Calvin Athelete Excel in Championships

May 25, 2002

*Calvin's four All-America performances in the men's 5,000 meters Saturday afternoon is the first time in NCAA III Track & Field Championships history that four runners from the same school have achieved All-America distinction in the event.

*Calvin also had two individuals compete in the women's 5,000 meter run on Saturday in sophomores Jessie Lair of West Bloomfield, Michigan, and Sarah Hastings of Traverse City, Michigan. Lair took 11th in 17:38.05 while Hastings was 13th in 17:45.88.

*In the first report this evening, it was reported that Calvin's 2nd place finish was the second top-four national finish in Calvin men's track and field history. In fact, it is the third top-four national finish in Calvin men's track and field history as the Knights were fourth in 1989 and in 1991.

*Calvin's 2nd place finish in men's track and field is the eighth national runner-up team finish in Calvin athletic history.

Calvin national runner-up team finishes include:

Women's Volleyball, 1986 Women's Cross Country, 1992, 1993, 1994 Women's Track and Field, 2001 Men's Cross Country, 1998 and 2001 Men's Track and Field, 2002

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MAY 25, 2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Calvin Men’s Track & Field Team Takes 2nd Place at NCAA III Championships

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA – A “fantastic foursome” propelled the Calvin men’s track and field team to its best-ever national team finish Saturday afternoon at the NCAA III Track & Field Championships hosted by Macalester College as the Knights earned national runner-up honors with a school-record point total of 41 points. Calvin’s second place point total was two points ahead of third place Lincoln (PA) and 21 points behind national champion Wisconsin-LaCrosse. The second place finish is the second-ever top national finish by the Calvin men’s track and field team.

Heading into the second-to-last event – the 5,000 meter run, Calvin sat in fifth place with 22 points but fueled by an NCAA III record four All-America performances in the 5K, Calvin picked up 19 points and vaulted into second place. Senior Joel Klooster of Chatham, Ontario, helped lead the way for Calvin in the 5,000 meters as he just missed an individual national title, finishing second with a time of 14.51.68, three-tenths of a second behind champion J.B. Haglund of Haverford College who also edged out Klooster for the national title in the 10,000 meters Thursday night. Klooster was followed by sophomore teammate Hendrik Kok of Lynden, Washington, who placed third in 14:53.77 while Calvin senior Justin Pfruender (Midland, MI) was sixth in 14:55.06 and senior teammate Dan Hoekstra (Kalamazoo Christian High School) seventh in 14:55.19 to complete the Calvin All-America quartet.

The All-America performances were the second of the national meet for all four individuals as Klooster and Hoekstra had finished second and sixth in the 10,000 meters respectively on Thursday night, Pfruender had taken third in the 3,000 meter steeplechase Friday night and Kok had taken sixth in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:52.81 earlier on Saturday afternoon. Combined the quartet marked the fifth, sixth, seventh and eight time in Calvin men’s track and field history that a distance runner had earned multiple All-America certificates in one national meet.

“What an unbelievable finish we had today,” said Calvin distance coach Brian Diemer. “It’s one thing to go out and run a national qualifying time in the middle of the season and it’s another thing to really seal the deal at the national meet. This group definitely sealed the deal.”

According to fellow Calvin distance coach Al Hoekstra, the performance was consistent for the Calvin distance group. “The thing about this group, particularly the seniors, is that they have always found a way to get things done when the stakes were high,” said Hoekstra. “That 5,000 meter performance was one of the best clutch performances I have ever witnessed at a national meet. We went from fifth to second place in the second-to-last event of the day and it took all four individuals to do it.”

The All-America efforts were part of six on Saturday afternoon for the Calvin men as senior Keith VanGoor of Midland Park, New Jersey, also took seventh in the 200 meter run with a time of 21.79. The finish by VanGoor was extremely valuable for the Knights said head Calvin track and field coach Jong-Il Kim. “I am so happy to see Keith finish his career as an All-American,” said Kim. “The two points he scored in the event also helped us to finish in second place. It was a total group effort that helped our team finish in second place and when I say that, I also include the entire coaching staff and the rest of our athletes. The support they provided throughout the year was unbelievable and we are just thrilled to finish in second place as a team.”

