Megan Pierce Named Women's Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Jeff Febus - [email protected]

Grand Rapids, MI -- 
      
Megan Pierce Named Women's Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year
 
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Calvin senior Megan Pierce has been named the Women's
NCAA Division III Great Lakes Athlete of the Year by the United States Track
and Field Coaches Association.
 
A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana and a graduate of Fort Wayne Concordia
Lutheran High School, Pierce is the second member of the Calvin women's
track and field team to receive the award as Sarah Gritter was so honored a
year ago.
 
Pierce capped off an amazing four-year collegiate career last weekend at the
NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Decatur, Illinois as she
posted three All-America performances including one national championship
effort.  At the national meet hosted by Millikin University, Pierce took
second in the 400 meters with a time of 54.22 as she was nosed out for first
place by two-hundreths of a second.  In the 4 x 100 meter relay, Pierce
anchored Calvin's team to a fifth place finish with a time of 47.66.  In the
4 x 400 meter relay, Pierce anchored Calvin's team to a first place and
school record time of 3:43.24 with Pierce running a blazing split of 53.21
on the anchor leg.  Calvin's time of 3:43.24 is the third fastest time in
the history of NCAA Division III women's track and field.  It also marked
the third consecutive national championship performance by Calvin's 4 x 400
meter relay team.
 
The trio of All-America efforts by Pierce helped the Calvin women's track
and field team post its highest national team finish as the Knights earned
national runner-up honors with a second place total of 49 points.
 
Pierce completed her Calvin track and field career as a nine-time
All-American, earning the the citation four times in the 400 meters, four
times in the 4 x 400 meter relay and once in the 4 x 100 meter relay.  In
addition, Pierce earned five national championship plaques as she captured
individual national titles in the 400 meters in 1999 and 2000 and in the 4 x
400 meter relay in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
 
Earlier this spring, Pierce was named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic
Association's Most Valuable Runner for the third consecutive year in women's
track and field.  At the MIAA Championships, Pierce captured first place in
the 400 meters for the fourth consecutive year, becoming the first women's
track and field athlete in MIAA history to win the event four straight years
at the league meet.  Pierce also anchored Calvin's 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 meter
relay teams to first place performances at the MIAA Championships with the 4
x 400 meter relay team clocking in with an MIAA record time of 3:50.68.  For
her efforts, Pierce was named to the All-MIAA track and field team for the
fourth consecutive year.
 
At the Hillsdale Relays April 28, Pierce captured the 400 meters with a
meet-record time of 54.15 which stood up as the fastest time in NCAA
Division III women's track and field this spring.  She also anchored
Calvin's 4 x 100 meter relay team to a first place and school record time of
47.30.  Pierce was then named the Women's Most Outstanding Performer of the
Meet.

Pierce owns Calvin records in the 200 meters (24.72) and 400 meters (53.97)
and also holds the MIAA record in the 400 meters as she clocked in with a
time of 54.50 at the 2000 MIAA Championships.
 
"Megan has had an unbelievable track and field career at Calvin College,"
said women's track and field coach Ralph Honderd.  "She has been a pleasure
to coach and it has been wonderful to watch her grow both as an athlete and
as a person.  She served as one of our team captains this year and really
did a great job in that role.  Her work ethic and leadership skills were
invaluable to our team's success this spring."
 
Calvin captured the MIAA women's track and field title for an unprecedented
12th consecutive year this spring as the Knights scored a first place total
of 350 points at the league meet and posted a 6-0 MIAA dual meet record.
During the four-year career of Pierce, Calvin recorded an MIAA dual meet
record of 26-0. Calvin's second place finish at the NCAA III Championships
also marked its fourth top-four national finish including its second in the
last three years.