Calvin Track Teams Receive Academic Honors From USTCA

August 7, 2002

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - For the second straight year, the Calvin men's and women's track and field teams have earned all-academic honors from the United States Track and Field Coaches Association (USTCA). In addition, four members of the women's team and two members of the men's team have received individual accolades from the USTCA.

Teams were eligible for the honor if they had a minimum of 14 members who participated in the 2002 outdoor season and recorded a minimum 3.100 (4.000 scale) cumulative grade point average as a group. To qualify individually, a student-athlete needed to have recorded a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 and participated in their NCAA division outdoor track and field championships.

The Calvin women's track and field team posted a 3.45 combined team grade point average while the Calvin men's track and field team posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.10.

Individuals from the Calvin women's track and field team that received all-academic recognition were senior Rachel Veltkamp, junior Annie VanderLaan, sophomore Jessie Lair and freshman Laura Hamilton. A native of Grand Rapids and a graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School, Veltkamp is receiving the award for the second straight year. At the NCAA III Championships, she competed in both the pole vault and 4 x 100 meter relay events. In the 4 x 100 relay, she helped Calvin to All-America honors in the event for the second straight year as the quartet took fifth place. Joining Veltkamp on the 4 x 100 relay was VanderLaan, a fellow native of Grand Rapids and graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School. The finish in the 4 x 100 relay was one of three All-America berths earned by VanderLaan at the national meet as she also took fourth in the heptathlon and ran a leg on Calvin's 4 x 400 meter relay team that took fourth place. Like Veltkamp, Lair is also receiving individual all-academic accolades from the USTCA for the second straight year. Lair is from West Bloomfield and is a graduate of Southfield Christian High School. Lair competed in the 10,000 and 5,000 meter runs at the NCAA III Championships. Hamilton is from Downers Grove, Illinois, and is a graduate of Timothy Christian High School. Hamilton competed in the 400 meter hurdles and in the 4 x 400 meter relay at the national meet. In the 4 x 400 meter relay, she served as the anchor leg of Calvin's All-America quartet.

On the men's side, seniors Dan Hoekstra and Joel Klooster received all-academic recognition from the USTCA. A native of Kalamazoo and a graduate of Kalamazoo Christian High School, Hoekstra is receiving all-academic recognition for the second straight year. At the NCAA III Championships this spring, Hoekstra was a two-time All-American, taking sixth in the 10,000 meters and seventh in the 5,000 meters. Combined, Hoekstra produced seven All-America berths in his cross country and track and field career at Calvin including five in track and field. Klooster also posted All-America performances in the 10,000 and 5,000 meter runs at the national meet this spring, finishing second in both events. A native of Chatham, Ontario, and a graduate of Chatham Christian High School, Klooster will return to the track this spring as a fifth-year senior to compete in his final season of track and field eligibility after missing his junior year of track and field with an injury.

Under the direction of heac coach Jong-Il Kim, the Calvin men's track and field posted its highest-ever national finish at the NCAA III Outdoor Championships this spring, finishing in second place with 41 points. Kim also served as head coach of the Calvin women's track and field team, leading the Knights to their 10th consecutive top-20 national finish as they finished 12th with 18 points.

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