CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MAY 30, 2018
Calvin Track and Field/Cross Country Athletes Receive Google Cloud Academic All-District Honors
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Calvin College senior Ethan Valentine has been named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District team in the men's track and field/cross country division.
As a member of the all-district team, Valentine is now eligible for Google Cloud Academic All-America consideration.
Valentine hails from Mason, Ohio. He is a graduate of William Mason High School. At Calvin, Valentine has been a four-year standout on the men's track and field team. Over the course of his collegiate career, Valentine has earned four NCAA III All-America awards and been named the MIAA's Most Outstanding Runner twice.
A 400 meter specialist, Valentine has been a four-time national qualifier to the NCAA III Track and Field Championships.
As a freshman in 2015, he earned All-American honors in the 400 meters at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing eighth. In 2016, he was an All-American once again in the 400 meters at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing seventh. In 2017, he was a two-time All-American - earning the award at both the NCAA III Indoor and NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 400 meters. At the 2017 Indoor National Meet, he finished seventh in the 400 meters. He then made a bid for a national title in the 400 meters at the 2017 Outdoor National Meet before finishing second. In the 400 meter prelims of the 2017 NCAA III Outdoor Championships, he posted the fastest time in Division III Track and Field that spring with a school-record time of 46.80.
A team captain, Valentine has led the Calvin men's track and field team to four MIAA outdoor titles and a pair of MIAA indoor crowns. He was the MIAA 400 meter outdoor and indoor champion in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He was named the MIAA's Most Outstanding Runner for indoor track and field in 2017 and for outdoor track and field in 2018.
In addition, he has been a three-time All-MIAA selection in both indoor and outdoor track and field. He was named to the Great Lakes All-Region Indoor Track and Field Team in 2016, 2017 and 2018 by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association. He also received USTFCCCA Great Lakes All-Region honors outdoors in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
During his junior year, Valentine served as a residence assistant (RA) in the Calvin dormitories. He has also served as a volunteer with the Calvin Student Development Office.
Valentine recently graduated from Calvin with a double major in Chinese and biology. He is a two-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and has been a two-time member of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.
WOMEN'S TRACK AND Field
Calvin College senior Jenna Dyksen and junior Katie Diekema have been named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District team in the women's track and field/cross country division.
As members of the all-district team, Dyksen and Diekema are now eligible for Google Cloud Academic All-America consideration.
Dyksen hails from Hawthorne, New Jersey. She is a graduate of Hawthorne High School. Dyksen has put together a standout career in track and field.
This past Saturday, she claimed All-America honors at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a seventh place finish in the 100 meter hurdles with a career-best time of 14.37.
Dyksen was a two-time national qualifier in outdoor track and field as she also finished 12th in the 100 meter hurdles at the 2017 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
In outdoor track and field, Dyksen was a four-time All-MIAA selection. In addition, she was a three-time MIAA Champion in the 100 meter hurdles and in the triple jump. She was the 2018 MIAA champion in the long jump. As an indoor track and field athlete, Dyksen was named the 2017 MIAA Most Valuable Runner after claiming MIAA indoor titles in the 60 meter hurdles and 200 meter dash. She was a two-time MIAA indoor champion in the 60 meter hurdles and triple jump and was named to the All-MIAA Indoor Track and Field Team twice.
Dyksen helped the Calvin women's track and field team captured three MIAA outdoor crowns and two MIAA indoor titles.
She was named to the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region indoor team in 2016 and 2017 and to its outdoor all-region team in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
In the classroom, Dyksen holds a 3.87 grade point average while majoring in speech pathology. She will earn her master's degree in speech pathology through Calvin's graduate program.
Diekema is from Kenmore, Washington. She is a graduate of Ingelmoor High School.
Diekema is coming off a weekend where she claimed All-America honors for the first time in her career as she placed fourth the 1500 meter run with a career-best time of 4:29.60. Her finished culminated a standout year of track and field.
This winter, Diekema was named the 2018 MIAA Indoor Track and Field Most Valuable Runner after claiming league titles in the mile and 3,000 meter runs. She later advanced to the NCAA III Indoor Track and Field Championships where she placed 11th in the mile run. At the 2018 MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she claimed a league title in the 1500 meters and took second in the 5,000 meter run.
In 2017, Diekema qualified for the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, placing 15th in the 1500 meter run. She has received Great Lakes All-Region honors from the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association four times - three times in outdoor track and field and once in indoor track and field.
She has been a part of pair of MIAA championship track and field teams in both indoor and outdoor track and field
Diekema has also made her mark as a cross country runner. A two-time first team All-MIAA selection, Diekema has been a part of three Calvin teams that have qualified for the NCAA III Cross Country Championships. Individually, she placed 56th at the 2016 national meet, 125th at the 2017 nationals and 215th at the 2015 nationals. She is a three-time USTFCCCA Great Lakes All-Region selection in cross country and a two-time MIAA Cross Country Runner of the Week.
She was a part of Calvin's 2016 Great Lakes Regional championship team and helped Calvin finish ninth at the 2016 national meet.
In the classroom, Diekema carries a 3.88 grade point average while majoring in mechanical engineering.
Received on Wed May 30 21:05:02 2018
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