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Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams Capture MIAA Titles
Saturday, October 27, 2012
By Mitch Blankespoor
ALBION – The Calvin College men’s and women’s cross country teams ran in the second of two MIAA Jamborees Saturday morning hosted by Albion College. Both Knights’ teams were victorious and captured the MIAA Championship. The men’s race was first off at 11:00am. The Knights finished in the top four spots. Senior Dan Kerr (Petosky/Petosky) paced Calvin running the eight kilometer course in 24:37. Two fellow seniors, David VandeBunte (Byron Center/Byron Center) and Job Christiansen (New Ipswich, NH/Mascenic Regional) finished together with a time of 24:49. Junior Greg Whittle (Galesburg, IL/Galesburg) finished fourth with a time of 24:58. Calvin finished with 20 points as a team. Hope finished second with 75 points. This was the 26th consecutive MIAA championship for the Calvin men’s cross country program. 
The women’s race began at noon. Calvin had four finishers in the top eight, taking first, second, sixth and seventh. Junior Nicole Michmerhuizen (Holland/Holland Christian) won the six kilometer race with a time of 21:49. Senior Alyssa Penning was right behind, finishing second with a time of 22:06. Defending conference champion Hope had the next three spots. Sophomores Katie Ardinger (Elmhurst, IL/Timothy Christian) and Kimby Penning (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) secured Calvin’s victory, finishing sixth and seventh respectively with times of 22:24 for Ardinger and 22:26 for Penning. The Knights finished with 26 points, 11 ahead of defending champion Hope. Both teams will return to action at NCAA Regionals November 10, hosted by Anderson University, IN.
Calvin Cross Country Teams on the Move in USTFCCCA Division III Top 35 Rankings
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
USTFCCCA Division III Top 35 Rankings
The Calvin cross country teams are on the move. Both teams have moved up in the latest set of Division III Top 35 rankings released by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association. In this week’s poll, the Calvin men are ranked second nationally, up four spots from a week ago. The Knights also received three of a possible eight first place votes in this week’s poll. Top-ranked Haverford (PA) received the other five first place votes. On the women’s side, Calvin is ranked sixth, up two spots from a week ago. Both Calvin teams are coming off of banner performances last weekend at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational where the Calvin men’s team took first place with 52 points, finishing six points ahead of (previously) top-ranked North Central while the Calvin women’s team took first place with 91 points. Both Calvin teams are preparing for the MIAA Championships slated to be held October 27 at the Whiffletree Golf Course in Concord, Michigan.
Kerr and Penning Receive MIAA Cross Country Runner of the Week Honors
Monday, October 15, 2012
ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named Calvin’s Dan Kerr and Alyssa Penning as its Runners of the Week in cross country for meets through Oct. 14. Kerr, a senior from Petoskey (Petoskey HS), led the Knights to an outstanding performance as they won the Brooks Invitational meet at Wisconsin-Oshkosh, knocking off No. 1-ranked North Central, Ill. Kerr finished second with a time of 24:49, just a half-second behind the race winner. Calvin won the meet with 52 points, six ahead of North Central. Kerr is being honored as Runner of the Week for the second time this season and third time in his career. 
Penning, a senior from Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids Christian HS), led Calvin to a first-place finish at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational, posting a time of 21:54 to finish sixth among individual runners. The Knights won the meet with 91 points, outpacing three other nationally-ranked schools, including MIAA rival Hope. Penning is being honored as Runner of the Week for the second time this season and third time in her career.
Calvin Cross Country Teams Claim UW-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational Titles
Saturday, October 13, 2012
OSHKOSH, WI - The Calvin men’s and women’s cross country teams had banner performances on Saturday as both teams took first place at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational. On the men’s side, sixth-ranked Calvin finished ahead of top-ranked North Central as the Knights recorded 52 points, six points ahead of North Central’s total of 58 points. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, ranked 25th, took third with 93 points while third-ranked Washington of Missouri took fourth with 127 points. On the women’s side, eighth-ranked Calvin took first place with a team score of 91 points while 16th-ranked Chicago took second (114 points), 10th-ranked 
Wisconsin-Eau Claire third (115 points) and 23rd-ranked Hope fourth (172 points). Senior Dan Kerr led the charge for the Calvin men, placing second with a time of 24:49, finishing a half-second behind race winner Noah Droddy of DePauw. Senior Job Christiansen (New Ipswich, NH/Mascenic Regional HS) also cracked the top 10 with an eighth place time of 25:17. The Calvin women were led by senior Alyssa Penning (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) who placed sixth in 21:54 while junior Nicole Michmerhuizen (Holland/Holland Christian HS) was 14th (22:23).
