

A junior from Hudsonville, Michigan, DeGroot returns to the All-Region team for the first time since 2016. DeGroot excelled at the lead-off position in 2018. She led the Maroon and Gold with 36 runs, four triples and 12 stolen bases. The Calvin junior recorded 59 hits, including five doubles and three home runs. She also notched 21 RBI, nine walks and a batting average of .401.

The Knights finished the season with a school record 32 victories. The Maroon and Gold advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals and the MIAA Tournament.
Received on Wed May 16 23:04:44 2018