In the women’s competition, Calvin came up with All-America performances in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 meter relay events on Saturday to finish in 12th place with 18 points in the final team standings, recording its 10th consecutive top-20 national finish. In the 4 x 100 meter relay, the Calvin team of senior Rachel Veltkamp (Grand Rapids Christian), freshman Sue Abbring (Highland, IN), senior Mindy Worst (Grand Rapids Christian) and junior Annie VanderLaan (Grand Rapids Christian) took fifth place with a time of 47.54, recording All-America honors in the event for the second straight year and for the fourth time in school history. In the 4 x 400 meter relay, the Calvin squad of Worst, Abbring, VanderLaan and freshman Laura Hamilton (Downers Grove, IL) took fourth with a season-best time of 3:47.94, marking the fourth consecutive year that Calvin has earned All-America accolades in the event and the sixth time in Calvin women’s track and field history. Seeded fourth heading into Saturday’s final, Calvin took the lead heading into the final lap after an amazing third leg by VanderLaan but top-seeded Wheaton of Massachusetts was able to pass Calvin with 200 meters to go and in the final 10 meters, Nebraska Wesleyan and Wartburg College (IA) passed Calvin, nipping the Knights by six-tenths and two-tenths of a second respectively. Wheaton (MA) took first with a time of 3:44.48.

“I did not expect our 4 x 400 meter relay team to challenge for the national title like it did but that is a credit to the fou individuals on the team,” said Kim who was named National Coach of the Year by the United States Track and Field Coaches Association Wednesday night. “Two of the members of the relay team were very young and Annie VanderLaan was running in the 4 x 400 at the nationals for the first time. They were just great though and they exceeded my expectations. The relay team has a chance to be even better next year.”

Wheaton of Massachusetts also claimed its second consecutive team title in the women’s competition, finishing with 67 points while McMurry (TX) was second with 49 points, Williams (MA) was third with 44 points and Wisconsin-LaCrosse fourth with 38 points.

Amber James of Wheaton was named the Most Valuable Runner of the women’s meet while Darcell Edwards of McMurry was named the Most Valuable Field Performer. In the men’s competition, Haglund was named the Most Valuable Runner while Craig Neeley of Ohio Wesleyan was named the Most Valuable Field Performer. Another notable performance came in the men’s 4 x 400 meter relay as Central College of Iowa came from out of a four seed in the preliminaries to capture its third straight national title in the finals Saturday afternoon, winning with a time of 3:10.05, edging Lincoln’s 4 x 400 meter relay team that finished second with a time of 3:10.32.

Together, the Calvin men’s and women’s track and field teams combined for 13 All-America performances at the national meet this weekend. Hope sophomore Jennifer Price and Albion sophomore Nicholas Morgan also garnered All-America honors on Saturday as Price was seventh in the 800 meters with a time of 2:12.32 while Morgan finished eighth in the men’s 110 high hurdles with a time of 15.05.

For the Calvin men, Dan Hoekstra closed out his distance career as a seven-time All-American, receiving All-America honors twice in cross country and five times in track and field. Pfruender finished his distance career as a six-time All-American, receiving the honor three times in cross country and three times in track and field. The All-America performance by VanGoor in the 200 meters was also the fourth All-America effort of his track and field career. In the women’s competition, Worst closed out her track and field career with four All-America certificates while Veltkamp finished her track and field career with three.

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The All-America performance by Calvin senior Justin Pfruender with a third place time of 9:04.9 enabled the Calvin men's track and field team to move into a tie for second place in the team standings with Wisconsin-Whitewater with 17 points. Bates College leads the competition with 20 points.

Scheduled to compete for Calvin tomorrow are the following individuals:

Hendrik Kok in the men's 1,500 meters & 5,000 meters Justin Pfruender in the men's 5,000 meters Joel Klooster in the men's 5,000 meters Dan Hoekstra in the men's 5,000 meters Keith VanGoor in the men's 200 meters

Sue Abbring, Annie VanderLaan, Laura Hamilton and Mindy Worst in the women's 4 x 400 meter relay & Rachel Veltkamp, VanderLaan, Worst and Abbring in the women's 4 x 100 meter relay.

Jessie Lair in the women's 5,000 meters Sarah Hastings in the women's 5,000 meters

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May 24, 2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA – The long willowy legs of senior Justin Pfruender continued a storied tradition of steeplechase running at Calvin College Friday night at the NCAA III Track and Field Championships at Macalester College.

A native of Midland and a graduate of Midland High School, Pfruender took third in the 3,000 meter steeplechase Friday night with a time of 9:04.90 to record the seventh All-America performance in the event in Calvin history. Pfruender’s time is the fourth-fastest in Calvin history and it came nearly four years to the very date that Calvin’s Geoff VanDragt had placed third in the event at the 1998 nationals – also hosted by Macalester College.

Seeded seventh in the race, Pfruender moved out of a logjam of runners after the first lap and into position among the top three. The move by Pfruender allowed him to gain valuable running space, allowing him plenty of room to clear every barrier in the seven-and-a-half lap event. With two laps remaining, Pfruender moved into firm hold of third place and in the final 200 meters, fought off a charge from Karl Remsen of Williams College to hold on for third.

Justin Easter of Bates College captured the national title in the steeplechase with a time of 9:02.02 while Ryan Reed of Pacific Lutheran was second in 9:02.34.