Calvin Cross Country Teams Place Second at Michigan Intercollegiates at Gainey Athletic Complex
Friday, October 05, 2012
By Mark DeHaan
Preparing for the important Division III UW-Oshkosh Invitational next weekend, Calvin hosted the Michigan Intercollegiates at the Gainey Athletic Complex on a cool Friday afternoon. The Knights claimed second place in the men’s race and second in the women’s race.
Calvin Cross Country Runners Compete at Loyola Lakefront Invitational
Saturday, September 29, 2012
CHICAGO, IL - A group of Calvin men’s and women’s cross country athletes competed at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational on Saturday. In the men’s race, Calvin took 14th. In the women’s race, Calvin took 20th.In the men’s race, the top finisher for Calvin was senior Kevin Peterson in 66th place (26:20) while junior Philip Spitzer was 74th. Rounding out Calvin’s top seven were junior Gabe Gunnink in 108th, sophomore Josh Ferguson in 112th (26:45) freshman Matt Oram in 116th (26:55), sophomore Jacob Kuyvenhoven in 120th (26:58) and sophomores Stephen Tubergen in 123rd (26:59) and Steven Haagsma in 125th (27:00). Junior Alex VanHaitsma also took 130th (27:04).In the women’s race, sophomore Kate Ardinger was Calvin’s top finisher, placing 76th (18:49). Sophomore Lydia Peterson was 131st (19:19) and sophomore Paige McGahan 138th (19:22). Sophomore Lizzy Vannette was 157th (19:33) and senior Hannah Kregel 178th (19:45). Senior Kaylea Brase also took 184th (19:47).
Calvin cross country teams place third at Notre Dame Invitational
Friday, September 28, 2012
NOTRE DAME, IN - The nationally-ranked Calvin men’s and women’s cross country teams had solid performances at the Notre Dame Invitational Friday afternoon as the sixth-ranked Calvin men’s team took third in the men’s Gold Division with a team score of 96 points while the eighth-ranked Calvin women’s team was third in the women’s Gold Division with 130 points.
Dan Kerr and Nicole Michmerhuizen Receive MIAA Runner of the Week Honors
Monday, September 24, 2012
ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named Calvin’s Dan Kerr and Nicole Michmerhuizen as its Runners of the Week in cross country for meets through Sept. 9.Kerr, a senior from Petoskey (Petoskey HS), was first across the finish line in leading the Knights to an impressive performance at the MIAA Jamboree Friday at Saint Mary’s, posting a time of 25:30 over the 8-kilometer course. Kerr is being honored as Runner of the Week for the second time in his career. 
Michmerhuizen, a junior from Holland (Holland Christian HS), won the women’s race at the MIAA Jamboree at Saint Mary’s Friday, crossing the finish line in a time of 22:01. Her performance led the Knights to a first-place showing at the Jamboree. Michmerhuizen is being honored as Runner of the Week for the first time in her career.
Calvin Cross Country Teams Turn in Dominating First Place Performances at MIAA Jamboree
Friday, September 21, 2012
NOTRE DAME, IN - The nationally-ranked Calvin men’s and women’s cross country teams came away with a pair of dominating performances at the MIAA Jamboree hosted by Saint Mary’s College Friday afternoon. Ranked sixth nationally, the Calvin men’s cross country team took six of the top seven spots to record a first place team score of 17 points, 56 points ahead of second place Hope.On the women’s side, Calvin also dominated as the eighth-ranked Knights recorded a team score of 20 points, 33 points ahead of 17th-ranked Hope. The Calvin women took the top two spots individually including seven of the top nine to cruise to the win.
Calvin Cross Country Teams Continue To Hold High Spots in National Rankings
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
USTFCCCA Division III National Rankings (9-19-12)
The Calvin men’s and women’s cross country teams have held their spots in the national rankings. In the most recent set of Division III Top 35 rankings released by the United States Cross Country Coaches Association of America this morning, the Calvin men’s team is ranked sixth while the Calvin women’s team is ranked eighth. Both teams were ranked in the same positions in last week’s poll. In the first poll of the year – released three weeks ago – the Calvin men’s cross country team was ranked seventh while the Calvin women’s team was ranked 10th.Two weeks ago, both teams took first place at their own Knight Invitational with the Calvin men’s team posting a first place total of 30 points and its women’s team collecting a first place score of 34 points. Both teams are in the process of preparing for the MIAA Jamboree on Friday at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. The men’s race will begin at 5 p.m. with the women’s race to follow at 6 p.m.