“Justin ran an incredibly smart race this evening,” said Calvin distance coach Brian Diemer, a three-time U.S. Olympian in the 3,000 meter steeplechase including a bronze medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. “The steeplechase is obviously very near and dear to my heart and to see one of your own athletes run the way Justin did tonight just brings tears to my eyes.’

“Justin’s biggest strength tonight was his ability to stay ahead of the mob of runners chasing behind him,” continued Diemer. “By doing that, he had plenty of room to hurdle the barriers and it made his race all that more efficient for him. If he stayed back in that pack of guys, he could have gotten in real trouble. It took a lot of courage on his part to step out from the pack and run on his own. And then he had to hold on for all he was worth down the stretch and I give him a ton of credit for that.”

Pfruender is set to compete in the 5,000 meters Saturday as well.

Also competing for Calvin Friday night was senior Ryan Moore of Wexford, Pennsylvania in the discus. Moore took 12th in the event with a throw of 151-6.

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MAY 24, 2002

SEVEN CALVIN ATHLETES RECEIVE VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT IV HONORS IN TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY

The Verizon Academic All-District IV teams have been announced in the college track & field/cross country college division and seven Calvin athletes have been so honored. This is the first year that the Verizon Academic All-America program has selected a separate team for track and field and cross country athletes. Previously, athletes from the two sports were placed in at-large divisions that included several other Olympic sports.

Named to the first team on the men's side are seniors Joel Klooster, Dan Hoekstra and David Ritsema while seniors Erinn Boot and Rachel Veltkamp have recieved first team recognition on the women's side.

As members of the first team, all five individuals advance to the national ballot and are eligible for Verizon Academic All-America consideration.

A pair of sophomores have also received second team all-district honors as Tim Avery has been named to the men's all-district second team while Jessie Lair has been named to the women's all-district second team.

Klooster is from Chatham, Ontario, and is a graduate of Chatham Christian High School. A two-time All-American in cross country and a two-time All-American in track and field, Klooster carries a 3.98 grade point average with a major of electrical engineering and a minor in computer science.

Hoekstra is from Kalamazoo and is a graduate of Kalamazoo Christian High School. Hoekstra is also a two-time All-America in cross country and a four-time All-American in track and field. He recently graduated with a degree in secondary education with an emphasis in chemistry. At Calvin, he carried a 3.43 grade point average and was recently named the recipient of Calvin's highest honor in men's athletics - the Bere' Memorial Award.

Ritsema is a Denver, Colorado, native and a graduate of Denver Christian High School. Ritsema was a 1st team All-MIAA selection in cross country this past fall and also a member of the 2001 All-MIAA track and field team. He was part of Calvin's top-seven in cross country this past fall and helped the Knights finish second at the NCAA III Championships.

He recently graduated from Calvin with a degree in biochemistry while carrying a 3.95 grade point average. He will attend medical school at the University of Colorado next fall.

Avery is from Rochester, New York, and is a graduate of Gates-Chilli High School. He has also been a member of Calvin's top seven in cross country the past two years and received 1st team All-MIAA honors in cross country in 2000. He has also been one of the top 10,000 meter runners on the Calvin track team over the last two years. He is majoring in education with an emphasis in art. He carries a 3.79 grade point average.

Boot is also from Kalamazoo and is a graduate of Kalamazoo Christian High School. Boot was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Runner in women's cross country this past fall and earned a spot on the All-MIAA 1st team for the third straight year. This spring, she was named to the All-MIAA track and field team and just missed qualifying for the NCAA III Track and Field Championships in the 10,000 and 5,000 meter runs.

Boot recently graduated from Calvin with a degree in biochemistry and a minor in psychology. She carried a 3.88 grade point average at Calvin and plans to attend medical school.

Veltkamp is from Grand Rapids and is a graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High School. She recently received Calvin's highest female athletic honor -- the Kay Tiemersma Award. A nursing major, Veltkamp recently graduated from Calvin while carrying a 3.73 grade point average. Veltkamp is a two-time track and field All-American and was named the MIAA's Most Outstanding Field Event Performer this spring in track and field. She recently finished 12th in the pole vault at the NCAA III Championships and will run in the 4 x 100 meter championship finals Saturday afternoon at the national meet.

Lair is from West Bloomfield and is a graduate of Southfield Christian High School. She is also an education major with an emphasis in art. She carries a 3.83 grade point average and was recently named to the All-MIAA track and field team for the second straight year. At the league championships this spring, she captured the MIAA title in the 5,000 meters for the second straight year. She also finished 15th in the 10,000 meter run at the NCAA III Championships this past Thursday night and is scheduled to run in the 5,000 meters Saturday afternoon. In addition, she is a two-time 1st team All-MIAA selection in cross country and was part of Calvin's national qualifying women's cross country team in 2000 and in 2001.

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